Oak

Quercus species

Description

Oak trees have alternate leaves and acorn fruits. There are two main groups of oaks: red and white. The red oak group has leaves with bristles and smooth bark in the upper part of the tree. Red oak acorns take 2 years to mature. The white oak group has leaves without bristles and a rough bark in the upper portion of the tree. White oak acorns mature in 1 year.

Habitat and Distribution

Oak trees are found in many habitats throughout North America, Central America, and parts of Europe and Asia.

Edible Parts

All acorns are edible, but often contain large quantities of bitter substances. White oak acorns usually have a better flavor than red oak acorns. Gather and shell the acorns. Soak red oak acorns in water for 1 to 2 days to remove the bitter substance. You can speed up this process by putting wood ashes in the water in which you soak the acorns. Boil the acorns or grind them into flour and use the flour for baking. You can use acorns that you baked until very dark as a coffee substitute.

Tannic acid gives the acorns their bitter taste. Eating an excessive amount of acorns high in tannic acid can lead to kidney failure. Before eating acorns, leach out this chemical.

Other Uses

Oak wood is excellent for building or burning. Small oaks can be split and cut into long thin strips (3 to 6 millimeters thick and 1.2 centimeters wide) used to weave mats, baskets, or frameworks for packs, sleds,furniture, etc. Oak bark soaked in water produces a tanning solution used to preserve leather.

Steve's notes:

Acorns from different oak trees vary widely in how bitter they are. Some just aren't worth the trouble, especially in a survival situation, when you don't have several days to process them.

I have successfully stopped diarrhea by drinking a tea made from the twigs of an oak tree. Pieces of oak bark have been chewed to stop a toothache. The quercin in the bark is said to strengthen capillaries, and tannic acid is anti-viral and anti-bacterial.

Edible Plants | Oak