North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Martha Davis <martha_davis@earthlink.net>]

Acorn flavor

The Edible Forest Gardens Books By Jacke & Toensmeier list Q. ilex
rotundifolia the Holm oak as "perhaps the best acorns sometimes almond in
flavor can eat straight or grind for meal".  It's European and
traditionally used for food, hardy to zone 7 so probably not hardy for me,
but would it work for you Rob?  They also list the following as "sweet"
acorns, but don't think the flavor is as good.  Q. alba, Q. bicolor, Q.
fruticosa, Q. macrocarpa, Q. michauxii, Q. prinus, Q. x hybrid Compton's
Oak, and Q.x schuettei.  I remember some 40 years ago being willing to eat
acorns from a Chestnut oak raw. It was on a central indiana college campus
and I was probably inspired by Eual Gibbons in one of his wild edibles
books.  I'm not too sure what the species was.  Perhaps Q. michauxii or Q.
prinus

Martha Davis