You’ve undoubtedly heard of beechnuts or beech masts if you like foraging.
While they are not the most frequent form of nut in our diets today, beechnuts have been enjoyed since the time of the Ancient Romans. Most people are unfamiliar with these nuts, but they may become your new favorite ingredient.
Beechnuts may be eaten raw, roasted, cured, or ground into flour or oil. They are very nutritious, including vitamins B, zinc, and iron, among other things.
They contain saponin glycosides in their raw form, which renders them toxic when consumed in big numbers.
Beechnuts have been a staple food source since the days of hunters and gatherers.
Continue reading to learn more about these intriguing structures and how to include them into your supper table.
Contents
Beechnuts: An Overview
Fagus beech trees are a kind of deciduous tree that belongs to the Fagaceae family.
Beech trees may now be found growing naturally across Europe and North America, as well as temperate parts of Asia.
Beech trees have both male and female flowers throughout the flowering season, which are frequently pollinated by the wind.
Although the flowers develop and bloom in the spring and early summer, the fruits appear at the end of the summer and fall in the autumn.
Beechnuts are the name of these fruits. They are readily identified by their size, shape, and color: they are little, triangular, and wrapped in a hard husk.
Beechnuts are a good discovery for foragers trying to supplement their diet with high-protein foods.
Nevertheless, it is important to note that these nuts should not be consumed in big numbers and might be toxic to pets.
Are Beechnuts Edible?
Beech nuts are edible, and they may be consumed raw or roasted.
We now have evidence that these nuts were a staple in the diets of numerous ancient people, including the Ancient Romans and Greeks.
When agriculture was uncommon, beech nuts were a fantastic go-to diet for hunter-gatherers.
Although these nuts are abundant in nutrients, keep in mind that they contain a toxin called saponin glycosides, which is deadly to both people and dogs.
A few uncooked beechnuts will not create any negative side effects. When ingested in excessive amounts, however, it is possible to develop gastrointestinal issues such as vomiting and nausea.
Finally, you have access to a considerable quantity of beechnuts and want to include them into your diet on a daily basis.
In this scenario, heating or curing them will make them live longer, taste better, and be entirely safe to consume.
Beechnuts are not as widespread or popular as other types of nuts since harvesting and preparing them takes time and effort.
Nonetheless, they are a superfood and an excellent complement to your diet, much like other nuts.
Nutritional Profile of Beechnuts
While considering the nutritional profile of beechnuts, it is simple to understand how these foods may help anyone’s diet.
They include a lot of B vitamins, iron, and zinc.
They are also very rich in protein and low in carbohydrates, making them ideal for a well-balanced diet.
Some of the values for 100g of beechnuts are as follows:
- Fat 50g
- 38mg sodium (2%)
- Carbohydrate content: 34g (12%)
- 6.2g protein (12%)
- 2.46mg (14%) iron
- 1017mg potassium (22%)
- 0.684mg vitamin B6 (53%).
Consequently, some persons may be more susceptible to saponin glycosides than others.
As a result, it is usually best to roast these nuts before consuming them. In addition, if you are allergic to other types of nuts, you should visit your doctor.
What Do Beech Nuts Taste Like?
Beechnuts are triangular nuts that fall from the plant wrapped in a hard husk.
A velcro-like, prickly coating that can be readily removed by hand may be found on the husk’s exterior surface.
As you crack open the hard shell, you’ll discover one or two triangular nuts with pointy edges.
They are often protected by a softer case or inner cover. This can be readily removed with your hands, exactly like pumpkin or sunflower seeds.
Because of the presence of tannins, beechnuts taste bitter and astringent.
They have a nut-like flavor as well, although they are not as tasty as hazelnuts and walnuts. Tannins in beech nuts are comparable to those in acorns and lower than those in cashews and hazelnuts.
While foraging for beechnuts, it is best to harvest them and then dry them for two to three weeks to make them more edible.
How To Prepare Beech Nuts To Eat
Beechnuts, like other nuts, may be prepared and eaten in an infinite number of ways.
Although these nuts may not be readily found at your local supermarket, you may effectively forage for them. Make sure you take a tree ID guide with you to ensure you’re choosing the proper tree’s fruits.
When you find a beech tree, you may select whether or not to consume it right immediately.
Remove the outer husk, break through the leathery casing with your nails or teeth, and enjoy the beechnut.
Keep in mind that the nut should be white. If it isn’t, it signifies there is still one layer to remove. You may do so by rubbing the nut between your fingers.
The thin patina on the nut may cause throat discomfort, thus it is always advisable to remove it.
If you’ve gathered a large number of beechnuts and want to cook and consume them later, here’s what you need to know.
Removing the Husk
Whether you want to prepare your nuts, roast them, or store them later, you must first remove the husk.
