The use of oak acorns. The benefits of acorns: ancestral knowledge, culinary recipes

Oak in great honor was and remains in high esteem onRussia . From time immemorial, this powerful tree has been dedicated to the God of lightning and thunder - Perun.
Under the powerful crowns of oak, courts were held, military councils were held, all the most important issues were resolved. The beloved and revered plant is surrounded by legends and myths, sung in songs and poems, endowed with high epithets.

... Excavations in the Kirovograd region confirmed that more than five thousand years ago people baked bread here from acorns ground into flour.
... During excavations in Japan, an acorn was found, the age of which, as determined by scientists, totaled 3800 years. This acorn was planted - and it sprouted! Now it is already a solid tree ...
... Its leaves are also useful, especially when pickling vegetables for the future. Only 20 g of them per three-liter jar of cucumbers is enough to ensure good taste and preservation of pickles.
For a long time in Russia they used ink that does not fade with time - they were also made from oak, more precisely, from dried and ground galls - nuts that form on oak leaves. Mixed with iron vitriol, these nuts give a strong black paint - ink, thanks to which the most ancient annals of our distant ancestors, the first handwritten books, have come down to us.
One of the reasons that acorns have gradually lost their nutritional value lies, apparently, in the fact that they contain the glycoside quercitrin and tannins, which give acorns a certain bitterness. But this bitterness is easily eliminated by heating ... "

medicinal use

Used for medicinal purposes bark, leaves and fruits of oak. Tannins have been isolated from the oak bark, solutions of which are used in inflammatory processes in the oral cavity, nose, larynx, for the treatment of ulcers and burns. The bark is used as a strong astringent and strengthens the blood vessels, as well as an antihelminthic.
Oak bark is effective as an anti-inflammatory agent for diseases of the oral cavity (gingivitis, stomatitis, amphodontosis), pharynx, larynx, pharynx. In addition, it is used to treat burns, skin diseases, wounds, frostbite. Oak bark is used for mushroom poisoning and in the treatment of diarrhea.

For rinsing the mouth and compresses, a decoction is prepared at the rate of 10-20 g of oak bark per 200 ml of water. Boil for 15-20 minutes, filter.
. Infusion of oak bark is prescribed for inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, diarrhea, dysentery. To do this, 1 teaspoon of crushed bark is poured into 400 ml of cold boiled water. Insist 8 hours and filter. Drink in sips throughout the day. Children are not allowed!
. Coffee drink made from acorns is very useful for heart diseases.
. With strong sweating of the legs, baths are made with a decoction of oak bark (50-100 g per 1 liter of water). A decoction of the bark is used to wash the head with dandruff and to strengthen the hair.

Terms and methods of preparation. Acorns are harvested in September-October, when they are fully ripe. Acorns deteriorate very quickly, so immediately after harvesting they are peeled, the cotyledons are separated and dried. The moisture content of dry acorns should be no more than 11%.
The bark is harvested in the spring during sap flow (April-May), from branches with a diameter of 10-20 cm without cracks and lichens. To remove the bark with a knife, make circular cuts at a distance of 30 cm from one another, which are connected by a longitudinal incision. After that, the bark is easily removed. Dry it under a canopy with good ventilation, as well as in the sun. Shelf life 5 years. The leaves are harvested in the spring while they are young and sticky.

The use of acorns in diabetes

1. For diabetes, grind dried oak acorns in a coffee grinder and take this powder inside 1 tsp. an hour before meals in the morning and at night.

2. Grate acorns on a fine grater. 1 teaspoon of acorns should be eaten half an hour - an hour before eating on an empty stomach, and in the evening, an hour after eating. You can drink water and nothing else to eat.

Treatment is carried out according to the scheme: eat acorns for a week, then rest for a week. Take a blood test this week. Then again a week of acorns - a week of rest and a blood test. Do this 2-3 times, but you can do up to 4 times. After 3 sessions, blood sugar returns to normal.

