Coffee made from acorns: benefits and harms, how to make, best recipes

Acorn coffee is becoming increasingly popular among people who are health-conscious or sensitive to caffeine. This drink tones and has many beneficial properties, suitable for adults and children. You can buy it in the form of a ready-made powder or prepare it yourself. If you are wondering how to replace coffee in your diet, you should learn more about coffee made from acorns, its benefits and features, and also try interesting recipes.

What is acorn coffee?

Acorns have been used to produce beverages and food for centuries. Each acorn is a concentrate of nutrients, vitamins, micro- and macroelements, due to which a strong, strong tree can grow from it.

During the First and Second World Wars, acorn coffee was produced centrally as a substitute for natural coffee, in order to save money.

For production, ripe fruits are used, which are collected in late September - early October, even before the first frost. They are roasted and ground, resulting in a light or dark brown powder, similar in texture to ground coffee beans, and brewed in the same ways: at home in a Turk or in a coffee machine, for public catering - in vats and pans.

Fun fact: A common question in crossword puzzles is acorn coffee versus Arabica coffee, 8 letters. The correct answer is “surrogate”, that is, a substitute.

Coffee made from oak and chicory fruits

If you're in a rural area, you want coffee but don't have any options at hand. You can go out into the field and collect your own coffee brew:

Acorn powder – 40 g;
Barley – 30 g;
Rye/oats – 15 g;
Dandelion root – 15 g;
Wheat – 25 g;
Chicory – 20 g.

Grind all ingredients and prepare as regular Turkish coffee. You can serve the treat with honey, then the drink will be not only healthy, aromatic, but also quite tasty.

The benefits of such a delicacy are increased significantly due to the beneficial compounds provided by nature itself. All ingredients contain compounds that are essential for the human body, with which you can get rid of any disease.

What does acorn drink taste like?

Most of all, coffee made from acorns resembles natural coffee, only with some plant notes, and more oily. It is a little more tart, and the taste is closer to bitter, but there are almost no sour notes. That is, it is closer to Robusta than to Arabica, poorer in terms of aroma and flavor shades.

Many vegetarians and adherents of a healthy lifestyle note that a drink made from acorns is somewhat similar to a drink made from carob, the fruit of the carob tree.

The taste largely depends on the degree of roasting:

Medium-roasted fruits produce a lighter shade and a more herbaceous flavor.
Strong roasting imparts nutty notes and makes the “coffee” taste more pronounced.

In its pure form, the flavors are clearly noticeable; with additives, especially sweeteners or milk, this is a quite tasty drink, almost indistinguishable from sweet coffee with milk.

Proper collection of acorns

Harvesting oak fruits is the first and very important step in making coffee from acorns. The best period for collecting the product is the end of September and the beginning of October. You can collect acorns right up until the first frost. Raw materials for coffee must be of good quality, since the taste of the future drink depends on this. The choice of fruits must be taken seriously: they must be whole, without damage. If the acorn squashes when you press on it, then it is spoiled or worm-eaten.

What acorns to take? It is necessary to collect ripe yellow or brown fruits. The cap will indicate maturity: it is easily separated from the body of the acorn. Green products should not be consumed under any circumstances. It can cause poisoning. Dots, cracks, spots are signs that such nuts are not suitable for coffee. Black oak fruits are also not suitable for the drink: the drink from them will turn out to be very bitter.

To ensure the quality of the harvested crop, you can place it in a basin or bowl of water. Those fruits that have risen to the top cannot be harvested.

Checking acorns in the water; those that float cannot be used

Benefits of acorn coffee

Acorn is a truly healthy product, and acorn coffee has a beneficial effect on the body and can be used for medicinal and preventive purposes:

Does not increase blood pressure and does not provoke tachycardia. The drink does not contain caffeine, so it can be drunk by hypertensive patients or consumed in the evening.
Stabilizes the functioning of the cardiovascular system, prevents the occurrence of arrhythmia.
Relieves inflammation of the digestive system, useful for colitis or peptic ulcers.
Restores the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract after poisoning or disorder, normalizes intestinal microflora.
Helps with asthma, cough, chronic bronchitis.
It has antibacterial properties, destroys bacterial infections of the genitourinary system, relieves inflammation of the bladder and urinary tract.
Reduces blood sugar, bringing it to normal levels, therefore it is useful for diabetics (of course, you should not add sugar in this case).
For men – increases potency.
For women – helps reduce pain during menstruation.
For children - useful for rickets and scrofula, strengthens the muscle tissue of the abdominal cavity.

