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Contents Of This Page:

• White Oak
• Bur Oak
• Swamp White Oak
• Chinquapin or Chinkapin Oak
• Chestnut Oak
• Red Oak, Black Oak & Pin Oak

Season: Fall

Urban, Rural or Both: Both

With Oaks, there are three basic groups: The White Oaks, The Chestnut Oaks and the Red or Black Oaks. Some sources say there are only two groups, and the Chestnut Oak group is considered part of the White Oak group.

In the east, there are two "White Oaks" with one season acorns and irregular, deep, rounded lobe leaves:

• The White Oak (Quercus alba)
• The Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa)

There are three "Chestnut Oaks" also with one season acorns:

• The Swamp White Oak (Quercus bicolor)
• The Chinquapin or Chinkapin Oak (Quercus muehlenbergii)
• The Chestnut Oak (Quercus prinus or Quercus montana)

The third group is the "Red or Black Oaks" with two season acorns and sharply pointed leaves:

• The Red Oak (Quercus rubra)
• The Black Oak (Quercus velutina)
• The Pin Oak or Swamp Spanish Oak (Quercus palustris)

Growing this plant in your home garden:

For detailed growing instructions for all the Oak trees, go to my Wild Foods Home Garden website Oak tree page.

There are many other smaller oaks in Eastern North America, and there are at least two more that are large tree size and planted that are not native to North America. They are the English Oak (Quercus robur) and Durmast Oak (Quercus petraea or Quercus sessiliflora). I cannot speak for the Durmast Oak, but I would not eat the English Oak acorns again - too bitter, and why bother when there are better ones around is my reasoning.

Only use acorns from either the White Oak group or the Chestnut Oak group. NEVER use the Acorns from the Red, Black or Pin Oak. The acorns from the Black Oak contain phenolic - a poison. It is hard for the beginner to tell the Red from Black Oak. Also, Red Oaks and Black Oaks can interbreed, giving a tree that looks like a Red Oak that makes acorns with the Black Oak toxin. Also, the Red and Pin Oak acorns require much more processing to make them edible than either the Bur or White Oaks due to very high tannin levels in them. Make sure before you gather any White or Chestnut Oak acorns, that there are not Red, Black or Pin Oak trees very close, as the acorns on the ground could be a mix of the two. If not absolutely sure, don't bother gathering at that spot. The "bad" three - Red, Black and Pin Oak are easy to spot, they all have leaves with sharply pointed lobes - see included pictures at the end of this acorn section.

I have to say right off, I gather almost exclusively now from The Bur Oak. The advantages of the Bur Oak are: 1 - the acorn is a bit larger than the others, therefore you get more for the effort. 2 - it is outright the best tasting. 3 - requires the least processing. 4 - it is the most common. Bur Oaks tend to mast, that is, they have seasons where there is a huge crop of acorns, and years in between with much less. Chinkapin Oaks have very good acorns, but these trees are not nearly as common - at least in my area.

They are ready to harvest as soon as they hit the ground, don't bother trying to pick from a tree. So on a good year here is what you do after you collect a bunch. First, you have to remove the outer husk (the cap or cup that holds the acorn). The acorn is generally loose fitting in the husk when ripe. If it is tight, I find it to be a sign that there is a worm in the acorn - just the same as with a Hickory nut. Whatever works best for you to remove the husk, for me, a dull paring knife is good for the Bur Oak, with the white Oak, it usually just falls off. You can then separate the good from bad by putting them in water. If they float, toss them, only ones that sink are saved for the next step. Next is to remove the leathery shell. Some people first put them in an oven at a very low temp 150-175 F. for 15-20 minutes at this point, I don't. Again, experiment and find what work best. Here is what I like to do: with a few at a time on a cutting board with a cloth on it (old, clean washcloth is good) so they don't roll around, use a larger, sharp kitchen knife (and NOT holding the acorn with your fingers), roll the knife from the blade tip to handle in a single quick roll, cutting the acorn in half shell and all. After you have done a bunch this way, remove the nut half from the shell. When done this way, there is no doubt whether it is worm free or not. Some use a nutcracker, but if you do you might want to do the 15-20 minutes in the oven first.

Now, the next step - the leaching out of the bitter tannins - has a lot of variations. Because I use Bur Oak acorns, I skip this step completely. You can soak the nut meat in room temperature water, changed at least once per day for one or two or more times. When I did this, I put a little salt in the water, but I've never heard of anyone else doing that. Not sure how I started doing that. Another way is to put the acorn meat in water that is already boiling (don't put in cold water and heat up), simmer for 15-20 minutes. Depending on the type of acorn, you may need to do this more than once.

At this point, you can use them. Grind them up in a blender and add to baked goods or other meals. I more often than not like to roast them before using.

To roast, put on cookie sheets in oven at about 300-350 F in an oven and roast until dry and just starting to turn golden. Take out and cool down when done.