3. Pour 1.5 liters of water, boiled for 30 minutes on low heat, leave for 1 day, boil again for 30 minutes and again insist for 1 day. Strain, add 1 glass of vodka to the decoction, mix and drink 3 small sips 5-7 times a day, regardless of food intake. The course of treatment is 2 weeks. Check blood sugar and then act according to the condition. The medicine must be kept in the refrigerator. In the future, so that the sugar level does not rise, drink this medicine 2 times a week.

4. One tablespoon of acorn coffee per 400 ml of boiling water, add sugar to taste. Take 1 time per week. Drink in 3-4 doses in the initial stages of diabetes.

Folk recipes from acorns

Acorns have a bactericidal, enveloping, antitumor effect. Often used in the treatment of the genitourinary system: they stop heavy periods, are used for female diseases, increase potency, and treat enuresis. Acorns help well in the treatment of gums and toothache, are useful in various kinds of poisoning. In addition, oak fruits have a beneficial effect on the digestive system: their decoction is used for indigestion, acute and chronic colitis.

Mature oak fruits are harvested and dried in a dark place for 3-4 weeks (you can use a dryer - at a temperature of 50 degrees for 2-3 days). Then the fruits are crushed and stored in a dry place. Harvesting too many fruits is not recommended - raw materials quickly deteriorate.

For stomach disorders traditional medicine recommends an infusion of acorns: pour 1 teaspoon of crushed fruits with a glass of boiling water, cool, strain. Take orally half a glass 3 times a day. The duration of the course is a month, after another month it is recommended to repeat it.

For heart disease good acorn coffee. The fruits should be lightly fried until red, crushed and brewed like coffee. Add milk, sugar. Such coffee is often recommended to children, both as a regular drink and for coughs, bronchitis, and asthma.

For healing hernia warm 25% tincture of acorns in red wine is used as compresses.

For problems related to genitourinary system, apply juice from acorns. It is squeezed from green fruits, taken 2-3 tablespoons with honey (1:1 ratio) on an empty stomach 3-4 times a day.

Pancreatitis: collect ripe acorns, but not dried on the trees, but fresh ones, dry them in the shade, separate the “hats” - pluses from the acorns, pour 1 tablespoon of such “hats” with 200 ml of boiling water for 2 - 3 hours, strain.

You need to start taking with one teaspoon and gradually increase to 60-70 ml per day. If the taste is unpleasant, then soak the bread with infusion and take 3 times a day 30 minutes before meals. It is also recommended to eat the fruits of acorns - until the work of the pancreas is normalized.

Acorn coffee

You need to collect ripe acorns, green in color, hard to the touch, if pressed with a finger, then wormy.
You need to dry like this: spread on a baking sheet in one layer and put in a preheated oven for five minutes. During this time, most acorns will burst and turn a dark brown color. Then open the oven and dry for another hour. Be careful not to burn the acorns.
Then take them out and cool. When cool, peel and place in a jar with a tight lid.
In order to prepare a coffee drink, you need to grind acorns in a coffee grinder, brew like coffee, at the rate of one teaspoon of powder per cup of water. Add sugar to taste.
It turns out quite a tasty drink, somewhat reminiscent of cocoa with milk, very tonic.

Ripe acorns are peeled, cut into 3-4 pieces each and dried in the oven. Then the acorns are roasted, making sure that they do not burn, but turn into a brittle mass, easily turned into a brown powder in a coffee grinder.
Brewed and drunk like ordinary coffee, with milk or sugar.
Acorn coffee is especially useful for children suffering from scrofula and rickets (coffee strengthens the abdominal organs and eliminates hardening of the mesenteric glands), as well as for coughs, bronchitis, asthma ... Children are given twice a day: in the morning and in the afternoon.

Coffee drink made from acorns is very useful for heart diseases.