Pregnant women can drink acorn coffee. No targeted studies have been conducted, but general studies have shown no negative effects.

Acorn drink: tastes like coffee and lowers blood sugar!

Our Ancestors revered oak because... it is the Sacred Tree of our Ancestor - God Perun. At all times and to this day, Kummir Perun is carved from oak. Oak is the tree of Warriors and Knights. In Rus', oak is considered the personification of male strength and power. It is the most energetically powerful tree. Oak is a mighty tree, a symbol of enormous vitality and wisdom. Oak charges you with energy for a long time, helping everyone who wants to become truly strong. Our Ancestors knew that oak helps with hopeless diseases and fatal wounds and used this knowledge in folk healing.

Walking through the oak forest has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the heart and nervous system. Oak is one of the most powerful amulets against the evil eye and damage. For personal protection from negative vibrations, you can carry an oak solar symbol or cross, oak beads or rosary. You can hang acorns (in the form of a beautiful garland) on the windows as a talisman, which will prevent evil forces from entering your home.

The acorn is the fruit of an oak tree and has been revered for its healing properties since ancient times. Few people know that the acorn also has unique culinary properties. Acorn is an undeservedly forgotten and undervalued food product. Our Ancestors boiled acorns in boiling water, dried them and prepared flour from which they made acorn cakes, bread, and a coffee drink. The listed products are very beneficial for the stomach.

Nutritional value of acorns.

Acorns contain proteins, carbohydrates, tannins, tannins and a large amount of starch. The most useful component is the active substance quercetin, endowed with many beneficial properties. This substance relieves spasms, swelling and inflammation, has a diuretic and antioxidant effect.

The benefits of acorn drink.

Acorns contain substances that affect blood sugar levels, reducing them to normal levels. That is why they are useful for patients who suffer from diabetes.

Oak fruits are also used as a means of normalizing the functioning of the cardiovascular system and resisting the development of arrhythmia. With regular consumption of the acorn drink, palpitations and a feeling of tightness in the chest disappear. Hypertensive patients can safely drink “coffee” made from oak fruits. The aromatic drink does not provoke an increase in blood pressure, and the taste is very similar to coffee made from coffee beans.

Acorns have antibacterial properties. They are able to destroy infection, thereby protecting the human body from disease. Acorns contain substances that have an astringent effect. Acorns are excellent for treating diseases of the genitourinary system - they increase potency, help eliminate enuresis, and are useful for treating some female diseases.

Acorns also have a beneficial effect on the digestive system, in particular in acute and chronic colitis and indigestion. Acorns are excellent for coughing with asthma or bronchitis. To treat such diseases, it is recommended to regularly drink “coffee” made from oak fruits.

Making “coffee” from acorns.

The time for collecting acorns is the end of September - October. You need to collect ripe acorns that are green or brown in color and feel hard to the touch. If they are pressed through with your finger, it means they are wormy. If you collect from branches, they should be easily separated from the caps.

Pour the collected acorns into a container with water. Remove those that float, and remove the sunken acorns from the water, place them on a baking sheet in one layer and place in a preheated oven for 5 to 10 minutes. During this time, most of the acorns will burst and turn a dark brown color, making them easier to shell.

Remove the warm and moist acorns from the oven and peel them through a meat grinder (dry ones are hard to grind). Dry the resulting “minced meat” on baking sheets or in a dryer until cooked. Store finished raw materials in glass jars or multilayer paper bags.

In order to prepare a coffee drink, you need to grind the acorns in a coffee grinder and fry them in a dry frying pan, stirring constantly. Depending on the degree of roasting, a different taste is obtained.

You need to brew “coffee” from acorns in the same way as preparing coffee beans, at the rate of one teaspoon of powder per cup of water. Add cane sugar, honey, milk to taste. The result is a rather tasty drink, somewhat reminiscent of coffee, and sometimes cocoa with milk (depending on the degree of frying in the pan and the addition of spices). “Coffee” made from acorns is a very good tonic and easily eliminates headaches.

I can say that I treated very avid coffee lovers to this drink and they really liked it. True, they said that they were too lazy to prepare acorns. The main enemy of our health is laziness; it’s easier to go to the store, buy some stuff and ruin your health. I can please you that in one evening my husband and I prepared so much “coffee” powder from acorns passed through a meat grinder that it will last for at least six months, so preparing acorns will not take you much time.

