How Do You Prepare Acorns for Human Consumption

To prepare palatable acorns, crack them out of their shell and break any large pieces into “pea-sized” chunks. Then soak these acorn chunks in cold, warm, or even hot water to remove the bitter and irritating tannic acid. Note that some books instruct us to boil acorns, but this locks in some of the bitterness.

How long do you have to soak acorns before you can eat them?

Also, make sure to remove any little parts of the inside of the shell that may be stuck to the acorn nut. Those little bits contain lots of tannins. Remove any floating shell scraps from the water once you are done. Now let the acorns soak in the cold water for 12 hours.

Is it safe for humans to consume acorns?

Acorns have tannins, which taste bitter. They’re toxic if consumed in large amounts and can block your body’s ability to absorb nutrients. This means tannin is actually an anti-nutrient. Consuming too many tannin-rich foods and drinks has been associated with cancers and liver damage.