8/9/2016

LeachingAcorn|RiekesNatureAwareness

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LeachingAcorn
Sonowyouhavesomeacornour.Haveyoutastedit?Yuck!Ifyoueatmuchmore
thanafewnutsworth,yourbellywilltellyouclearlythatthisisnotfood.But
somewhereinthesenuts,pastthatbierpuckerandtanninbellyache,thereisastaple
food,afoodthatmanypeoplehaverelishedeverydayformanygenerations.Youjust
needtowashoutthebierness.
Fortunately,tannin,ortannicacid,iswatersoluble.Manypeoplehavecomeupwith
manycreativewaystowashthetanninoutofacorn.JuliaParkertaughtthecold
leachingmethodthatshelearnedfromherelders,theSierraMiwoks.

Startwithasandbed.Ifyoudonthaveanaturalone,likeasandbarorbeach,youcanmakeone.Julia
madethisonebymoundinguplotsofdrysandinsideaframeofbiglogs.Sheaenedthetop,madea
lileliptoformaatbasin,andcoveredthewholethingwithathincoonsheet.Traditionally,shesaid,
peopleusedbigleaveslikegrapetolinethesandbed.Shesaidthatifyouarelazyanddontuseenough
sand,theacorngetsmadatyouandwontleachquickly.Youcanalsouseabig,atboomedbasketin
yoursinkinsteadofsand.Justcoveritwithasheet.

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ThenJuliatookfourhandfulsofthenelysiftedacornourandmixeditupinabucketwithabouta
quart(ormaybealilemore)ofclear,cold,purewater.Sheswirleditaroundandaroundtosuspendall
theacorn,andthenpouredthewholethingintothebasin.Theacornsoonseledintoanevenlayerover
thebasin,andthewaterpercolatedthroughintothesand.

NextJuliatookabigbundleofincensecedarboughsandlaythemovertheacorn.Sheexplainedthat
treesandplantsslowandspreadthefallofraindropsandletthewatersinkintothesoilevenlyand
gently.Whenthereisnovegetation,theforceoffallingandrunningwatercarvesdeepgulliesinthe
land.Shepouredanotherquartofclear,coldwateroverthecedarboughsandintothebasin.Similarly,
thecedarboughsslowandspreadthewaterwepourovertheacorn,keepingthelayerofacornwhole
andat,andallowingthewatertosinkthroughslowly,takingtanninwithitdownintothesand.

Juliashowsushowtopickupacorn.Thepinkishcolorontheacornisfrommineralsinthewater.
https://riekesna.wordpress.com/2011/10/09/leachingacorn/
Ithinkthemealwasdoneleachinginaboutfourorvepourings,withinanhourortwo.Ifyouvetried2/5

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LeachingAcorn|RiekesNatureAwareness

Ithinkthemealwasdoneleachinginaboutfourorvepourings,withinanhourortwo.Ifyouvetried
leachingacornanotherway,youknowthatacoupleofhoursislightningfast.Itwasallbecauseofthat
siftingstep,usingjustthenestour.
Whenwewerereadytocookit,Juliapickedtheacornupotheclothbytakingapinch,andsticking
thatpinchdownintotheacornandpullingupanotherpinch.Whenacornmealisfullyleached,itsticks
toitselflikeclay.Youcanpullyourmealotheclothbyrollingasmallportionintoaball,andthen
rollingtheballaroundthebasin.Eventhetiniestscrapscomeupandsticktoyourdoughball.