There are also secrets on how you can diversify the taste of your “coffee” drink made from acorns. For this you can use spices. In this case, your acorn “coffee” will acquire additional beneficial properties. The following spices are suitable: cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg.

A drink made from acorns and other plants.

You need to take 30 grams. fried acorns, 20 gr. barley, 10 gr. rye, oats and dandelion root, 15 gr. wheat and 20 gr. wild chicory, grind it all in a coffee grinder and pour into a glass container - for example, a resealable jar. This mixture is brewed and drunk like tea: 1 teaspoon per 250 ml. boiling water, adding brown sugar, honey or milk to taste.

Acorn flour.

You can even make porridge from acorns. Acorn flour is suitable for baking various delicacies. The recipe for its preparation is quite simple. Collect oak fruits, peel, cut into several parts and soak in water for 2 days. Stir the water from time to time and change it at least 4 times. Boil the acorns and drain the water. Pass the boiled fruits through a meat grinder, then air dry and then in the oven. The resulting mass is suitable both for making acorn cereal and for making acorn flour (with a finer grind).

A very nutritious porridge is cooked from such acorn grains - in a saucepan. Pour water (100 g) and milk (200 ml), add salt and a little melted butter, heat the liquid to a boil, add cereal and stir. When the cereal swells, cook the porridge, stirring, over low heat until it thickens. Then cover the saucepan with a lid and put it in the oven. When the porridge is finished cooking, it is served immediately - hot, adding more butter to taste.

Bread made from acorn flour.

This bread is very good for the stomach, since the substances contained in acorns help cleanse it. You need to take 400 gr. acorn flour, 100 gr. wheat flour and mix thoroughly.

Coffee drink made from chicory roots.

The chicory drink is not only tasty, but also very healthy. Firstly, chicory lowers blood sugar levels, so it is a must for diabetics. Secondly, chicory normalizes blood pressure by dilating blood vessels and regulating heart function. Regular consumption of chicory can reduce the manifestations of tachycardia, arrhythmia, and heart failure.

In addition, chicory cleanses the liver and blood, removes waste and toxins from the body, and improves metabolism. For neuroses and depressive states with increased excitability, chicory can gently calm a person.

To make coffee from chicory roots, do the same operations as with acorns.

Coffee made from rye beans.

It is prepared from roasted and ground rye grains. Rye is rich in amino acids, fiber, iron and vitamins A, B, E and PP.

Rye coffee improves digestion, gently cleanses the body of toxins, and reduces the likelihood of developing cancer. To make coffee from rye beans, do the same operations as with acorns.

Coffee made from barley beans.

Barley is rich in carbohydrates and fiber and is very nutritious. Barley also contains protein, as well as many vitamins, for example, vitamin A, B, D, C, E. Barley is a natural antioxidant; it rejuvenates the body and slows down the aging process. A drink made from barley is very useful for diseases of the heart and digestive organs. Barley “coffee” lowers cholesterol levels in the blood and takes care of the heart and blood vessels. To prepare “coffee” from barley grains, do the same operations as with acorns.

As raw materials for producing coffee drinks, you can use the roots of dandelion, burdock, elecampane, viburnum seeds, forest apple fruits, mountain ash, blood-red hawthorn, cinnamon rose hips, and common hazel nuts.

The listed roots and fruits are harvested in the fall. They must be washed thoroughly several times. Then they are cut into pieces and dried in an oven, dryer or oven (dried roots and fruits should have no more than 12-13% moisture and break with a crunch). They are then processed into powder or stored whole in tightly sealed jars or multi-layer paper bags.

Harm of acorn coffee

Everything is good in moderation. Despite the lack of caffeine, doctors still do not recommend drinking more than 3-4 cups of this drink per day. In addition, sometimes individual intolerance occurs, manifested by allergies or stomach upset, in which case use should be stopped.

Sometimes poisoning can occur due to improper handling of the product. The fruits contain the substance quercetin, which in raw nuts is toxic to the body. In heat-treated acorns, it acquires the opposite, beneficial properties (relieves swelling and spasms, eliminates inflammation, is a diuretic and antioxidant).

When buying acorn coffee in the store, you don’t have to worry about the quercetin content, but if you collect it yourself, without experience, you should be careful and choose only ripe brown nuts.

Nutritional value: how many calories are in coffee made from acorns?

