&
New England Acorn Cooperative
How to Gather Good Acorns
(& Keep them Good)
Walk & Workshop at D Acres
The New England Acorn Cooperative’s mission is to provide education and resources for individuals and
organizations interested in respectful, sustainable, acorn harvesting, processing and consumption, and to
build long-term partnerships that are environmentally sound and economically fair between land-owners,
preserved open spaces, wildlife, gatherers, processors and consumers of acorns.

D Acres Acorn Walk Overview
Why eat acorns? A (brief) history of
acorn eating throughout recorded
time…
History of New England Forest.
Today’s Oak Ecology & importance.
Types of Oaks, how to tell & where
to find them.
What makes a good eating acorn?
(What makes a bad acorn)…
Best times, tools & techniques.
Storage & processing.

Why eat
acorns?
Acorns are edible and quite nutritious
but they take a bit of processing before
you can eat them. They are NOT
edible raw.
Local, Abundant and Free
Nutritious & Delicious
Low environmental impact.
Gluten Free.
Good exercise.

Balanoculture
Balanos is an Ancient Greek word for Acorns
Balanoculture is defined as societies which built their diet and lifestyle around
harvest and eating of acorns. Balanoculture is still found today in Korea,
parts of Turkey and Greece. Last known culture in the Americas are
Native tribes of California
An abundance of charred shells in ancient fire pits in different parts of Europe
have provided evidence that Acorns were once a popular food choice
among many of the common nuts and seeds we still eat today. Modern
intensive agriculture use of annual crops helped lead the movement
away from Balanoculture. By the end of this century severe crises in
agriculture world-wide may make a return to some modified form of
balanoculture a viable alternative. – David Bainbridge (apparent coiner of
the term)

Other Historical and Present Day
Oak Products/Uses
 Inks and Dyes i.e.
 Kermes Scale
 Gall Ink
 Standard ink 1400 years
 Tannins for leather
making
 Ship Building
 white Oak
 Charcoal production
 Pig Feed – Iberico Ham -
$100+/lb
 Wildlife food
 Commercial food in Korea
and Turkey
 Whiskey and Wine barrels
(Coopering)
 Durable furniture & tool
handles

Oak Ecology
Oaks are keystone species in a wide
range of habitats from temperate
deciduous forests to subtropical
rainforest.
Oak trees are important components
of hardwood forests, known to grow in
associations with and support up to
100 members of the plant, animal and
insect kingdoms.
In the USA, entire oak ecosystems have
declined due to a combination of
factors including:
 Loss of fire management
 Increased consumption of acorns
by growing mammal populations,
 Herbivory of saplings
 Insects and diseases

History of New England Forest &
today’s Oak Ecology
Pre-settlement: Before 1700 A.D. Large Hemlocks, Oaks, .
 Colonial Farmers – Cleared rocks, rocks returned, Farmers went
westward. Abandoned farms become forest again 1740-1860
A.D.
 Pines clear- cut again 1930. Sprouts the oaks, birches, maple,
cherry
 Introduced pests starting late 1800’s

Oak Types of New England
Most Common (we will see today)
White Oak: Quercus alba
Swamp White Oak: Quercus bicolor
Black Oak: Q. velutina
Red Oak- Quercus rubra
Other acorn species common to the New
England Area:
Bur Oak (Q. macrocarpa)
Chestnut Oak (Q. prinus)
Scarlet Oak (Q. coccinea)
Willow Oak (Q. phellos)
Pin Oak (Q. palustris)

Oak Territory of New England
(everywhere…)

Best Locations
for finding
good Acorns
• Urban / Suburban
• Open areas (Lawns w/o litter,
dogs droppings, chemicals, etc.).
• Wild / Woods
• Low lying elevations (near water
is good).
• Deep soil.
• East to south facing slopes.

Oak Species
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus
(/ˈkwɜːrkəs/ Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Faga
ceae.
There are approximately 600 species of oaks. The common
name "oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably
Lithocarpus. The genus is native to the Northern Hemisphere and includes deciduous
and evergreen species extending from cool temperate to tropical latitudes in the
Americas, Asia, Europe, and North Africa.
North America contains the largest number of oak
species, with approximately 90 occurring in the United
States, while Mexico has 160 species of which 109 are endemic. The second greatest
center of oak diversity is China, which contains approximately 100 species.
All acorns are edible (though some take more work than
others)…

Oak Pests and Diseases
Sudden oak death (Phytophthora ramorum) is a water mould that can kill
oaks within just a few weeks. Oak wilt, caused by the fungus Ceratocystis
fagacearum (a fungus closely related to Dutch elm disease), is also a
lethal disease of some oaks, particularly the red oaks (the white oaks can
be infected but generally live longer).
Other dangers include wood-boring beetles, as well as root rot in older
trees which may not be apparent on the outside, often being discovered
only when the trees come down in a strong gale. Oak apples are galls on
oaks made by the gall wasp. The female kermes scale causes galls to
grow on kermes oak. Oaks are used as food plants by the larvae of
Lepidoptera (butterfly and moth) species such as the gypsy moth,
Lymantria dispar, which can defoliate oak and other broadleaved tree
species in North America.
A considerable number of galls are found on oak leaves, buds, flowers,
roots, etc. Examples are oak artichoke gall, oak marble gall, oak apple
gall, knopper gall, and spangle gall.
A number of species of fungus cause powdery mildew on oak species.