Kissel from acorn coffee

Mix coffee with sugar, dissolve in a small amount of hot water, then add 180 ml of water and strain. Pour potato starch diluted in 20 ml of cold water into boiling coffee, pour into a glass and sprinkle with powdered sugar or granulated sugar to prevent the formation of a film.
For 7 g of acorn coffee - 10 g of potato starch, 15 g of sugar, 200 ml of water.

Acorn Bread

It is better to collect acorns after the first frost. They are peeled, cut into four parts, filled with water and soaked for two days, changing the water at least three times daily. After that, the acorns are heated in water to a boil (2 parts of water to 1 part of the acorns) and passed through a meat grinder. The resulting mass is dried - first with a thin layer in the air, then in the oven or oven until it starts to crunch like crackers. Dried acorns are crushed or ground in any way. With coarse grinding, cereals are obtained, from which you can cook porridge, from flour - bake cakes. True, the acorn dough does not have stickiness and viscosity, so the cakes break when turned over. To avoid this, it is advised to cover the frying pan with the flatbread with a second similar frying pan and turn them both over - the flatbread simply falls from one frying pan to another, on which it is fried. If the cakes are smeared with jam, jam or cream and stacked on top of each other, you get a delicious cake. Soaked and lightly toasted pieces of acorns may well replace the nut sprinkles for the cake.

Acorn porridge

Acorns contain tannins, which give them an astringent, bitter taste. And you can remove these substances by soaking. Acorns are peeled, cut into four parts and poured with water. Soaking lasts two days, and every day the water is changed three times. Then the acorns are transferred to a saucepan, poured with water and heated to a boil. Then the acorns are passed through a meat grinder and the resulting mass is dried, scattering a thin layer on plywood. After preliminary drying in the air, the acorns are dried in the oven until they crunch like crackers. Dried acorns are crushed or ground in a coffee mill. With coarse grinding, cereals are obtained, from which you can cook porridge, from flour - bake cakes.

Soup acorn milk

Pour the acorn grits in a thin stream into boiling water, stirring all the time, cook until the grits are ready, then add milk, sugar, salt and bring the soup to a boil.
When serving, put a piece of butter in a bowl with soup.
For 30 g of acorn grits - 250 ml of milk, 5 g of sugar, 5 g of butter, 2 g of salt.

Yeast-free cakes from acorn flour

Boil sour cream, pour acorn flour into it, boil slightly, remove from the stove and cool. Add grated cheese, sugar to the resulting mass, mix well, cut the cakes and brown in a pan.
For 15 g of acorn flour - 10 g of cheese, 25 g of sour cream, ½ egg, 5 g of sugar, fat.

Material prepared

The magical properties of Oak

Oak in Russia has always been considered a holy tree, a tree associated with male energy and power. Oak is the tree of God Perun, the patron saint of knights. Sacred oak groves with thousand-year-old oaks were scattered throughout Kievan Rus. Science has proven that the grove, in which more than 300 oaks grow, is a kind of receiver of cosmic power, which has a very positive effect on the activity of the human brain, restores youth, strength, inspires good thoughts.

Temples and sanctuaries have always stood in oak groves, and people were treated there. Oak is an energy donor. With direct contact with him, a person receives the maximum possible amount of vital energy. Oak is a tree-conductor that connects a person with the world and the Universe.

Oak always prefers warriors, fighters, strong and healthy people. He heals wounds received in battle, heals the souls of warriors, shares a part of his longevity. Veterans, former soldiers, the elderly benefit from contact with him.

Remember the somewhat rude expression about the dead, so common among us: "I gave oak." Do you know where it came from? From an old legend that the souls of the dead rise up along the trunk of an oak tree, like a heavenly ladder, to the bright kingdom of the immortals.

In Russia, there have always been many magical practices that made it possible, with the help of the energy of this tree, to turn to the dead for help and gain additional strength and good luck.