The composition of the fruit includes proteins, carbohydrates, oils, tannins, tannins and a large amount of starch, as well as vitamins (PP, B9, B6, B2, B1, A) and minerals (copper, zinc, iron, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium , calcium).

The calorie content of an acorn is about 400 kcal per 100 grams of product. To prepare a serving of the drink, about 25 g of powder is used, that is, a cup of acorn coffee contains approximately 100 kcal.

By adding milk, sugar and other caloric additives, the overall nutritional value of the drink increases.

Composition of coffee with acorns and its nutritional value

Oak fruits contain a high content of starch, as well as tannins, carbohydrates and tannins. The composition includes a substance such as quercetin, which acts as a powerful antioxidant. Coffee relieves spasms and inflammation, and also helps with swelling.

Acorn drink contains a lot of calories. A cup of coffee replaces one finished dish. The brewed infusion is rich in proteins, fats and carbohydrates. One hundred grams of acorns contain about five hundred kilocalories. Despite this, coffee is beneficial for people who are obese. Because the active substances included in the drink improve metabolism and do not turn into fat.

Coffee made from acorns, its benefits and harms are almost impossible to measure. This is due to the fact that the drink contains many active elements, calcium, magnesium, which makes it very beneficial for human health.

Recipes for making coffee from acorns

In principle, making acorn coffee is not too different from brewing regular, natural coffee. The only difference is that you will need more of the original ingredient than with coffee beans, but you can experiment with the concentration to get a stronger or milder taste.

For one serving:

Water – 150 ml;
Powder from ground fried acorns - 25 grams (two tablespoons almost without a slide or one with a large slide).
Sugar and spices to taste.

Brewing options:

Place all ingredients in a pot and cook over low heat for about 3-5 minutes, then let sit for two minutes. The foam usually rises like coffee, just wait three rises. The drink may boil, be careful not to run away, but boiling certainly does not harm it and does not spoil the taste.
Brew directly in a cup: pour boiling water, cover and let brew for five minutes.
Use a French press. Just lift the mesh so that it does not touch the surface of the drink. After 4-5 minutes, slowly lower the plunger to strain out the grounds.
Using a coffee filter. Everything is the same as with natural ones.
In a saucepan or kettle. Let it boil slightly three times and let it sit for a while.
Try brewing in a coffee machine. Here, however, the grinding is important, it should not be too coarse or too fine; be guided by the particle size of the usual ground coffee.

You can make the taste of the drink more interesting by adding various ingredients. So, acorn coffee can be prepared with the following additives:

With honey

At the same time healthy and naturally sweet. Honey is added to a ready-made drink, and then it is especially useful for cough or bronchitis. But to preserve the beneficial properties of honey, it is better to let the drink cool a little, or eat honey as a bite.

With milk

You can use any milk, cow's or plant-based, adding it to the cup. Alternatively, you can brew acorn coffee with milk instead of water, so it will be more nutritious, slightly thicker and interesting.

With spices

Use any that could be used with natural coffee - cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, vanilla. By the way, they can make the taste of the drink more familiar if you are just trying coffee made from acorns and feel a strong plant flavor.

With black pepper

For lovers of unusual tastes. In this case, you can use black peppercorns, allspice, as well as pink or white. There are those who like to add a little ground black pepper for a zest of taste, as well as a few grains of table salt.

With the addition of other plants

Acorn coffee powder can also be combined with other coffee substitutes:

Oats;
Barley;
Rye;
Dandelion root;
Wild chicory.

Coffee substitutes must be roasted and ground to a powder. Mix in any proportions, varying the flavors as you wish.

You can blend acorn and natural coffee to reduce the amount of caffeine while still maintaining the distinct coffee flavor.

How to prepare acorns for a drink

Unfortunately, acorn coffee is not available for sale. You have to collect the fruits and prepare the raw materials for making coffee yourself. The most suitable harvesting period is the end of September - mid-November. Fruits that fall in August will most likely be empty or damaged.

For extract preparation, fruits selected for the following characteristics are best suited:

Fallen to the ground or collected from branches without the use of force. The fruit, which is difficult to separate, is green and unripe, and therefore extremely toxic.
With the presence of the upper cap of the fruit “pluses”, as a characteristic sign of high quality;
No visible external damage - mold, holes, cracks, chips.

Is it possible to buy coffee made from acorns in a store?