You can grind them into flour in a grain mill or coffee grinder. I find the grain mill bogs down with acorns, so I suggest a few at a time in a coffee grinder. 10 - 20% acorn flour when making bread works fine, and gives a nutty tasting bread.

If you don't want them made into flour, you can put the roasted halves between two clean, old dishcloths, and hammer them gently with a wooden or hard rubber mallet and use the small bits in baked goods. Added to bread dough this way makes a nutty textured bread. You can also use the bits to add to stir-fry meals to add a bit of crunch without adding a strong flavor. The roasted halves or flour keep well frozen in baggies to use throughout the year.

If, you want to use them right away after harvest for making into pan bread (pancakes?), there is a way. After floating and shelling them, put in a blender with lots of water to the acorns, blend fine and strain through a clean cloth and use. Twist the cloth tight around each batch to squeeze out the water. If you do this, my suggestion is to use no more than 25% acorn mash to 75% buckwheat flour. In the recipe section, there is a basic buckwheat pancake recipe here.

Recipe search on the web here (Google search) and here (Bing search).

White Oak

White Oak (Quercus alba):

Description:

• Plant Size: In woods can be a very tall tree - 30 meters (100 feet), in the open, spreads very wide.
• Duration: Lives hundreds of years.
• Leaf Shape: Simple, highly variable with 7-9 deep, narrow, irregular rounded lobes
• Leaf Phyllotaxis (Leaf Arrangement) on branch: Alternate
• Leaf Size: Generally about (6 inches) long by (3 inches) wide
• Leaf Margin: Mostly Entire (smooth edged), but wider lobes have large rounded teeth
• Leaf Notes: Pinkish and downy when unfolding in spring, hairless when leaf is mature
• Flowers: Male flowers in long, thin clusters, female flowers single or very small groups, short
• Fruit: (1/2 to 3/4 inch) long, about 1/4 of acorn is covered by the cup or cap. The cap has no fringe (edge of cap is smooth with no fuzzy growth)
• Bark: Light grey, scaly, twigs grey-brown
• Habitat: In its range, can grow in a wide variety of soils. Often planted as an ornamental, or in deciduous forests.

• Pictures on the web here (Google images) and here (Bing images).
• USDA distribution map and plant profile here.
• The Biota of North America Program (BONAP) distribution map here. BONAP map color key here.

Bur Oak

Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa):

Description:

• Plant Size: Generally up to 30 meters (100 feet) tall, but can grow taller
• Duration: Slow growing tree that can live hundreds of years
• Leaf Shape: Simple leaf. Extremely variable, but with rounded lobes of varying width. A common leaf shape is lobed near base of leaf with upper section with shallow lobes or large rounded teeth. Leaf is widest nearer tip than center.
• Leaf Phyllotaxis (Leaf Arrangement) on branch: Alternate
• Leaf Size: 7-15 cm (3 to 6 inches) long and 5-13 cm (2 to 5 inches) wide
• Leaf Margin: Mostly Entire (smooth edged), but wider lobes have large rounded teeth (or very shallow lobes)
• Leaf Notes: Very fine hairs on leaf underside giving a whitish hue.
• Flowers: Female flowers small are barely noticeable in ones or small groups. Green to green-yellow male flowers in long thin clusters (catkins) in large groups.
• Fruit: Generally acorn is about (3/4 to 1 1/4 inches) long. Cap or cup (husk) covers about 1/2 to 3/4 of acorn - more than most other species, and has distinctive fuzzy fringe around it.
• Bark: Rough with deep scaly ridges or furrowed. Medium to dark grey mature bark. Small branches usually have a corky thick bark on them.
• Habitat: Found in a huge range of habitats in Eastern North America. Most common oak. Does very well in deep clay soils.

• Pictures on the web here (Google images) and here (Bing images).
• USDA distribution map and plant profile here.
• The Biota of North America Program (BONAP) distribution map here. BONAP map color key here.

Swamp White Oak

The Swamp White Oak (Quercus bicolor):

Description:

• Plant Size: Normally up to 25 meters (80 feet) tall
• Duration: Can live hundreds of years
• Leaf Shape: Simple. Overall Ovate to Obovate with 5-7 rounded lobes on each side
• Leaf Phyllotaxis (Leaf Arrangement) on branch: Alternate
• Leaf Size: 12-18 cm (4 to 7 inches) long and 7-11 cm (3 to 4 inches) wide.
• Leaf Margin: Entire (smooth edged), though some of the smaller lobes could be described as large, rounded teeth
• Leaf Notes: Upper leaf side is shiny and medium to dark green. Underside is velvety, and a blueish-grey-green.
• Flowers: Female flowers small are barely noticeable in ones or small groups. Green to green-yellow male flowers in long thin clusters (catkins) in large groups.
• Fruit: Up to 2.5 cm (1 inch) long acorn with a cap or cup that covers about 1/3 of the acorn with a slight fringe on the edge of the cup. The distinguishing feature of this Oak is the very long stem for the acorn cup. It is between 2.5-7.5 cm (1 to 3 inches) long - very much longer than any other Eastern North American Oak.
• Bark: Scaly grey -brown
• Habitat: Generally found in moist soils near water in bottom lands. Often found where the land floods in the spring.

