Over a century ago when native Indians roamed what is now the United States of America, acorns were a staple in their diet from coast to coast. Today, you hear very little about anyone eating acorns. In fact, a close relative told me that they are toxic to humans. Of course, he thinks he knows everything. After researching this recently, I found that they are still edible for us and there are some plants that harvest them for sale. Maybe it is just me, but I have never seen acorns for sale in any grocery store I have ever been in.
Most people associate acorns with squirrels from cartoons and movies, but did you know that even deer eat acorns as well? Bears are the nuttiest of creatures. They will scale a tree to eat freshly ripened nuts before they get the chance to fall to the ground. Bears have been known to dig up ground nuts leaving gorges in the ground here and there. Several birds eat acorns, too. The woodpecker is an avid lover of them more so than others.
The American Indians were astute observers of wildlife and learned what berries to eat and not to eat as well as nuts, and other fruits and vegetables. They learned more about turning grains into food than we ever thought possible, and how to grow just about any kind of fruit or vegetable. The Pilgrims learned a few things from those Indians. We may never read in any history book about the storage of acorns, but the American Indians knew how. They would either make pottery, or find places to keep bears, squirrels, deer and other animals from them such as briar patches around an open field. Indians were crafty at keeping their food.
The further west one would travel here in the U.S., you will find that there are more varieties of acorns being that they come from Oak trees not acorn trees. I had to correct a classmate back in grade school that there is no such thing as an acorn tree. Obviously, he didn’t pay much attention in class. With more varieties of Oaks in the California area, the Indians had more than enough acorns to put away for the two years they would keep.
So why do so few people eat them these days? This is not such an easy question to answer. There are plenty of recipes out there for them. You can make butter from them as well as pies and ice cream. You may be wondering if Indians sat around by their campfires roasting acorns. They probably did. For all we know they would make something similar to a Chex Mix that we are used to today. Unfortunately, there are not any records of this other than tales passed down from one generation to the next.
The only animals that would be harmed by the eating of these versatile nuts are horses. Acorns are highly toxic to horses. There is an acid that is formed in the acorn that attracts weevils and other larvae to it to feed upon. This is why you should take great care in harvesting and cleaning these nuts. Acorns can be harmful in this respect, so take the time and be watchful as you prepare them to eat. A hospital visit to get your stomach pumped would not be a joyous occasion.