In regular stores or even in large hypermarkets you can usually find a maximum of chicory drink, but acorn drink is not sold. Coffee made from acorns can be bought in eco-shops, as well as ordered in online stores with delivery to your city. There are small, often family-run businesses that offer such products, or they also supply them to online stores of eco-products.

The average price of acorn coffee per 150 g jar is 500 rubles.

How to properly collect fruits

There are several rules that must be followed when collecting acorns.

You only need to collect those fruits that fall to the ground with little effort or on your own.

Coffee made from acorns that have not yet ripened can turn out not only tasteless, but also dangerous to health. Remember that green acorns can cause serious poisoning. It is also important to understand that an unripe fruit will no longer ripen at home. This is not a tomato. As a result, an unripe acorn picked from a branch is a useless product. Another important sign of a high-quality fruit is its cap. If it is missing, then the acorn may be empty or rotten inside. Also, when harvesting, make sure that the nut is not damaged or stained. The oak fruit should be smooth, without any visible cracks or scratches.

Fans of this coffee drink do not recommend picking the fruits from black oak for its preparation. The drink made from its fruits, although healthy, is very bitter.

If you do not have the opportunity to collect raw materials for such coffee yourself, and you go to the store to buy it, take a closer look at the same nuances that were described above. Pay attention to the times when acorns are sold. If the period for collecting them has not yet arrived, then these are most likely last year’s or green acorns.

How to make coffee from acorns yourself, at home

Many acorn coffee lovers prepare it at home for their family. This is a fairly simple and short process that does not require special skills.

Collecting acorns

The best time to harvest the fruit is about a week after it has started to fall, in late September or early October, but before the first frost, so it depends on the year and region. Choose nuts that are firm, light brown, and without visible damage. It is better to collect them directly from the tree; they should be easily separated from the cap. You can pick up those that have just fallen from the ground, but do not take stale ones.

Primary processing

Remove all caps and rinse the acorns with water to remove dust. Soak in a large container. Whole and healthy ones should settle to the bottom, those that float to the surface are most likely dry or wormy, remove them.

First preparation option, with pre-cleaning

Cutting across or lengthwise, as you prefer, peel the acorns; a brown film remains on the fruit.
Cut them with a knife into pieces approximately equal to coffee beans, that is, cut one nut into 4-6 pieces.
Place on a baking sheet and place in an oven preheated to 200 degrees for 40 minutes.
Let cool and grind in a blender.

Second cooking option, with baking

Place the freshly washed acorns on a baking sheet directly in their skins and bake in an oven preheated to 200-250 degrees for about 7-10 minutes, then turn off the oven and let the nuts stand in it for about another hour. During this time, the peel should burst and the nuts should turn dark brown, making them easier to peel.
Peel the fruits and grind them while still warm in a meat grinder. When they dry out, it will be more difficult to do this.
Place the nut mince on baking sheets and let dry.
It will still be a bit coarse, so it’s better to grind the grains in a coffee grinder or blender, and fry a little in a dry frying pan again, stirring constantly (if the color is pale).

It is better to store dry acorn powder for coffee without access to oxygen, in small glass or tin jars with tight lids. This way it can be stored for up to 5-6 months.

Rules for collecting and selecting acorns for coffee

An invigorating drink brewed from such ingredients is rarely found on sale. Therefore, if you want to enjoy them, it is recommended to prepare acorns in advance.

Experts say that the fruits of any oak tree are suitable for brewing coffee. But to get a truly healthy drink, you need to collect them from the second half of September until mid-October.

Acorns should be picked from trees rather than looked for on the ground. Fallen fruits are often empty inside. Also, one should not exclude the possibility of their illness, which caused premature loss.

But not all ripe nuts are suitable. Rules for their selection:

Green ones should not be used for cooking, as they can cause food poisoning. They will not reach the desired state, therefore, if you get this useless fruit, throw it away.
To prevent injury, you should not climb an oak tree to look for ripe acorns, as they grow very high. Try to find them on branches low above the ground. The option of picking up freshly fallen nuts is allowed.
The plus, its “cap,” will help to distinguish a high-quality acorn from a spoiled one. You should not select fruits that do not have it.
If you are not a bitter drinker, there is no need to collect black oak acorns. This coffee will be very healthy, but it is impossible to drink it without a large amount of sweeteners.
Before selecting a nut, study its appearance. It should not have cracks, dark spots or other irregularities. Its shell should be uniform.