But even without using any special magical and extrasensory methods, anyone can get a piece of his strength and health from an oak tree. To do this, you need to walk more often in oak groves; if possible, use oak objects in your everyday life (especially great power is transmitted to a person through oak floors or through the walls of a house built from oak logs); one should never break or cut an oak tree for fun.

Oak is a clear night owl. He wakes up in the morning, slowly, By noon, unfolds foliage and branches to recharge his energy, and clearly does not want to part with it. Having had lunch and breakfast at the same time, he falls asleep,remembering, probably, that after a hearty dinner it is supposed to sleep. "And sleeps from about 15 to 17 hours. By the evening, having had enough and resting, he begins to take an interest in the world around him. Oak willingly communicates with those who listen to him, from 18 hours, nourishing his energy creativity and giving inspiration to others.But a real surge of strength comes to him after nine in the evening, when he willingly heals and helps people correct their fate.Having generously distributed his strength to the world, after 3 in the morning he falls asleep soundly to wake up again around noon.

Oak as a talisman

Oak is a strong and powerful tree. Likes ambitious and energetic people. Can't stand people who whine all the time. His masculine energy is strong and tough, powerful and hot. She is not very shown to women, since, with constant communication, she can give completeness and excessive self-sufficiency, which will interfere with meetings with the opposite sex.

It is useful for women born under the sign of Sagittarius at least once a year - before their birthday or on that day itself - to stand under an oak tree and mentally communicate with it, discussing their life plans. Such a meeting couldhelp you achieve what you want in life.

An ordinary oak board, processed on Thursday at sunrise, on which a security sign is carved, nailed to the home altar, can protect the family from many troubles.

With pleasure they planted oaks in Russia near the house itself - they helped to maintain health and strength for many years, had a beneficial effect on the fate of his children and grandchildren - sometimes up to the fifth generation.

Oak takes a long time to get used to a person. Sometimes it takes six months - a year before he really begins to consider you his own. But if he takes you into his heart, he will not let you go and will never forget! A particle of his power will be with you wherever you are, because we have already said that the oak has the ability to transmit its energy over great distances. If he accepted you, his leaves will imperceptibly reach out to you when you arrive, and young branches will cling to your clothes, not wanting to let you go. If a double acorn falls on your hand from your favorite tree, save it! By itself, he is a talisman of good luck in business, but in this case, his strength will be greater, since it is supported by the wish of the oak itself.

Oak in construction and interior

In practical magic, its ability to open the way to the Cosmos and the information of near-Earth space is more used. Therefore, in Russia, where there is little sun and a strong shortage of energy, they were very fond of using oak wood for buildings, thus compensating for the lack of warm fiery energy for the human body. Moreover, bog oak has always been the most popular. Bog oak wood is slightly reddish, not greyish; like natural oak. This enhances the warmth of the wood and slightly uplifts the mood. Ordinary oak, of course, calms the nervous system and fills the body with strength, but does not contribute to fun. In a completely oak, unpainted house, you feel like in a church - pleasant, good, light in your soul, but stormy fun seems somehow indecent.

Usually in the old days the walls of a wooden house were made of oak, the floors and floors were oak. Such an arrangement of wood contributed to the best protection of a person from the influences of negative energy from the outside and made it possible to restore the spent forces in the shortest possible time, since the oak easily transfers its energy to a person upon direct contact, and its strength allows us to balance the work of our entire body. No wonder the people said: "Strong as an oak!"

And in a modern city house, oak trees would not be superfluous at all.floors and oak chairs that would allow you to quickly restore the energy spent during the day! Oak wood is little susceptible to decay, as it stores huge reserves of light energy, which it gives off for centuries. Oak buildings and furniture can warm the soul and raise the strength and health of more than one generation.

Oak is a symbol of power and stability. Things made of oak strengthen the position of their owner. The interior, finished in oak, is connected in some mysterious way with the growth of the authority of the institution located in it. Oak protects the house as such from various financial and business shocks and crises, promotes professional growth. If you want to properly receive a significant person, it is good to decorate the room with oak branches.

