If a person faces the problem of increased blood pressure with age, doctors recommend that he give up the classic invigorating drink and give preference to coffee made from acorns.
In the Ancient world, healing tinctures and potions were prepared from yellow fruits, and they also baked bread. Today, a drink made from them is considered one of the most delicious and healthy delicacies.
How to collect acorns for culinary purposes?
To get high-quality fruits, they need to be collected in September - October. As soon as you find yourself in the forest (namely a forest, and not a polluted forest belt adjacent to the road), take a closer look at the surrounding trees: some oaks have sickly colored leaves, these should be avoided. You should not pick fruits in the first week of their fall; they are often of poor quality: wormy and unripe (there is a risk of poisoning from such fruits). Find a green oak tree with clean, bright leaves. High-quality fruits have the following characteristics:
- Color – brown, shiny.
- When squeezed by hand, the fruit is hard and strong. If an acorn is crushed, it is wormy and is not suitable for making coffee.
- If the fruits are from the tree, they should easily separate from the cap - a sign of ripeness.
- Another check for acorns: put all the collected fruits in water, those that float up are not suitable, and the rest can be used.
Feed and calorie content
The basis of oak “nuts” is to a greater extent made up of proteins and fats, and to a lesser extent - carbohydrates. The product contains vitamins of groups B, A and PP. The composition of nuts is also represented by a large amount of starch. The structure of the fruit consists of minerals such as copper, potassium, magnesium, zinc and calcium. There are 387 kcal per 100 g of acorns.
Coffee is served in small cups on a plate with a coffee spoon. The drink can and should be topped with sugar. Some people prefer to add honey, milk, spices and even cream to their drink. However, it is important not to overdo it with supplements. Acorns themselves are very high in calories, so those who are watching their figure need to take a dosed approach to taste sweeteners.
Proper serving of acorn coffee
Acorn coffee recipe for those with a sweet tooth
It's no secret that acorns are a very healthy product. But who said that it can only be used for health? You get a modern variation of the acorn delicacy if you make coffee from acorns according to the recipe of popular baristas. To do this you will need:
- Hot coffee made from acorns – 200 ml;
- Sugar – 2 tsp;
- Milk – 50 ml;
- “Balloon” cream – 20 ml;
- Nut syrup – 5 ml.
Home cooking:
- Fry the workpiece in a dry frying pan over low heat, stirring constantly.
- Brew espresso from the “grains” in a Turk, and after boiling, let it brew for 5 minutes.
- Strain the mixture and pour into tall glasses.
- Add warm frothed milk and sugar.
- Decorate the drink with whipped cream and apply a little syrup on top for decoration.
Coffee made from acorns prepared in this way is radically different from the rest in its sweet, delicate taste. This elegant delicacy looks like a real dessert, which not everyone can afford due to the large number of calories, but the usefulness of the treat remains.
Preparing fruits for culinary use
A drink brewed from oak fruits is rarely found on sale. It takes some effort to prepare it. After you have selected high-quality raw materials, prepare them:
- Separate each nut from its cap. They need to be laid out in a single layer on a baking sheet to dry.
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees to place the acorns. Waiting time – 5 minutes. Before removing the fruits, make sure that they have burst and darkened. If this does not happen, increase the drying time.
- Wait until the acorns have cooled before removing their shells. Rinse the raw materials under running water.
- Without waiting for the nuts to dry, pass them through a meat grinder. You need to get the consistency of thick minced meat.
- Next, the mass is laid out on a baking sheet for further drying.
- At the last stage, it is put into jars.
You can make excellent coffee from acorns, but its shelf life should not exceed 5-6 months.
To get a healthy drink, dried and prepared nuts need to be crushed in a similar way to Arabica beans. Plus - such a preparation can be stored as long as you like.
Acorn frappe
Even coffee gourmets will not feel the difference if you offer them a light acorn frappe. The taste and technical qualities of the drink are very similar to Arabica. To prepare you will need:
- Cold coffee from acorns – 200 ml;
- Whipped cream (30%) – 50 ml;
- Crushed ice - 4 pieces;
- Cane sugar – 3 tsp;
- “Balloon” cream – 30 ml;
- Orange zest/coconut flakes – as needed.
The home cooking method differs from the professional one only in the materials at hand; they taste identical:
- Place the cooled and strained acorn broth in a blender along with ice, heavy cream and sugar. Beat until thick foam forms on top.
- Pour the mixture into tall transparent glasses.
- Garnish with “balloon” cream, orange zest/coconut shavings (choose one, otherwise it will be too much) and offer to guests with a straw.