Onceleached,youshoulduseyouracornthatday.Thetanninisapreservative,andwithoutthat,the
mealmoldsquickly.ThenextpostwilldetailJuliascookingmethod.
Ifyouusedthemodernblendermethodwithoutsifting,youwontbeabletousethissandbedmethod
ofleaching.Instead,putyouracornmealinacoonsackandtiethemouthofthesacktotheendofa
hoseortoyourkitchenfaucetondrip,orweighthesackdowninaclearowingcreek.Itllprobably
takeallnighttoleach.
Someothermethods:
Clay:Juliamentionedthatherpeoplesometimesmixclayinwiththeiracornmealwhentheyleachit.
Perhapstheclaybindswithsomeofthetannin,acceleratingtheleachingprocess?
Slowleachinginamasonjarinthefridge:halfllamasonjarwithyourmeal,topupwithcoldwater,
shakewell.Capwithcheesecloth,storeinfridge.Drainowatereveryday,replacewithfreshwater.
Repeatuntilanytraceofbiernessisgone.Thismaytakeawhile.
Hotleaching:ThisispracticedmorebyEasternNorthAmericansthanbyWesternfolk.Accordingto
SamuelThayer,authorofTheForagersHarvestandNaturesGarden,EasternWoodlandIndiantribes
wouldcrackandcleanacorn,butleavethenutmeatshalvedoratleastinlargechunks,andboilthemin
multiplechangesofwater.Oncethewatercameoutclearandthenutstastedgood,theywouldprocess
thenutsintofood.
IMPORTANT:ifyoutrythesedierentleachingmethods,dontgofromhottocoldorcoldtohotinthe
middleoftheprocess.Switchingtemperatureslocksthetanningintothenut.Also,youcannothotleach
acornmeal,onlybigacornpieces.Mealwillcookinsteadofleaching.Andyoucannotecientlycold
leachbigacornpieces,onlymeal.Pieceswilltakevery,verylongtoleach.

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2ResponsestoLeachingAcorn
1.sohowdidshegettothewhiteacornour?didshegrindthenutsrawandtheyleached??
Iamgatheringmyownacornsandtryingtomakeourthisismysecondtimearound.therst
timeIshelledthemandleachedthembyboilingwaterbutitlookedliketheboilingwaterwas
dissolvingthemandthewaterkeptonbeingdark.(IamusingwhiteoaksacornfromAlabama.)
thissecondtimearoundIcrackedthenutsandthenroastedthem.Thenshelledthemandground
them.ThenIleachedthemincoldwaterafter12hoursofsoaking,rinsingandchangingwater
about68times.Idecidedtheyweredonealthoughthewaterwasstillalightbrown.
SoIwrungtheourinacheeseclothandproceededtodryitonthestovetopinverylowheat.Now
Iamthinkingofgrindingthatouroncemoretomakeitnerandtryitonpancakesorcookies.
Althoughtheourdoesnottastebierliketherawacornitstilltastesnuyandsmellskindof
sweet.Myhusbandsaiditstilltastesbierbutverysubtly.Theourisnotlightcoloredliketheone
inyourpostatallitsawarmlightbrown,Iwouldsay.
AnysuggestionsonhowtotellifIhaveleachedmyacornsenoughandhowdoIstoreitnow??
thankssomuch,
tereza
terezacrumpakaMyTreasuredCreationssaidthisonNovember10,2011at8:38pm|Reply
HiTereza,
Juliagatheredblackoakacornsherself,groundthem,thenleachedthem.Iaskedherabout
roastingthenuts,andshesaidthatifyouheatuptheacornstoomuch(likewithroasting,orif
youdrytheminatoohotoven),thenthetanninwillbecomexedinthenutandwontleachout.
https://riekesna.wordpress.com/2011/10/09/leachingacorn/
Perhapsthatswhyyourhusbandsaysitstilltastesbier?Ifthereisanytanninleftintheacorn, 4/5

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Perhapsthatswhyyourhusbandsaysitstilltastesbier?Ifthereisanytanninleftintheacorn,
thetanninmaycomeoutmoreduringcookingandmakeyourfoodsurprisinglybier.SoI
wouldrecommendmakingsmalltestbatchesofwhateveryouwanttomakerst.Youcantell
thatacornsareleachedenoughiftheyhavenobiernesswhatsoever.Ifittastesgoodtoyou,
though,Idsayuseitandseewhathappens.Juliasaidyoucantstoreacornonceyouleachit,
sincethetanninisitspreservative.Ihavebakedleachedacornintogranolaandstoreditvery
successfully,though.Idriedouttheacornourintheovenbeforecombiningitwithoats,nuts,
raisins,oil,honey,andapinchofsalt.ThenIbakedthewholemixintheovenuntilitwastoasted
brownandcrispy.ThenIletitfullycoolandstoreditinaglassjarinmypantry.Itlastedthree
months,andcouldhavelastedlongerbutIateitall.
rcnaturesaidthisonNovember22,2011at6:08am|Reply

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