Oak is completely incompatible with spruce. Never put a Christmas tree on an oak table, and do not mix these two plants in one composition. Even oak and spruce boards in the same house will have a bad effect on the moral atmosphere, stimulating intrigues and conspiracies.

Since ancient times, this
tree like oak was considered magical, from its fruits, leaves and bark they made
amulets that gave strength to the sick, kept youth, saved from
infertility and brought good luck. His power, strength, longevity and fertility do not
leaves indifferent even today. How, oak fruit contribute
treatment of various diseases, will tell in this article.

Read about the benefits of tree bark in the articles:

It is believed that thanks to the oak
you can significantly increase your intelligence, because the oak has always been a symbol
wisdom and knowledge - this is mentioned in stories and fairy tales, to maintain a good
concentration and activity of the brain, you can constantly carry piece
oak bark or acorn.

What are the beliefs about
acorns?

It is believed that oak fruits
– acorns help with aging, they bring longevity and youth. Formerly wheat
bread with crushed acorns was popular with the elderly. Same way
attribute to the amulet from the acorn properties to attract good luck and help in
achieving the goal. As a protective amulet against evil forces, acorns are hung on
windows. A dream in which you see an oak hung with acorns promises career growth.
and well-being.

What is the composition of acorns?

Acorns contain fatty
oils, proteins, sugars, quercetin glycoside, starch, and tannins. When
scientists studied the entire composition of acorns as a whole, they came to the conclusion that the first bread
was made not from cereals, but from acorns. After all, if the acorns are ground into
flour, then you get a product (flour) that is very suitable for baking, from which
bread was baked more than five thousand years ago.

What are the beneficial properties
acorns?

Nutritional properties of the acorn
high enough, they serve as food for domestic animals and wild boars,
who have strength and endurance. The fruits of the acorn for most people are considered
the food of the poor and this is a huge delusion. Acorns really in the war years
and famine saved entire families from extinction, but this is not the reason
treat them with disdain, on the contrary, this fact once again proves
value of acorns. The value of acorns
large enough and can be put on a par with cocoa beans, olives,
natural coffee and other food products.

Oak fruits have
high starch content up to 40% and other easily digestible carbohydrates,
as well as tannins, giving acorns a bitter and astringent taste,
quercetin and tannins. The bitter taste of acorns can be easily removed, and then
acorns can be fully used for food. From ground acorns
it turns out a worthy surrogate for coffee with a nutty taste, also from these oak
fruit can make porridge and cakes.

How to cook acorns?

Before cooking
their acorns need to be deprived of bitterness, this happens by heating and soaking.
Heat treatment is simply necessary for acorns, as they contain in their
contains quercetin, which is toxic to humans.

Clean before cooking
acorns from the peel, cut each into 4 parts and fill with warm water. During
day, drain the old water, filling the acorns again with clean water, and so on 3-4 times a day.
day (for the duration of 2 days).

After the acorns
“soaked”, fill them with clean water, based on 1 kg. fruits, 2 liters of water and
bring to a boil. Cool the acorns and chop, scatter the resulting mass
on a tray or spread out towel, spread the acorns in a thin layer and dry
outdoors, but not in direct sunlight.

As soon as the acorns dried them out
need to be dried in the oven so that they can be easily crushed, or grind in
flour. From the resulting flour, you can cook healthy porridge, cakes, bread or
pancakes. Cooking flour products should be with the addition of wheat flour.

What are the medicinal properties of acorns?

Just like oak bark, acorns have a good
astringent property. Oak fruits have antibacterial and antiviral effects,
their use is indicated for pulmonary tuberculosis, bronchial asthma, diabetes
diabetes, colitis, and nervous diseases.

What
is acorn coffee?

