permaculture

[Kathy Carter-White <kathycarterwhite@earthlink.net>]

Hi Jamie-  I took a Cherokee wild cooking class and one of the dishes 
was acorn bread... actually more like the texture of corn mush.  
According to Indian Herbology of North America, acorns can be used for 
soup, bread and pudding.  I can't find my recipe book right now, but 
I'll check for recipes.  Indian Herbology says these were gathered 
sometimes, ie 500 lbs per person and stockpiled for winter cooking, so 
I'd assume they were gathered in the fall... and I'm guessing it was 
after first frost just because most things for winter were gathered 
after first frost (grapes, persimmons, hickory nuts).  Were the White 
Oak better?  Above source says acorns have the property of neutralizing 
poison... Just guessing that the high tannin content  does the ph 
thing.  I recall you roast them before grinding, and pour boiling water 
over them to take away the bitter... k

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