Acorn

The acorn, despite its modest size, is of great nutritional and energy value. But most people know about it only from the side of hand-made. Oak fruits are often used to create original installations. Children’s crafts look especially interesting from them, since it is quite simple to create a copy of a forest glade based on such natural material. Adding to the lightness is the fact that finding the main “protagonist” of a fake is really not difficult – you just need to go to the nearest park.

Where to look and what do acorns look like?

Oaks, which are home to acorns, are considered one of the most powerful tree species that grow freely in many Slavic countries. Their height can reach fifty meters, and sometimes even more than two meters in diameter. Their main feature is a long period of growth, which in exceptional cases reaches even a millennium. This is explained by the fact that such trees are less whimsical to environmental conditions than the same chestnuts cannot boast. They are rarely affected by serious diseases, and they do not require special care if they were planted as an ornamental purpose in the driveway to the house.

Then such a design move will make it possible to make not only medicinal infusions from acorns or add their powder as a supplement to the baking dough. Every fall, kids get a chance to show off their creativity using eco-friendly material for self-expression. It remains only to add elements from the cones and you get a beautiful fake.

On the territory of the Russian Federation there are about two dozen varieties of this plant, but the petiolate variant is the leader of the rating. It blooms quite late compared to other similar representatives of the flora. And flowering occurs at a time when the leaf is still small. This approximately occurs in April or early May.

From a biological point of view, oak is classified as monoecious, which means the presence of exclusively same-sex flowers on one plant. If this is a male plant, then flowering will occur in yellow-green catkins, which have a long, thin shape. Outwardly, they resemble earrings of an ordinary hazel.

They hang in small bunches, but because of the not very expressive color, it will be problematic to recognize them immediately between young greens.

It is even more difficult to see female flowers, which are simply tiny in size, representing green grains with a red crown. They are located separately from each other on thin special branches. It is these grains that give the main autumn attributes for installations. In order to get the best natural material for children later, it is worth making sure that the tree is watered on time in the garden. If this is not controlled, then the fruits themselves will turn out to be empty, frail or small. It is also important to ensure that too warm weather does not destroy the acorn, which, under the influence of the scorching bright sun, quickly begins to rot.

This rule applies only to cases when a person is interested in how to grow a full-fledged plant from a seed by hand. If we are talking about wildlife, then no special efforts should be made. The natural environment provides for a dense cover of fallen leaves, in which the fruits successfully overwinter. There, the humidity level is maintained at the proper level, and the fallen snow acts as a shield against low temperatures and wet winds.

In addition to the fact that such gifts from the forests are used to decorate the house with their own hands, they are often collected in the public domain by residents of the countryside. One bag of nutritious gifts will brighten up the monotonous diet of some types of livestock.

It is not for nothing that there is a well-known fable about a pig and an oak, where, in addition to morality, it is told about how much this animal appreciates such a delicacy. He was also honored by people who got used to creating medicinal tinctures and even coffee. It helps with problems with the cardiovascular system. Because of this, in the last ten years, more and more people have become interested in how to plant such a plant near the dacha, getting a useful harvest from it every year.

Storage of vitamins and microelements

Oak fruits as a food product and a healing agent have been known for a long time. They were used by healers for several thousand years ago. This theory is also confirmed by an acorn recently found in the expanses of Japan, which has lain for almost four thousand years. The most surprising thing is that during the experiment, the researchers suggested that it be germinated, and after a while a sprout actually popped out of the fruit.

But even this age is not the limit. Archaeologists who worked on the excavations of the coastal zone of the Mediterranean Sea found characteristic acorn prints on clay. They are about five thousand years old. Such an impressive date and the confirmation left in the form of a print only confirm that even then ancient people knew about the benefits for the body when consuming the pulp.

In the course of various scientific experiments, biologists made sure that the ancient herbalists knew a lot about finding healing representatives of the flora. Analyzes have shown that even a small fruit contains a huge amount of:

• proteins;
• carbohydrates;
• tannic;
• sugars;
• fatty oils;
• tannins;
• starch.

All this was to the liking of the birds and other inhabitants of the forests. Boars, deer, bears, pigeons, jays and pheasants, eating for the future, collect huge reserves of nutrients for the winter. Even field mice do not bypass them.

If you plan to use a specific storage of trace elements all year round, then experts recommend drying it. And you need to know exactly how to do it correctly, adhering to the established algorithm:

• first, drying is done in the attic or on a covered area;
• the procedure is completed by drying in the oven.

Only after that it is allowed to remove the shell along with the seed peel.

Historians believe that the first people first created the simplest bakery products from grated acorn mass. And only then they adapted for identical purposes to attract cereals that are more in demand for such purposes.