In Soviet times, cheap coffee was on sale,
consisting of equal parts of acorn powder and ground coffee. Surrogate price
coffee is much lower, but the healing properties are even higher than whole coffee, since
acorns are a medicinal product for the diseases listed above. Such coffee
from acorns helps well withdisorders
stomach, various poisonings, acute, chronic colitis anddiseases
Gastrointestinal tract, with all these diseasesGood
drink such coffee infusion from oak fruits.

Nuts and acorns are an excellent source of food and were used in the old days to give people many healthy and healthy culinary ideas. They are still popular these days, which is a good thing, as nuts and acorns contain B vitamins, protein, low fat, and quite a lot of carbohydrates. In addition, they normalize sugar levels. . However, they cannot be eaten raw - raw acorns are poisonous and have a bitter taste. They must be cooked before being eaten. Here are some tips for using acorns as food.

Steps

Processing acorns for food

Collect ripe acorns. Look for brown acorns and only use them. Green acorns are unripe and unfit for consumption (but they can ripen in a clean, dry place). Wash and process only ripe brown acorns. Avoid any acorns that are moldy, dusty, blackened, etc. Quality acorns should be yellowish in color. Raw natural nuts of various types of oaks:

Blanch your acorns. Untreated dry acorns contain a high concentration of tannic acid, so they are bitter and, if consumed in large quantities, can be toxic to humans. The tannic acid can be washed out by immersing the acorns in boiling water. The washing process makes the acorns spicy and slightly sweet. Repeatedly pour acorns with hot water (the so-called blanching). Continue doing this until the water no longer turns brown during straining and replacement.

Remove the soaked acorns from the container and leave to dry, or roast them after drying (optional). Yes, raw acorns are poisonous, but they can be stored for several months; this dramatically increases their value as an "essential food resource". Please note - you can use them only after washing.

Acorns in recipes

Make "coffee" out of acorns. Peel ripe, blanched acorns. Break the cores. Place in an ovenproof dish and cover with a lid. Roast in the oven at low temperature for slow drying. Stir frequently. After frying (you can bring them to a light, medium or dark shade according to your taste), chop the acorns. The resulting mixture can be mixed with coffee or used alone to make acorn coffee.

Make whole acorn flour or sift it to remove fibers to grind it up and get starch! Use flour to make bread, muffins, and so on.

Salt washed acorns in brine. They are salted in the same way as olives. Pickled acorns are an excellent medicine and a delicacy.
Substitute roasted acorns for nuts and boiled beans. Crushed or ground acorns can replace many nuts and legumes, such as peas, peanuts, macadamia, and so on. Follow the usual recipe, just substituting the right ingredients for acorns. Like most nuts, they are nutritious and satisfying and can be used freely.
- Make acorns into dukka, a dry, spicy mixed seasoning that has many uses, but is mainly used for dipping bread mixed with olive oil or butter.
- Sprinkle chopped fried acorns over a fresh salad as a dressing.
Roast your acorns. After frying, peel them and dip them in thick sugar syrup.
- Make "acorn lollipops" using the peanut recipe and place on an oiled cooling plate.
- Make acorn butter, which is similar to peanut or almond butter.
- Use acorn starch in low carb pancake or cookie recipes (like crepes), drizzling with acorn oil and sprinkling with stevia - a natural sweetener - or using fresh honey!

It's no secret that oak belongs to the beech family, which combines evergreen as well as deciduous shrubs and trees. It is very interesting that scales of two sexes are needed for pollination of oak. Acorns appear and ripen from small green grains with red tips that hang from thin twigs.

Each species of oak has different fruits and the shape of the roller (flats). In some species, acorns are round and small, in others they are nut-shaped, and in others they are elongated. The smooth and unusual shape of the acorn is very often the cause of discussion whether it is a nut. However, there is no longer any doubt - this is a nut.

Can acorns be eaten?

