![]() ![]() However, acorns are still undoubtedly present in significant quantities at sites across the Southeast and have been used widely by man Native American tribes. “Acorns” by bitzcelt (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0).īecause of their thin outer shells which are more susceptible to burning and breakage, acorns are usually recovered in smaller quantities from archaeological sites compared to other nuts with thicker shells that preserve better, such as hickory and black walnut. Although, like other nuts, acorns have great storage potential, they are more susceptible to mold and sprouting unless they are toasted beforehand.įigure 3. ![]() Tannins make the acorns bitter and less palatable.Īcorns can be leached of tannins through various methods: after cracking the acorn shells and removing the nuts, the nuts can be suspended in a stream for a few weeks (for example, in a basket or netting) or the nuts can be ground into flour and placed into cold water to settle for several hours, with the water changed out six to twenty times until the nut flour is no longer astringent.Īll in all, acorns are highly nutritious sources of carbohydrates, oil, and protein. This is possibly due to the germination time being shorter for white oaks (fall) than the germination time for red oaks (spring). White oaks tend to have leaves with rounded lobes, while red oaks have toothed leaves that end in sharp points.Īll acorns also contain toxic tannins which must be leached before use, although the amount of tannins differs between oak species, with white oak, Quercus alba, containing the least amount and Red Oaks containing the highest. Generally, oaks can be divided into either the white oak group or the red oak group. The oak genus, Quercus, includes not only varying acorn shapes and sizes, but also varying leaf shapes and sizes that can help with identification and differentiation. Left to right: chesnut oak, scarlet oak, water oak, white oak, and live oak. ![]() They are also monoecious with male and female flowers on the same tree.įigure 2. These trees are deciduous, losing their leaves in the winter, and have simple leaves that are alternate and often toothed and/or lobed. Oaks are members of the beech Family, Fagaceae, alongside others such as beeches and chestnuts. “Acorn” by Marko K (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0).Īcorns are the fruit of oak trees and come in a variety of shapes and sizes depending on the particular species of oak. Acorns are not only loved and collected by squirrels and children alike but have a long history of use!įigure 1. With caps situated like tiny hats, acorns ( Quercus sp.) are one of the most easily recognizable nuts.
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