Threats to Acorn Growth
Though there are many other pests and diseases threatening
our Oaks today we will focus on three insects that are related to
our quality of Acorn production in New England.
 Weevils:
 Curculio spp.
 Gall Wasps
 Cynipid Wasp, Gouty Oak Wasp, Horned Oak Gall
 Gypsy Moth:

Acorn Pests

Identifying Oak Characteristics
 Leaf
 Bark
 Acorn
From https://www.pinterest.com/pin/384917099373134103/

Identifying Oak Characteristics
 Leaf White Oak
 Bark
 Acorn
Red Oak Scarlet Oak
(from https://owlcation.com/stem/Types-of-Oak-Trees-with-pictures-of-bark)

Acorn Anatomy
(from http://cronodon.com/BioTech/TreeTech_Oak.html)

“Good” Acorns | “Bad” Acorns
GOOD
Large (efficiency sake)
Blemish free (see bad
acorns)
Brown (ripe, drier)
Clean
BAD
Insect holes (weevils
and grubs)
Attached cap or
bulging disks
Cracks or dark spots
Dying sprout (live
sprout is OK)
Mold or Old (last
year’s)
1st DRAFT

Red vs White Acorns
Red Acorns White Acorns
Mature in two years: ripe acorns borne on last year's
growth; acornets on current years growth
Mature in one year, ripe acorns borne on this year's
growth; no acornets
Cups scaly Cups bristly
Germinate the spring after falling Usually germinate immediately after falling in autumn
Shell interior with fuzzy lining Shell interior lacks fuzzy lining
Cotyledons (acorn halves) rarely equal, often fused,
typically meeting with curved or angled surfaces
Cotyledons typically equal, not fused, meeting with
smooth, flat surfaces
Cotyledon surfaces typically have one or more deep
grooves
Cotyledon surfaces without deep grooves
Testa adherent, fuzzy Testa usually flakes off easily
Flesh more permeable to moisture; dries and moistens
much more rapidly
Flesh less permeable to moisture; dries and moistens
much more slowly
Softer when dried Harder when dried
Fresh kernels contain less water, shrink less in drying Fresh kernels contain more water, shrink more in drying
3-20% tannin 3-30% tannin
15-30% oil 2-11% oil
3-8% protein 6-9% protein
Fresh kernels cream, yellow, to bright orange Fresh kernels cream, sometimes purple
Thayer, Samuel: Natures Garden 2009

Acorn Gathering Tools
 Bags, baskets, backpack.
 Nut weasel.
 Buckets, totes.
 Sheets, towels, or racks for drying (tannin will stain).
Acorn Gathering Forethought
 Plan for weather, water, and rest.
 Remember, you have to carry out what you collect.
 You must also have dry secure storage space for the
harvest you bring home (or it will go bad).

Time to take a walk…

Time & Techniques
 Gathering Time is September through January
 Techniques
 Plucking, Shaking, Raking, Weaseling
 Handpicking
 Tarp or netting (& Thwacking)

Best Acorn Gathering practices
 Permission from land owner.
 “Clean” area (chemical & pet waste free).
 Light and quiet foot-print on the land.
 Leaving a third of the harvest for wildlife, forest floor,
and tree regeneration (exception for lawn and yard
clean-ups).
 No trace of your presence at the end of the day.

Gathering Acorns
 Tools
 Backpack, bags,
basket, bucket
 Nut weasel, Rake

Sorting and Floating Acorns
Tools
 Water Bucket(s)
 Containers for
separating good & bad
acorns
 Towels

Drying Acorns

A good place to stop
...Dry acorns in shell can be
stored for up to a year if
they are protected from
moisture and pests…

When you are ready to crack…

Cracking Acorns
 Tools
 DaveBuilt cracker
 Stone(s)
 Containers to catch /sort nuts
 Bucket of water (for sorting nuts
from shell)
 Containers for leaching
 Acorns for cracking should be dry
 Loose from shell (enough to
separate easily)
 Rattle stage for long term (will
separate easily)
 Demo DaveBuilt
 Demo Stone(s)

Cracking Acorns
with “DaveBuilt” Cracker

Separating Shells and Acorns
 Pick through dry shells
and acorns to separate
OR
 Drop freshly shelled
acorns into bucket of
clean water and scoop
shells floating on top
(acorns sink)

Leaching Acorn Meal
 Tools
 Blender for
pulverizing soaked
nuts to meal
 Ball jars or bowls for
soaking meal
 Water changes until
sweet

Draining Leached Acorn Meal
 Tools
 Colander
 Linen
 Technique
 Pour leached meal
into cloth lined
colander and allow to
drain in sink

Drying Leached Acorn Meal
 Tools
 Oven and cookie sheet, or
dehydrator
 Technique
 Squeeze excess water
 spread meal on cookie sheets or
dehydrator trays

Acorn Meal Storage
Out of shell, cold dry
storage is best
preservative for acorn
nuts, acorn meal meal
and acorn flour….
Almost time to taste
test.. Lets review!

D Acres Acorn Walk Review
We discussed a (brief) history of acorn
eating on all continents (except Oz).
We reviewed the history of the New England
Forest and today’s Oak Ecology &
importance.
We looked at several types of Oaks, how to
ID them & where to likely find them.
We explored what makes a good eating
acorn? & What makes a bad acorn!
We talked about the best times, tools &
techniques for sustainable acorn harvesting.
Finally, you now know to plan ahead of
collecting time for clean dry storage space &
processing time for the acorns you bring
home…. Have a cookie, you earned it
Thank You for Joining Us!
The New England Acorn Cooperative’s mission is to provide
education and resources for individuals and organizations
interested in respectful, sustainable, acorn harvesting,
processing and consumption, and to build long-term
partnerships that are environmentally sound and economically
fair between land-owners, preserved open spaces, wildlife,
gatherers, processors and consumers of acorns.
. For more information please visit
newenglandacorncooperative.com