Today, many underestimate, and sometimes reduce the beneficial properties of acorns. When the time comes to collect acorns, the era of culinary specialists begins. In North America, flour, coffee, porridge are made from the fruits of the tree, as well as sweets and the most delicious dishes. In Korea, acorns are eaten fried with spices, and they are also made into jelly (tokhorimuk).

SEE ALSO:

Composition of acorns

100 grams of oak fruit contains:

Proteins: 8.1 g
Fat: 31.4 g
Carbohydrates: 53.7 g
Vitamins: PP, A, β-carotene, B1, B2, B3, B6, B9
Macro and microelements: Mg, Ca, K, P, Fe, Zn, Mn, Cu
Calories: 509 kcal

These forest gifts are rich in tannins, sugars, tannins and especially starch. In addition, acorns contain an active antioxidant - the flavonol quercetin. This substance perfectly relieves spasms, swelling and inflammation, has a diuretic property, and also prevents premature aging of cells.

The benefits and medicinal properties of acorns

Oak fruits have bactericidal, antitumor, and enveloping properties.
Acorns perfectly relieve spasms during critical days, stop heavy bleeding.
Acorn infusion cleanses and strengthens the stomach. To prepare it, you will need one teaspoon of crushed acorns, which must be poured with a glass of boiling water. Leave to cool completely and drink half a glass 3 times a day. The infusion is taken for one month, after which a pause is made for a month.
Acorns help with acute poisoning.
Useful for thrombosis and varicose veins.
With the help of acorn shells, you can dye your hair.
Acorn coffee is great for people with asthma, heart disease, coughs and bronchitis.
For the treatment of pancreatitis, you can use an infusion of acorns. To prepare it, you will need one tablespoon of caps, which must be poured with a glass of boiling water. We insist them for about three hours and then filter. It is necessary to take the infusion daily, gradually increasing the dose from 1 teaspoon to 70 ml.
Oak fruits are an excellent alternative to traditional medicine in the treatment of lung and chest ulcers, as well as hemoptysis.
Acorns have proven themselves well in the treatment of toothache and gums.
The fruits are useful for various poisonings, as well as acute and chronic colitis.

picking acorns

As we have already found out, these forest gifts are very nutritious and healthy. But in order to eat them, you must adhere to several rules for collecting and processing.

The period for collecting acorns is the end of September - the beginning of October. By this time, the fruits acquire a dark brown color. Basically, acorns that fell off at an earlier date are damaged by pests (acorn weevil). Therefore, fruits harvested at the indicated time have the best qualities.

Acorns are collected mainly from the ground, but you can also pick them from the branches, but in this case, the fruits should be easily separated from the plush (hat). It is very important that the nuts are firm, without black dots and not sprouted. After three or four days, you will be able to return to the same place again and reap a nutritious harvest.

Processing and harvesting of acorns

If you try a raw acorn, you will feel a bitter, astringent taste. Don't worry, bitterness is very easily removed by soaking and heating. It is not advisable to eat acorns without processing, since polyphenols (tannins, etc.) adversely affect digestion. To do this, you need to wash the acorns, peel them, chop them into 4-6 parts and add water. Soaking the fruits lasts from two to four days, while the water needs to be changed three times a day.

After the acorns have settled, it is necessary to drain and pour fresh water (1: 2). Then put the enamel pan on the gas and bring to a boil. Then you need to grind the acorns, a meat grinder is ideal for this. After grinding, the resulting minced meat is laid out on a baking sheet with parchment paper and sent to the oven. In the end, you should get a fragile crumb, from which you can cook porridge, but if you grind it to a state of flour, then cook a variety of pastries.

If you want to make a substitute for coffee from acorns, then in this case you do not need to soak the fruits at all. They are simply laid out on a baking sheet, baked, cleaned, crushed and roasted. Such a drink has an extraordinary forest aroma and nutty taste. Coffee can be drunk with cream and spices.

