Although beechnuts are slightly poisonous, they are still edible. However, the seeds of the common beech should be heated before consumption. Then they are wonderful for refining salads or as a tasty snack for a TV night.

Beechnuts - edible fruits of the forest

In times of need, beechnuts were always a welcome addition to the menu. Beech seeds were very popular when pressed as oil, roasted as a substitute for coffee or ground to make flour.

Collecting beechnuts has fallen into oblivion in recent decades. The seeds have many minerals and some vitamins. The fat content is quite high at 50 percent.

100 grams of oil obtained from beechnuts contains approximately 15 grams of saturated fatty acids, 50 grams of oleic acid and 35 grams of linoleic acid.

Do not eat beechnuts raw

Beechnuts contain the toxins fagin and hydrocyanic acid as well as oxalic acid. Consumed raw, large amounts of fagin and hydrocyanic acid can cause severe stomach pains, headaches or other complaints. Children in particular should never eat beechnuts raw.

You can only eat a few fruits raw. However, if you consume too many, fatal symptoms of poisoning can occur under certain circumstances.

If you plan to process and enjoy larger quantities of beechnuts, you must first eliminate the toxins.

Make beechnuts edible by heat

Fagin and hydrocyanic acid are not heat resistant. The poison can be broken down by using the beechnuts

  • Roast
  • Scald with hot water

Roast the shelled beechnuts in a pan without fat. This breaks down the toxins and really releases the aromatic taste of the fruit.

You can also scald the beechnuts with hot water before you remove them. The peel then detaches much more easily and the toxins are neutralized at the same time.

bind oxalic acid

Like many fruits, beechnuts contain oxalic acid. To bind the acid and make it more tolerable for the body, combine it with dairy products.

Beechnuts can be processed for this

  • Vegetable and fruit salads
  • munchies
  • cake
  • oil

Add to salads or as a tasty snack

You will probably no longer want to make coffee from beechnuts like our grandparents did.

However, you can refine autumn salads with the roasted fruits. The aroma makes fruit and fruit salads pleasantly hearty. Sprinkle the toasted, chopped beechnuts over the salad like nuts.

Make beechnuts to nibble on by rolling the nuts in salt after roasting.

Baking with beechnuts

Cakes get an aromatic taste if you mix roasted and then ground beechnuts into the flour.

tips and tricks

In order to get to the edible seeds of the beech nuts, the hard shell has to be opened with a knife. Inside are white cores, the actual seeds. The brown skin that surrounds them is edible. When roasting, it usually falls off by itself.

Category:

Vegetable garden