[Scpg] a wild idea...

[Cory Brennan]

I hear you. I would tend to crack the acorns while talking on the phone or hanging with my kids or something. Perhaps the tannin could be returned to the earth around the oak tree, or else used in the dozens of craft and industry uses that it has (some listed in a link below).

Here's something that shows how much tannin exists in various forms of oak and the different parts
http://books.google.com/books?id=GejNAAAAMAAJ&pg=RA1-PA622&lpg=RA1-PA622&dq=oak+tannin+roots&source=bl&ots=7dhQii6v8F&sig=45HvTyuJ5Ieu0pBR7PB5FEPMrT8&hl=en&ei=FsOAStTKNoaksgOV_7j2CA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4#v=onepage&q=oak%20tannin%20roots&f=false

Here's an article on the uses of tannin:
http://science.howstuffworks.com/tannin-info.htm

This article says the Emory oak produces acorns that don't have to be processed. White oaks produce little or no tannin per other info I've read.

There is another use for acorns mentioned in the article which is to feed pigs. As another economic note, I've been told that pigs that eat acorns in Europe are sold for about 10X what non-acorn eating pigs go for. It is a delicacy.

http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/clay79.html

Cory

--- On Mon, 8/10/09, LBUZZELL at aol.com <LBUZZELL at aol.com> wrote:

> From: LBUZZELL at aol.com <LBUZZELL at aol.com>
> Subject: Re: [Scpg] a wild idea...
> To: cory8570 at yahoo.com, sbperm2006 at googlegroups.com, sbfoodfuture at googlegroups.com, Scpg at arashi.com
> Cc: cobb.shelly at gmail.com, info at sbfoodnotlawns.org
> Date: Monday, August 10, 2009, 3:50 PM
> 
> 
>  
>  
> 
> 
> Thanks, Cory!  This is great info.  I love
> the pictures.
>  
> http://earthhomegarden.blogspot.com/2007/12/orchid-blacks-acorn-processing-class.html
> 
>  
> And it also confirms for me the wisdom of the Chumash
> who did this complex 
> processing in community, rather than individually in each
> home.  Does 
> anyone know, by the way, if the acorns she is using (Calif.
> black oak) are less 
> tannin-y than our local Coast Live Oak acorns?
>  
> For most working folks (I note that Orchid is
> retired), tedious steps like 
> cracking each acorn and changing the water on the acorns
> every day would 
> probably be an overly time-consuming and onerous task
> (and what does she do 
> with all that "waste" water full of tannins?) and
> not really practical for one 
> family unless you don't have a job.
>  
> I'm still wondering if someone couldn't find
> another way of doing this and 
> if it couldn't become a local community business? 
> Our society has amazing 
> technical "food processing" skills which
> we've used to create stupid things like 
> cheese doodles and fake potato chips.  Could we use
> any of this technology 
> to help create a really useful product like protein-rich
> acorn meal from our 
> native trees?
>  
> Thanks for your great input...
>  
> Linda
>  
> 
> In a message dated 8/10/2009 2:47:56 P.M. Pacific
> Daylight Time, 
> cory8570 at yahoo.com writes:  
>