In the summer heat, your loved ones will appreciate the care in preparing a drink that seems complex at first glance. But, as you can see from the recipe, it is not that complicated; preparation will not take even 30 minutes of your time.
Reviews from those who have already tried the drink
Alina: “I learned about coffee made from acorns from friends. Since I am a terrible coffee lover, I decided to experiment. It seems like I collected them according to the rules. Of course, it took a long time to tinker with the acorns. The result, in my opinion, is not worth it. There is a scent, but not what I expected. In general, acorn coffee is just a parody of coffee.”
Lyudmila: “I am an experienced hypertensive patient, so coffee is prohibited for me. A friend advised me to try acorn coffee. At first it seemed kind of crazy, but I decided to cook it. For me it will be aromatic with a tolerable but bitterness. I added more honey. This coffee has become a good alternative to regular coffee for me.”
Christina: “Not taking into account the specific taste and difficulty of preparation, I liked coffee made from acorns. Yes, it is different from the usual black coffee. But I add spices and honey, and it hits the spot. In addition, it is just as invigorating and has many useful benefits. From experience I can say: it’s better to undercook a little than to overcook the acorns. Otherwise you end up with a tasteless handful of “ash”. And yes, coffee portions cannot be prepared for a long time - this is a disadvantage of the product.”
Coffee made from acorns is a worthy replacement for classic coffee. For the experiment with acorn drink to be successful, you need to take the collection and processing of raw materials seriously. This is the only way to reveal all the taste and medicinal properties of an unusual coffee drink.
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.
Cooking features
First of all, forest “prey” must be cleared of husks. This must be done before the nuts dry, otherwise cleaning will take longer later. Then we wash the fruits under running water and divide them into pieces. Dry the finished mass, spread it on a baking sheet in one layer and place it in the oven, preheated to 200°C. Cooking time: 30-40 minutes. The finished product should be brown.
Comparison of raw and roasted (right) acorns
When frying fruits, you need to maintain a balance and not bring them to the state of “charcoal”. If this happens, you will not get any pleasure from coffee. It will taste very bitter.
The fried mixture is ground in a coffee grinder or passed through a meat grinder (if the pieces were cut too coarsely). It is better to store coffee powder in glass containers, but not for very long. Long-term storage causes the product to lose its taste and may spoil. Acorns must undergo heat treatment. This method helps to destroy the toxic effects of their individual components.
Another option for preparing acorns is to dry them in an oven immediately after harvesting. Under the influence of high temperature, the shell will burst on its own. Warm nuts are removed from the shell and ground in a meat grinder. Acorns can also be fried in a frying pan and chopped in a blender.
Classic acorn coffee recipe
The recipe for the “oak” drink is similar to the recipe for grain coffee. To make one serving of acorn coffee you will need the following ingredients:
- 1 or 2 tsp. powder;
- a glass of boiled water;
- 2 tsp. Sahara.
Pour the powder into the coffee maker, add sugar. Add water to the mixture. Bring the liquid to a boil over medium heat. You can let it simmer for a couple of minutes, but no more. Remove from heat and let sit for 1-2 minutes. As an experiment, you can mix acorn powder with coffee powder in a 1:1 ratio.
Let's present several recipes for coffee made from acorns with other ingredients to expand the taste boundaries.
If you are planning a trip to Poland, we recommend that you try Warsaw-style coffee.
With honey
Ingredients:
- 3 tsp. crushed oak fruits;
- 3 tsp. linden or other honey.
Before cooking, you can soak the acorns in milk, or you can do without it. Dry and fry the acorns according to the classic recipe. Add honey to the finished drink and stir with a spoon until completely dissolved.
How to “saturate” coffee with beneficial properties? Very simple. It is enough to add one of the spices to it, and which one - read here.
Espresso Romano is an invigorating drink that uses lemon. Read more about Romano in this publication:
With butter
Ingredients:
- 3 tsp. crushed acorns;
- 20 g butter;
- sugar to taste.
Peel the mature oak fruits, divide them into 4 parts and pour boiling water over them. Leave the liquid overnight to infuse. The next morning, dry the product in the oven and fry in a frying pan. While frying, add the required amount of butter. At the end of the procedure, sprinkle the mixture with sugar. Candied acorns lose their taste and aroma when stored for a long time. From the finished mass you need to immediately brew coffee according to the classic recipe.
Acorn coffee with butter
With milk
Ingredients:
- 2 tsp. acorn powder;
- 30 ml milk.
Wash the fruits, dry them in the oven and peel them. Additionally, fry in the oven until dark golden brown. Grind in a coffee grinder to a powder. Brew the resulting mixture as you would regular coffee. Fill the drink with milk. Add sugar to taste.
