I'll Have Decaff, Please...

My daughters like to collect many things. They love rocks (only the pretty ones), the little seeds from the cabbage palm tree, and most recently, acorns.
We were spending some time outside under a big beautiful oak and my daughters were busy collecting acorns. "We're not bringing those inside" I told them. They begged me to be able to keep the tiny handfuls of acorns and I was standing my ground.

But then I got to thinking.

As a boy I was fascinated with the civil war and any story that revolved around it was amazing to me. One of the things I remember were the stories of the confederate soldiers drinking acorn coffee because they couldn't purchase the real thing. They would gather the acorns, shell them, roast them and brew them up like regular coffee.

There is not a big market for acorns. As a consumer I've tried to find them on the internet, not easy. So if you want to make your own acorn coffee, you may as well grab a bucket and go find the closest oak tree.

Acorns are a very healthy food and the Native Americans used them for many things. They made meal from them, coffee (although no caffeine), flour, soups, breads, and who knows what else.

Well, long story short, I commissioned my daughters to gather acorns for coffee and we took them home, much to the delight of my girls.

Next, we were ready to shell or "process" the acorns. I found the easiest way to get the shell off was to use a pair of pliers and give the acorn a squeeze, but not to hard, you'll crush the actual fruit inside. You'll notice the fruit is actually orange and looks like a little pumpkin. Throw any bad fruit out and place your now processed acorns on a sheet pan. Roast in the oven at 325 degrees until dark enough for your liking, but not burnt.

This is where it gets fun.

You're going to notice an amazingly fruity and nutty aroma. It's hard to describe the actual smell. The best description I can think of is "Christmas." It's like all Christmas smells all rolled up into one. Fireplaces, chestnuts, pralines, nutmeg, hot cocoa, fruit, all of it. it's all in there.

Once your fruit is toasted, let it cool a bit and grind it down. I used a mortar and pestle to get it to a pretty small grind. I didn't use a coffee machine. Instead I used a pot and some water. Good old cowboy style coffee. I used about 1 cup of water per teaspoon, But would have preferred it much stronger. My wife and kids loved the stuff, especially with a bit of sugar, cream and NesQuick.

Next time, I plan on trying milk instead of water, and make a really great hot cocoa out of it, maybe even with a tiny pinch of cayenne at the end to make it interesting.

I hope you try this, it's a really fun family activity for foodies, and it'll make you appreciate your food and heritage.
Eat Well,
J.G.