It is best to store coffee and flour in glass jars or multilayer paper bags. Do not harvest too much, as the raw material spoils rather quickly.

Interesting Facts

In terms of their benefits, acorns may well compete with natural coffee, cocoa beans, and even olives, and more. This drink has a pleasant nutty taste and aroma.
From time immemorial, oak has been considered a magical tree, and all because of its strength, longevity and power. Therefore, amulets were made from its bark, which gave strength, attracted good luck and protected their owner.
It is believed that oak is able to increase intellectual abilities. In order to maintain excellent concentration and activity, it is necessary to carry oak bark with you.
In ancient Rome, the elderly greatly revered ground acorns, as they believed that they provide them with health, longevity and youth.
Avid fishermen will undoubtedly appreciate the fruits of oak, as acorn weevil is very common in them. Its larva is an excellent bait for fish. It is found in ripe and whole acorns (without a hole). If there is a hole, this means that the larva has already left its house.

Olga Sherl was with you.

Until we meet again, friends!

Oak can rightfully be called the king of forests, and not only because some specimens reach a height of fifty meters. The strength of the oak was revered by people living at different times. Such respect is connected with the fact that its fruits serve as food for numerous, including domestic animals, the medicinal properties of oak bark and acorns are also known and widely used. They were used to treat many diseases, this mighty tree also saved in famine years - a coffee substitute was prepared from acorns and used to make flour.

Useful properties of bark and acorns

Speaking about the beneficial properties of oak bark and acorns, many probably remember what the first remedy in the treatment of weak bleeding gums is an infusion or decoction of oak bark and tree fruits. This has been tested for years, but, as it turned out, the list of medicinal properties of oak bark and its fruits does not end there. This is due to the rich chemical composition of the plant, and in addition to being a good source of carbohydrates, proteins and fats, it contains a huge amount of tannins. That is why housewives add tree leaves when preserving cucumbers, which become hard and crispy. Most of them are found in the bark of young branches, from a ton of which tens of kilograms of tannins are collected, and this is a good raw material for the production of leather.

Speaking about the medicinal use of oak bark, it is also worth noting that its decoction, in addition to treating gum disease, is used in the treatment of disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. This is the first remedy for washing wounds, such decoctions are used for bleeding and inflammation of the mucous membrane. Infusions and decoctions can also be used in the treatment of varicose veins, they will help with infections, and specially prepared remedies can resist the action of the poison. From infusions of oak bark, you can make enemas that can cope with urethritis and gonorrhea, and the powder, which has an astringent and antiseptic effect, can even defeat an ulcer.

The medicinal properties of oak acorns also deserve attention, and it is not only an ideal animal feed, but also a good medicine. These fruits, so loved by our children, who make unique crafts out of them, as it turned out, can be used to treat many diseases. What are the useful properties of oak acorns and their possible use is a question that many people ask, because it is not difficult to “get” this natural medicine.

First of all, it is worth paying attention to the fact that the healing properties of oak bark and acorns are based on such a useful substance as quercetin. This is a flavonol that has a beneficial effect on many vital processes in the body. It is widely used in traditional medicine for the manufacture of preparations for the treatment of edema and spasms. It is an integral part of many drugs - antioxidants and diuretics - and this also has the healing properties of oak bark and acorns. It is useful for men and women, as it improves the reproductive function of both, plus a good prevention of enuresis, colitis, gastric disorders, asthma, chronic bronchitis, drink coffee from roasted acorns without fear if you have heart problems. You can even use hats that will help in the treatment of pancreatitis.

Contraindications for use

The medicinal properties of oak bark and acorns and contraindications are a topic for much debate. Pregnant women, in particular, should be more careful, and you should not rinse your teeth with decoction every day - this can lead to loss of smell. There are, of course, contraindications for children, especially at a young age. Although this is a good remedy for prickly heat and other troubles, you should not take oak-based products into account if the child has frequent constipation, it is also not recommended for children under two years of age.