acorns?

[chrissie the chippy]

Sorry if this is in the wrong place, couldn't think where else to put it


I've been told that you can make a 'coffee' from acorns.

Has anyone else heard that?

We have quite a few local woods, they are normally bursting with chestnuts, hazlenuts (I think ) and a lot of acorns!

We make the most of the nuts, but wondered if acorns could be used too?

I have yet to find a walnut tree (If anyone knows of one in Hampshire......... or Derby........ )

[Snadger]

Think it's called ersatz? Drank a lot by the french in WW11 I believe! (At least they did on Allo-Allo!!)

Haven't tried it, though I have made a reasonably satisfactory coffee substitute from dried dandelion roots....bit like the (camp)chicory coffee you buy in bottles!

I imagine you would just dry the acorns, although you may need to roast them and then crush them and put them through a percolator. Be interested to see how you get on!

[Alice]

You might want to have a look at this link Chrissie. Quite a lot about acorn coffee there.
http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Food-...ion151257.html

[pigletwillie]

If you can do a "really rich" version Chrissie, put me on the list for a cup!!

[Sue]

Chrissie
There is an excellent new book out this month from Grub Street Press called Edible Wild Plants and Herbs by Pamela Michael
She says this about Acorn coffee (and thinks Dandelion is much better)
Acorn coffee is probably the best known but least pleasant of the wild substitutes for coffee. It is not very coffee-like when taken black, but if you add milk, and preferably hot milk as the French serve cafe au lait, it makes a perfectly drinkable beverage.
You can also infuse half acorn coffee and half real coffee together, and this tastes hardly different from the real thing. Acorns are usually abundant and the brew is easy to preare. Pick up the fallen acorns when they are greeny-yellow and sound, any nuts with brown marks, or little holes are likely to be worm-eaten.

Remove the acorn cups and roughly chop each nut into about three pieces, drop them into salted water, otherwise they discolour quickly, like apples. Rinse in fresh water, pat dry and spread the acorns in a shallow roasting tin. Roast in a moderately hot oven Gas, 4 for 30 minutes. Cool and grind. Roast the grounds again for 7 minutes in a hot oven Gas 6. Keep an eye on the grounds at this stage, they should turn very dark brown, but not black and a minute or so too long will scorch them. Put the heaped tablespoons of grounds into a warmed jug pour on the boiling water and stand for 1 hour. Strain and re-heat

2-3 tablespoons heaped, roasted acorn grounds
1.2 pint boiling water

[Snadger]

Chrissie
There is an excellent new book out this month from Grub Street Press called Edible Wild Plants and Herbs by Pamela Michael
She says this about Acorn coffee (and thinks Dandelion is much better)
Acorn coffee is probably the best known but least pleasant of the wild substitutes for coffee. It is not very coffee-like when taken black, but if you add milk, and preferably hot milk as the French serve cafe au lait, it makes a perfectly drinkable beverage.
You can also infuse half acorn coffee and half real coffee together, and this tastes hardly different from the real thing. Acorns are usually abundant and the brew is easy to preare. Pick up the fallen acorns when they are greeny-yellow and sound, any nuts with brown marks, or little holes are likely to be worm-eaten.

Remove the acorn cups and roughly chop each nut into about three pieces, drop them into salted water, otherwise they discolour quickly, like apples. Rinse in fresh water, pat dry and spread the acorns in a shallow roasting tin. Roast in a moderately hot oven Gas, 4 for 30 minutes. Cool and grind. Roast the grounds again for 7 minutes in a hot oven Gas 6. Keep an eye on the grounds at this stage, they should turn very dark brown, but not black and a minute or so too long will scorch them. Put the heaped tablespoons of grounds into a warmed jug pour on the boiling water and stand for 1 hour. Strain and re-heat

2-3 tablespoons heaped, roasted acorn grounds
1.2 pint boiling water

Or you could buy a jar of Nescafe instead!

[Alice]

Or you could buy a jar of Nescafe instead!

I would think one would taste about as good as the other Snadger. YUK !

[JennieAtkinson]

I went through a period many years ago of drinking only dandelion coffee (dandelion ? yes I'm sure it was dandelion). I had some recently and am amazed I drank for all that time.

[SimonCole]

Lime seeds make a good coffee, apparently.

[TPeers]

I have yet to find a walnut tree (If anyone knows of one in Hampshire......... or Derby........ )

If you want a walnut I can probably send you one - my neighbours tree fruits well and I am forever digging up baby walnuts! I'll swap you for a couple of oaks if you like!

PM me and I'll see what I can do

Terry

[chrissie the chippy]

Thank you for all of the replies, will have a look at the link in a min, sounds good, thank you Alice, and thank you for the recipe Sue.

Think I'll have to have a go, just out of curiosity

Dandilion coffee sounds interesting too! Never heard of the lime seeds, would be interesting to try too!

Not sure my oh will like it though He likes his columbian coffee!!

My mum has loads of oak tree come up in her garden! Sounds like a good swop Will pm you.

[Flummery]

Tried dandelion coffee - not bad (but not coffee!). However, does anyone know of an ersatz tea?

Flum the tea-bag!

[Sue]

Hi Flummery
New member Cornflake is attempting to grow tea and coffee plants, she got the seeds from Jungle Seeds. I like trying something different every year, tried peanuts, got sugar cane on the go so coffee and tea sound like next year's experiment.

If it's food miles that's the concern then you can try Tregothnan tea, the only tea plantation in the UK. It's good tasting tea, downsides being expense, having to get it by mail order and the fact that the tea bags are individually wrapped in a foil lined packet - which has reminded me to complain about this.
I suppose there are all the herb teas, mint being the easiest one from the allotment but I've never managed to get to like them.
Sue