Nutty Oak Acorns and Scions

Nutty Tasting Acorn with Low Tannin and a Distinctive Delicious Flavor without Leaching

One of the few acorns that has a mild flavor and can be eaten raw. Selected from a  cross done by "Mr. Oak" Miguel Marquez of Ashworth bur oak and holly oak subspecies ballota.  Many of these crosses appeared successful when I grew them from the acorns of both Quercus ilex and Quercus macrocarpa. Both of these species are used for acorn flour and for creating other lower tannin acorn selections for human consumption. Over three decades in the making, I taste tested with others this wonderful selection who have visited my farm. Everyone says the same thing: this acorn has flavor! There is very little astringency in the acorn. This variety like Manna can be grafted to a bur oak rootstock for best results. 

Trees tend to have thick large leaves and tend towards the bur oak end of the spectrum. No  weevils are found in the acorns. Nutty is  crossed with other ilex and bur oak hybrids nearby making it a valuable tree for growing out its seedlings as well as grafting. Its unique flavor is really quite different than other acorns available. Even those who are not edible acorn fans and I have coaxed into eating one found it pleasant and distinct.

In 2023 the Canadian wildfires greatly reduced sunlight during the summer and ripening was delayed by 2-4 weeks. The acorns this year have more astringency than in the past. I was surprised at this only because once they came down in the past then the acorns were more edible fresh from the tree. I am currently drying a batch for making bread and will see how they taste in a few weeks. I am also sending a batch off for testing for tannin levels this year for the first time. This will compare it to other selections and seedlings too.  An excellent crop this year and collected in September at their peak. 

Scionwood is cut in January and February and shipped then upon request. Seeds are cold stored and shipped immediately. 

 For germinating the acorns; The acorns require a cold and moist dormancy for 60-90 days to sprout. I am decapping the acorns this year and you can add a small amount of moist Canadian peat moss for storage.  Watch for weevil exits and periodically remove weevils. I include extra acorns to allow for some loss. Acorns do not need a lot of moisture to maintain seed health so careful not to dump too much moisture on them. Nutty acorns are refrigerated at my farm to prevent decay. Decapping and washing is done to prevent fungus and mold damage to the embryo. 

To germinate the acorns: the acorns are currently germinating and some roots already out of the shell. But not all of them. To unify the germination and fulfill the dormancy put your acorns in the refrigerator with a moist paper towel and store for roughly 60 days. Remove the towel and put it a new one if mold is developing. If that happens, take them out and wash them thoroughly before putting them back. The acorns have not been dried and have enough inherit moisture to store like they are without the addition of a lot of soil. So if you decide to add some peat moss to them to store, that is fine but careful about adding to much moisture to the bag.