• Pictures on the web here (Google images) and here (Bing images).
• USDA distribution map and plant profile here.
• The Biota of North America Program (BONAP) distribution map here. BONAP map color key here.

Chinquapin or Chinkapin Oak

The Chinquapin or Chinkapin Oak (Quercus muehlenbergii).

Description:

• Plant Size: In the open: up to (40 feet) tall. In woods: up to (90 feet) tall
• Duration: Over 100 years
• Leaf Shape: Elliptic to Ovate with a pointed tip
• Leaf Phyllotaxis (Leaf Arrangement) on branch: Alternate
• Leaf Size: about 12.5 cm (5 inches) long by 6.25 cm (2 1/2 inches) wide
• Leaf Margin: Large, regular, pointed triangular Serrated (saw toothed edge)
• Leaf Notes: Yellow-green and shiny on leaf upper surface. Grey-green and finely downy on the underside
• Flowers: Male: Yellow-green long, thin clusters (catkins) that droop in groups. Female: Reddish green, short, in leaf axils
• Fruit: (1/2 to 3/4 inch) long acorn with cap/cup that covers about 1/3 to 1/2 of the acorn. Cap/cup margin has no fringe
• Bark: Grey scaly bark with a slight yellowish hue to the grey.
• Habitat: Likes well drained soils with full sun and limestone based soils - often seen in stony, rocky limestone bedrock areas where the soil gets dry.

• Pictures on the web for the Chinquapin or Chinkapin Oak (Quercus muehlenbergii) here (Google images) and here (Bing images).
• USDA distribution map and plant profile for the Chinquapin or Chinkapin Oak (Quercus muehlenbergii) here.
• The Biota of North America Program (BONAP) distribution map for the Chinquapin or Chinkapin Oak (Quercus muehlenbergii) here. BONAP map color key here.

Chestnut Oak

Chestnut Oak (Quercus prinus or Quercus montana).

Description:

• Plant Size: In the open: up to (40 feet) tall. In woods: up to (90 feet) tall. Often multiple trunks from near base of tree.
• Duration: Can live well over 100 years, reports of some living hundreds of years.
• Leaf Shape: Elliptic to Ovate
• Leaf Phyllotaxis (Leaf Arrangement) on branch: Alternate
• Leaf Size: Generally 10-15 cm (4 to 6 inches) long, though can be longer
• Leaf Margin: Very large, course, rounded Serrated (saw toothed edge)
• Leaf Notes: Shiny, dark, yellow-green above, pale green and fuzzy on the underside
• Flowers: Male: Yellow-green long, thin clusters (catkins) that droop in groups. Female: Reddish green, short, in leaf axils
• Fruit: Long - 2.5-3.75 cm (1 to 1 1/2 inches) long chestnut brown acorns. Cap/cup does not stay with acorn when fruit is mature. Cap/cup covers about 1/3 of acorn and looks like a miniature tea cup when separated from acorn. Acorn has shiny surface.
• Bark: Grey-brown. Large, distinct, deep long ridges that look like mountain ranges from above.
• Habitat: Likes well drained soils with full sun and limestone based soils - often seen in stony, rocky limestone bedrock areas where the soil gets dry.

• Pictures on the web for the Chestnut Oak (Quercus prinus or Quercus montana) here (Google images) and here (Bing images).
• USDA distribution map and plant profile for the Chestnut Oak (Quercus prinus or Quercus montana) here.
• The Biota of North America Program (BONAP) distribution map for the Chestnut Oak (Quercus prinus or Quercus montana) here. BONAP map color key here.

Red Oak, Black Oak & Pin Oak

First off, the acorns from the Black Oak are poisonous, so that one is out. Technically, the acorns from the Red Oak can be processed into being edible. In my opinion, they are not worth the work if there are any of the other oaks mentioned above around. But there is a more serious issue with the Red Oak: it can hybridize with the Black Oak into a tree that can be misidentified as a Red Oak. I cannot verify if the acorns from the hybrid are poisonous without a doubt, but it seems reasonable that they would be at least somewhat poisonous. I don't know if the acorns from the Pin Oak are poisonous or not, but since they are 2 year acorns like the Red and Black Oak, I suggest not even trying them for food purposes in case they are poisonous.

The Red Oak, Black Oak and Pin Oak have a very easily identifiable feature that make separating them from the oaks that have acorns that are edible. That feature is very sharply pointed leaf lobes. Not all of the edible Oaks have very rounded lobes like the White Oak and Bur Oak, but none of them have the very pointy, sharp lobes of the Red and Black Oak. So the bottom line is: don't harvest acorns from oak trees that have sharply pointed lobes like the ones in the pictures below.

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