Processing Acorns and Pine Nuts

Acorns

First you will need to gather the acorns by picking them up off the ground or laying a tarp beneath the tree and shaking them loose.  Toss out any that are discolored, damaged in any way, or that have no caps, and then put them in a large pot of cold water to soak.  Be sure to remove any that float – they are inedible.

After soaking them for about an hour, it is time to shell the acorns.  Remove them a few at a time, shell them and cut them in half, then return them to the pot of water.  Once they have all been shelled and cut, rinse them thoroughly and put them back into the pot with fresh water.

Place the pot on the stove on high heat for about 10 minutes, or until the water turns brown.  Strain the acorns, fill the pot again and repeat the leaching process until the water remains relatively clear.

 Remove them from the pot, and gently place them on a towel to dry, taking extra care not to crush them.  Once they’ve dried, they can be cooked and eaten. 

Pine Nuts

Collect the pinecones either by hand or by placing a tarp beneath the tree and shaking them loose. If they are open and ripe, the seeds may separate from the cone easily.  If not, you may have to beat them or use heat to release them. 

To use heat:  lay them on a tarp or blanket in direct sunlight and cover them with a second blanket, trapping the heat which will allow them to dry.  Once the seeds have been loosened, place them on a flat surface, cover them with a towel and roll over them using a rolling pin to crack the shells.  Then, separate the seeds from the shell and either roast the seed and eat them, or soak the seed in salt water and cook them.      

For both acorns and pine nuts, only process what you will need for a few days at a time.