Acorn Use as Food (original) (raw)
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The use of acorns for food in California: past, present, future. In
1987
Acorns are a neglected food for people, livestock, domestic fowl, and wildlife in California. Acorns are easy to collect, store, and process. In addition to the nutritious nut and meal, acorns yield an oil comparable in quality and flavor with olive oil. The existing acorn market could be greatly expanded and provide new income for rural people. A serious effort to identify and propagate the best oak acorn cultivars for these products is long overdue. It is particularly appropriate for this research to be done in California, which once had an acorn based economy.
1992
The aim of the thesis is to examine the use of acorns in human subsistence and to relate this to the interpretation of acorn remains from archaeological sites. The worldwide archaeological record of acorn finds is first reviewed, and archaeologists' interpretations of past uses of acorns are discussed. The ethnographic record of acorn use is next examined, with emphasis on similarity and variability within and between regions. Particular attention is paid to food-processing and detoxification techniques. An examination of the biological and ecological characteristics of acorns and oak trees follows, with emphasis on those factors which make them a useful resource, and, conversely, those factors which might bias against their use. Factors affecting the availability of acorns, and their nutritional qualities are considered. Interpretations which have been made in the archaeological literature about acorn use are then re-examined in the light of the available archaeological, ethnog...
Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety
The current global food system must adapt to the expected growth of world population (about 9 billion individuals by 2050). This adaptation will probably include an increased consumption of edible wild foods, due to their richness in micronutrients and bioactive compounds, besides providing a cost-effective and sustainable way of improving caloric food security. A striking example of such natural matrices is the Quercus genus, which has the additional advantage of being widespread throughout the Northern Hemisphere. In a traditional sense, Quercus fruits (acorns) were mainly used in animal feeding, despite their potentially important role on the rural economy. But this preconception is changing. In fact, their nutritional value, high contents in phytochemical compounds, biological activity (such as antioxidant, anticarcinogenic, and cardioprotective properties) and use in the treatment of specific diseases (such as atherosclerosis, diabetes, or Alzheimer's disease) have raised the interest in integrating acorns into the human diet. Accordingly, this comprehensive overview was designed to provide an evidence-based review of the literature, with the objective to achieve useful conclusions regarding the nutritional properties, methodologies of extraction, identification, and characterization of a wide variety of bioactive compounds and scientifically validated bioactivities in Quercus species worldwide. The industrial by-products from acorn oil extraction or flour production are also included. Data regarding the analytical techniques, individual compounds, and their bioactivities, are organized in tables. The reported data are discussed and directions for further investigations are suggested, highlighting the use of acorns in food, nutraceutical, and pharmaceutical applications.
Harvest Amounts and Economic Value of the Acorn in Turkey
2018
According to the data received from General Directorate of Forestry, Department of Non-Wood Products and Services. First record belongs to year 1989 in the period of 1989-2016. In 1989, for the first time, 9.000 kg acorn collected and gained 360 ₺ incomes in the territory of The Forest Regional Directorate Balikesir. According to the same data, nail and goblet of the acorn were collected for the first time in 1990 from Mersin Forest District Directorate and 1.000 kg and 260 ₺ were obtained. Occasionally it appears that oak leaf and bark are found in the economy. Acorn was harvested from The Forest Regional Directorate Bursa, Balikesir, Konya, Antalya, Izmir, Denizli and Isparta until now. Maximum amount of acorn harvested while performing from The Forest Regional Directorate Isparta with 746.000 kg, and minimum amount of harvest was carried out from The Forest Regional Directorate Bursa as 500 kg of acorn harvested. Oak bonito is consumed as food in some Mediterranean and European c...
Landscape Series, 2013
Acorns-the fruits of oaks-are a key resource for wildlife in temperate forests throughout the Northern Hemisphere. Acorns are also economically important for extensive livestock rearing, and as a staple food have supported indigenous human populations. Consequently, differences in how individual trees and populations of oaks invest in acorn production, both in terms of the size of the acorn crop and of the size of individual acorns, are of interest both ecologically and economically. Acorn production by oaks in both California and Spain tends to be highly variable and spatially synchronous. We summarize studies conducted in the two regions that investigate the factors influencing acorn production. One hypothesis explored is that, as a consequence of management, acorn production tends to be affected by different environmental factors in the two regions; another hypothesis is that acorn production in oaks in Spanish dehesas produce larger and more predictable acorn crops than trees in less managed Spanish forests or in California woodlands. Other factors potentially influencing acorn production are summarized, including biotic factors, trade-offs with growth, trade-offs with acorn size, and pollen limitation. We conclude with a discussion of spatial synchrony and acorn production at the community level. There remain many questions concerning the mating systems of oaks, trade-offs between different oak life-history characters, and the patterns and drivers of spatial synchrony. Environmental conditions in the two regions are similar, but understanding how their subtle differences influence acorn production is likely to yield important insights about the proximate and ultimate factors affecting acorn production and masting behavior.