The main weapon of the “brown babies” is the flavonol quercetin. This active substance has many medicinal qualities, among which are especially distinguished:

• edema neutralization;
• removal of spasmolytic syndrome;
• reducing inflammation.

In addition, it has a diuretic and antioxidant effect on the body. But here you should always remember that the presented active substance can be harmful. Although flavanol of this format is completely safe for animals, it poses an increased danger to humans. But if you soak the find, and then warm it up well, then the toxic component will completely collapse.

It is also important to properly roast, avoiding burning. Instead of black, finished specimens should have a slightly reddish tint. After that, the product is crushed and used as the main ingredient for coffee. According to taste, it is allowed to add to the drink:

• milk;
• sugar;
• honey.

No wonder the Indians from North America have always been famous for their endurance and longevity. They used this powder daily, replenishing the losses thinned during active physical activity. To do this, the sages first boiled the crop in boiling water to get rid of poisons and an unpleasant bitter aftertaste. Then the semi-finished product was dried and ground for flour. For the rest of the year, cakes or other national dishes were made from the powder.

Application in folk medicine

But not a single Indian knew about the beneficial properties of the “children” of oak. Slavic herbalists often prepared on their basis remedies for the treatment of enuresis, various genitourinary disorders and problems in terms of sexual dysfunction in men and women. They were also mentioned when reading the instructions for drugs to extinguish acute colitis and toothache.

Adherents of traditional medicine advise using a simple recipe to eliminate stomach upset:

1. Take one teaspoon of powdered mass and pour a glass of boiling water.
2. Cool the resulting mixture and strain.
3. Take half a glass three times a day.

The course lasts exactly a month, and then you need to take a break. If necessary, therapy is repeated to consolidate a successful result.

The same cooking option is useful for those who regularly encounter during the season of respiratory diseases with:

• cough;
• bronchitis;
• exacerbations of heart disease.

In addition to indoor use, there are several versions for outdoor use. We are talking about the treatment of hernia with warm compresses. They are made from 25% oak fruit tincture mixed with red wine.

If the patient is faced with problems regarding the genitourinary system, then an old recipe will help him, providing for the juice of green acorns, which is diluted with honey. It is necessary to take the solution in strict proportions: 2 tablespoons 3-4 times a day before meals.

The effectiveness of the drug is explained by the fact that the mass has a bactericidal effect. By the same principle, healers recommend using it for women who are faced with a developing inflammatory process that causes more heavy menstruation.

Usually people know which parts of the fetus should be used to implement the healer’s instructions – an oblong body. But for the treatment of pancreatitis, they are not needed, but plushies – those same hats that are similar in structure to tree bark. To collect them, you must first find ripe acorns that have not yet had time to dry, and send them to rest in the shade.

Then the caps are separated from the base. Having collected about a tablespoon, pour 200 ml of boiling water and let it brew for about three hours. After the time has elapsed, the solution is filtered and taken according to the accumulative scheme. First, you should start with one teaspoon, and then the rate is gradually adjusted to 70 ml per day.

Herbalists advise not to exclude such an assistant even with diabetes. Reception involves eating one teaspoon of powder from pre-dried fruits in the morning an hour before meals and at bedtime.

But, regardless of what the presented tinctures or compresses will be used for, they should be used only after consulting with your doctor. The reason for this is the high risk of hidden contraindications, which can only be detected by the result of a clinical examination.

Culinary masterpieces

Acorn crumb is used, which in taste will resemble roasted peanuts, by many culinary specialists from around the world. Nutritious porridge is usually cooked from the resulting cereal, using a saucepan for long languishing.

First, 100 grams of water is poured there, and then half more milk is added. Salt and melted butter are added to taste. After that, the liquid is brought to a boil, pour the cereal into it, and then stir thoroughly.

As soon as the mass swells well, the porridge begins to cook over low heat, stirring constantly. This will continue until the cereal thickens. When the desired consistency is reached, the saucepan is covered with a lid and sent to the oven so that the mass is cooked. Serve a delicious delicacy should be hot, adding a little more butter at your own discretion.

Also, from the powdered dry core, it will be possible to make nutritious cakes, which the Indians appreciated a few hundred years ago. You will first need to bring sour cream to a boil, and then pour flour into it. After that, the mass should boil, and then it is removed and cooled.

Grated cheese, egg, sugar are also sent there, after which the semi-finished product is kneaded, forming uniform cakes. They are baked in pans, using grease for lubrication.

There are no clear proportions for this recipe, but chefs advise to focus on generally accepted standards for one cake: 15 g of flour, 10 g of cheese, 25 g of sour cream, 5 g of sugar and half an egg.

They bake ordinary bread from flour in a bread machine, and also use such an unusual component as a thickener and for many other food purposes. The most important thing when using it is to know exactly your measure, because even a useful composition, when overeating, can turn into a reason for severe indigestion.