Acorns
As many of you know, my family and I raise pigs each year, mostly to help us manage the huge amount of food waste that comes with a catering company. I find it so darn interesting that each year, just as the catering winds down and before the slaughter, the acorns turn brown and fall. We not only gather them but our friends and neighbors rake their yards and bring us barrels full to feed the pigs. It’s charming to watch them nose into a pile of acorns and scoop mouthfuls (seriously, a grin comes over them as they chomp).
In Spain and Portugal, Iberico pigs are finished on pastures of oak trees with their abundance of acorns.
PIG FACT: Pigs gain up to 2 lbs of fat a day on acorns in the wild, and can eat 20 lbs of acorns a day! A 50 pound bag of organic grain costs $36.00 a bag, so we look for ways to feed our pigs, so economically, it makes sense to feed as many pounds of acorns as possible! So if you live near me, and you gather your acorns, I will take them!
But, that’s not all: the taste difference is noticeable in the meat of pigs who have been fed acorns. This year we are raising a cross of Mangalitsa pigs and Meishan pigs. Because of this supplement of nuts, the fat will be richer and creamier and the meat an earthy-nut flavor. I also clear my shelves of all the grains and corn and cook it up to feed the pigs at the end of the season.
This week, I noticed the green clumps of them falling and worry that the trees are undergoing some sort of stress to be releasing them.
It's a natural process called transpiration. A tree’s stress can be from too much rain, too little rain, a too-hot summer, etc.. so the oak tree, needing to conserve water, cuts back on its growth and on producing a lot of acorns
Another hint of our ever-changing climate?
*CAUTION*
Raw green acorns contain loads of tannins which are toxic and would not be good food sources for people. Mature acorns are typically tan and often fall during the months of September and October.
Once ripe, Acorns can be ground to make flour for bread, pancakes, pastries, cookies and even pasta. If you plan to do this, it’s best to leach with cold water to preserve the starch and help the dough hold together better.
Leaching:
If you’re going to keep your acorns whole, or at least chunky, you can leach them with boiling water.
In both cases, follow the method below – just use hot or cold water according to your planned recipe.
Shell your acorns. This can be challenging on soft hands, and some claim it helps if you freeze them first.
Soak the shelled acorns in hot or cold water.
Once the water turns brown, drain it off and soak again in fresh hot or cold water.
Repeat this process until the water is clear.
Did you know?
Mast is the term used for the fruit of forest trees, such as acorns and beech seeds. A mast year is when the trees produce a bumper crop. Many scientists believe this is to occasionally produce more seeds than wildlife can eat, increasing the seeds’ chances of survival.
Roasted acorns
For those who enjoy a savory snack, salted nuts are the perfect choice. Roasting is probably the easiest way to cook acorns. They can be added to a winter stew for an extra bite too!
After hot water leaching, place the damp chunks onto a baking tray and sprinkle with salt.
Toast for 15-20 mins on a high heat.
When the color starts to darken, they’re ready.
Cool and consume!