Is it just a myth that acorns are poisonous?

As a child, you may have been taught this time and again, but is it true that acorns are poisonous?

You can find more articles on poisonous and edible plants and their fruits under "Garden design".

As the cold season approaches, not only do leaves fall from the trees, but their fruit is also scattered on the ground.

In the past, people used to collect them on their autumn walks and make little figures out of them.

When making autumn decorations with acorns, children were always careful not to put the round fruit in their mouths. After all, acorns are poisonous. Aren't they? In botanical terms, beechnuts, chestnuts and acorns are nuts. But does that make them edible?

Can you eat acorns? Or are the fruits really poisonous? TAG24 reveals the conditions under which acorns are poisonous or edible.

There is a very simple answer to the question of whether acorns are poisonous: yes - in their raw state. Unripe and unprocessed acorns in particular should therefore not be eaten if you want to avoid symptoms of poisoning.

Acorns - as well as oak leaves - contain a high level of tannins, or more precisely, tannin. This is also responsible for the off-putting, bitter taste, which serves as protection against eating and generally prevents us from eating more.

Poisoning by tannins can cause stomach and intestinal complaints.

Incidentally, acorns do not contain hydrocyanic acid.

Acorns are poisonous to pets such as dogs. Possible symptoms of poisoning can include tiredness and loss of appetite, but also fever, diarrhea or constipation. In small animals, eating acorns can also lead to intestinal obstruction or injury to the intestinal wall. In the worst case, eating acorns can even be fatal.

The nuts are still safe for horses in moderation. However, they should not eat more than a handful of acorns.

Forest animals and pigs, however, can tolerate the tannins in the fruit. For the latter, the calorie-rich acorns are a fattening food.

What happens if you eat acorns?

The tannins in acorns can trigger symptoms of poisoning in humans, particularly stomach and intestinal problems. These can manifest themselves in abdominal cramps, vomiting or diarrhea.

If a child has only chewed a few acorns and has only mild symptoms, it is not usually necessary to contact a doctor. In this case, it is sufficient to react symptomatically and drink plenty of fluids.

However, if larger quantities are consumed or whole acorns are swallowed, a poison control center or a doctor should be consulted.

Without tannins, acorns are edible. If you want to process them and then eat them, you can make the acorns edible by washing out the tannins.

Here's how to do it:

Step 1: First check the nuts for wormholes and sort them out if necessary.
You can also sort out rotten acorns or acorns infested with maggots by placing them in water for a short time. If some float to the surface, they should be discarded.

Step 2: Now place them on a baking tray and roast them in the oven at 150 degrees Celsius for about 20 minutes.

Step 3: Once they have cooled down a little, they can be peeled. The thin inner skin should also be removed.

Tip: If the skin of the acorns has already been cut into, it bursts open more quickly and is easier to peel.

Step 4: The peeled kernels are now placed in a permeable bag, such as a laundry net or a cloth bag.

Step 5: Together with the bag, they are now completely immersed in water. The tanning agents are rinsed out by the water. This causes the water to turn a brownish color.

Step 6: The water is then changed daily for a few days until it remains clear. All tannins are then removed.

Step 7: Finally, the acorns can be dried in the oven at 100 degrees - alternatively, a dehydrator can also be used - and then processed accordingly.

Processed acorns are not just edible, they are actually very nutritious.

The nut fruits are full of unsaturated fatty acids and B vitamins. In the post-war period, they were therefore often used to make acorn bread or cakes from acorn flour. Ground into powder, they are also suitable as a caffeine-free coffee substitute.

This practice has since been somewhat forgotten, but it is still worthwhile.

Conclusion

It is true that acorns are poisonous. This is due to tannins, which are also found in beechnuts and many fruit kernels. However, the toxins can easily be washed out and the acorns made edible.