Cinnamon
Ingredients:
- 1.5 tsp. acorn powder;
- 0.5 tsp. cinnamon;
- sugar to taste.
Mix coffee with cinnamon, add sugar and add water (glass). Bring to a boil over low heat. Remove the container from the heat and allow the resulting foam to subside. Pour half of the liquid into a cup, put the rest back on the fire. It is brought to a boil and added to the first cup to create a beautiful foam.
With cloves
Ingredients:
- 2 tsp. powder;
- 2 pcs. carnations;
- a pinch of cinnamon;
- sugar to taste.
Brew coffee using the traditional method. Add sugar, cinnamon and cloves to your drink. Let it brew for 20-30 minutes.
With chocolate
Ingredients:
- 1.5 tsp. powder;
- 1 piece of dark chocolate;
- 1 spoon of cream;
- a pinch of cinnamon;
- sugar to taste.
For coffee with chocolate in the “cold” version, melt the chocolate in a hot bath. Add the mixture to freshly brewed coffee. Then gradually “introduce” all the other ingredients, stirring well. Place the liquid in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
Do you like fancy drinks? Learn how to make Turkish coffee with milk. We published all the recipes in our previous article.
Lungo is a long-cooking type of espresso. The drink turns out to be original and unique in taste. You can learn more about lungo here: .
Harmful and beneficial properties of coffee made from acorns.
To figure out who can drink the drink and who can’t, you need to find out the characteristics of the oak fruit.
Good acorns have no inclusions, look clean, and the cap is even. In addition to the fact that it is a favorite food of forest rodents (squirrels, mice) and wild boars, the fruits are very high in calories in their raw form and contain many substances and compounds necessary for the human body.
What do oak fruits hide in their composition?
- Important vitamins: B, thiamine, phosphorus, pyridoxine, iron, magnesium, potassium, copper, manganese;
- Acids: nicotinic, glutamic and pantothenic;
- Amino acids and protein;
The main properties of the acorn were previously widely used by healers and healers. People felt the importance of the oak, its strength. It is not for nothing that since ancient times the oak was considered the sacred tree of the god Perun. When Christianity came to Rus', the properties of oak were not forgotten and have partially survived to this day.
Now you can provide support to the body if you have problems with:
- Kidneys (all diseases can be alleviated);
- Lack of iron in the blood;
- Gastrointestinal/intestinal disorders;
- Diabetes mellitus.
Using a drink made from acorns can help with a weakened immune system, depression, vein thrombosis, and loss of appetite.
In some cases, for example, pregnancy, instead of folic acid tablets, you can use a decoction of oak fruit. This compound is contained in it in excess. Taking folic acid is a guarantee of the health of the unborn child, because its deficiency can lead to inhibition of the healthy development of the fetus. Considering that Arabica coffee is often prohibited for pregnant women due to the risk of high blood pressure, this is an excellent way to replace your favorite treat without harm to yourself and the baby.
Oak fruits contain an antioxidant - quercetin , which is responsible for:
- keeping the body in good shape;
- getting rid of allergic rashes;
- maintaining healthy and youthful skin
- other useful properties.
The antioxidant gives the fruit a bitter tint; it is not recommended to eat it raw.
Acorn damage
Acorn does not have any contraindications for use. But if after drinking coffee from acorns a rash or irritation appears on the body, you should refuse such a delicacy. The only contraindication is individual intolerance to the elements in the acorn.
The consequences of improper preparation include poisoning due to improper processing. Be careful and strictly follow the recipe.
Acorn coffee compared to Arabica
Both drinks are invigorating - that's a fact. But they differ in taste, aroma and effect on the body. As for the cooking technology, it is practically unchanged in each case.
Regular coffee is brewed in a Turkish coffee pot and a coffee maker, a drink made from acorns is the same. The raw materials for them are fried at high temperature according to the same recipe. The difference is that Arabica beans simmer on the fire longer.
A drink made from oak nuts has more beneficial properties. Even pregnant women can consume it. This will not increase your blood pressure.
The aroma of each drink is unique, but the taste is similar. You can improve the taste by adding additional ingredients such as milk, cream, star anise, cinnamon or ginger. Experiment! The longer the raw material is fried, the more bitterness there will be in the drink.
Regardless of your health status, it is recommended to drink acorn coffee more often. This is not only a tasty, but also a healthy drink, the regular use of which will improve your overall well-being and improve your health.
Adding spices
There are a large number of cooking recipes. One of them is preparing coffee with the addition of various spices. Most often, cinnamon or cloves are used, which are added to coffee after the drink is ready. Black pepper is added while the coffee is being brewed. Some people in the reviews note that they like their coffee with pepper.
