[Country Lady]

Last week, I heard an elderly lady talking about the abundance of acorns we have this year. She said it's a sign of a bad winter to come. I'd never heard that before. Has anyone else ever hear this? We do have so many more acorns falling this year. We have a metal roof, along with metal roof sheds. It almost sound like rain, listening to them fall.

 

[BethW]

I've heard it before, although I don't know how true it is. I can tell you though, that not only do we have a bumper crop of acorns this year, they're huge. Last year they were tiny little things, not much bigger than a chocolate chip. This year they're the size of cherries.

 

[Sheripoms]

Can you by any chance eat acorns ? I know the deer love them.

 

[Scott in Florida Panhandl]

I've always heard that. I was wondering the same thing about pine cones. I've had thousands falling off trees in my backyard this fall and they are about twice as large as normal.

 

[Grandmotherbear]

Yes you can eat acorns but you have to leach out the tannic acid by boiling it in several changes of water. Native Americans would then grind it into a meal for making- well, hardtack, journey cake, sorta stuff.

Yes you can eat pine cones. At the base of each wooden "petal" is a little nut. Pull the petal away carefully- sometimes the nuty part comes away with it, sometimes it pops free and you'll never find it again. When I say little I mean little! Pine nuts come from a specific Italian pine that has larger nuts.

Remember that edible is not the same as tasty.

Its a drag to be a vegetarian in a wilderness survival situation.

(Former Assistant Scoutmaster for High Adventure and Wilderness Survival Merit Badge counselor)

 

[dancingfatcat]

You can google info on how to make acorn flour. Also the library has a few books on it.

 

[Bearfootfarm]

Acorn production has nothing to do with predicting Winter

Oaks usually produce heavily in alternate years if weather conditions are favorable

 

[Shagbarkmtcatle]

Remember that edible is not the same as tasty.


You said a mouthful right there:rock:

 

[unregistered29228]

I've been giving my boys a dollar a bucket for acorns they rake up and crack with a hammer. We feed them to the chickens, and they really like them! Hubby laments that we don't have any hogs, since they really love acorns too.

It's been a big year for acorns here on our farm too. The ground out by the barn is just carpeted with them!

 

[Watcher48]

Can you save acorns for feed. I want to get a hog this winter. Or will they rot over time??

 

[unregistered29228]

I know lots of them have worms in them, but I'll bet if you have them in a cool/cold place they'd last several months and could be used for feed. Hubby said his family used to turn the hogs into a pasture that had acorns fall into it, and they'd clean them all up within a month or so. The worms will die when it freezes outside. And I'll bet the hogs won't mind a few worms...