Although this process is simple and may be done by hand, you can alternatively massage numerous beechnuts between two towels and then remove the husks from the mixture.
The husks feature little spikes, as you can see. Unlike walnuts or acorns, however, they may be touched with your bare hands since they are neither spikey or hard.
After the shell has been removed, the inner layer may be removed by biting or breaking the softer casing. Your nuts are now ready to be cooked!
If you’re having trouble getting beechnuts out of their shell, the video following will help:
Roasting Beechnuts
When you have removed a large number of beechnuts from their shelves, you might consider roasting them. Roasting them is an excellent approach to prepare a nutritious snack. It also helps you to completely remove any poisons that may have remained in the nuts.
When the nuts have been roasted, you may add them to your morning cereal or smoothie bowl.
You may also sprinkle salt on them, add them on toast, or make the ideal salad topper.
Other Beechnuts Uses
Beechnuts have been a staple diet for millenia, and communities over the globe have used this nut in a variety of ways.
Although there is evidence that these nuts have traditionally been eaten whole, they can also be ground into flour.
Beechnuts are used to make a very nutritious and healthful oil in certain European nations.
Additional use include feeding beechnuts to agricultural animals such as pigs.
Cautions About Eating Beechnuts
As previously stated, beechnuts contain saponin glycosides. If you merely consume a few beechnuts, you may not be affected by this toxin.
If you want to munch on the numerous you’ve harvested, you might consider boiling them.
Certainly, boiling, pouring hot water over them, or roasting them can improve their taste while removing any remaining poisons.
When Do Beechnuts Drop?
If you’ve developed an interest in beechnuts and can’t wait to start foraging them, you should know when they drop.
Beeches, like many other plants, have a bloom season in the spring.
Flowers are pollinated and fruits begin to develop in the spring and early summer.
In the autumn, these masts or beechnuts fall from the shrub. Foraging for these nuts is best done in late September.
Although some of them may still be found in October, they may be hidden behind fallen leaves and considerably more difficult to gather.
Do Beech Trees Produce Nuts Every Year?
Beech trees take decades to mature. Furthermore, it is not unusual for them to go 40 to 60 years without producing blooms or fruits!
Yet, these trees may survive for more than 300 years and will yield beech nuts every year after maturity.
Yet, when it comes to foraging, some years are more superior than others. A Mast Year might occur when the circumstances are favorable.
A Mast Year is an especially beneficial season for forest trees that produce a large number of masts or nuts!
Conclusion
Beechnuts are not the most well-known nuts on the market today, but they are also not a newcomer!
They have, in fact, been a part of our ancestors’ diet since the days of hunter-gatherers, and they have been utilized for a variety of reasons.
Now, though, you may go hunting for these very healthy nuts.
Although they do contain moderate toxins, they are safe to consume in little amounts, even uncooked.
Consider roasting or curing them if you want to include them to your cereals or salads every day.
FAQs
What do beechnuts taste like?
Beechnuts are little, less than a half-inch in diameter, yet sweet and flavorful, comparable to chestnuts – but richer (their fifteen percent of fat, by weight, is nearly four times that of chestnuts).
What do you do with beechnuts?
The colonists pounded beechnuts into powder as a substitute for coffee and pulped them to make oil, which was used in cooking, salad dressing, and as fuel for oil lamps. Collect the nuts from the woodland floor under the beech trees.
Is beech fruit edible?
The beech tree’s edible fruit, known as beechnuts or mast, is located in little burrs that fall off the tree in autumn. They are tiny, about triangular, and edible, with a bitter, astringent, or mild and nut-like flavor in certain circumstances.
When should I eat beech nuts?
The nuts of beech (Fagus sylvatica)
Masts, or edible nuts, were traditionally used to feed pigs. Beech nuts continue to mature until October. They’re too little to gather in large quantities, but they make a delightful snack on an autumn stroll.
Why don’t we eat beech nuts?
Beechnuts –
Beech nuts may be eaten raw in modest amounts, however eating too many might cause digestive distress owing to the toxin saponin glycoside found in the nuts.
Who eats beechnuts?
Beechnuts, which are produced by beech trees, are an essential food source for wildlife and are high in lipids and protein. Beechnuts are eaten by wild turkeys, white-tailed deer, squirrels, chipmunks, and other creatures.
Should I feed my baby Beech-Nut?
“Beech-Nut employed 105 components that tested positive for more than 20 ppb cadmium.” Others had substantially higher levels, up to 344.55 ppb cadmium.” “Beech-Nut does not even test infant food for mercury.” For these reasons, we highly advise against using Beech-infant Nut’s food.
Do deer eat beechnuts?
Ruffed grouse, turkeys, wood ducks, blue jays, white-breasted nuthatches, and numerous woodpeckers, as well as black bear, foxes, squirrels, chipmunks, mice, feral pigs, and of course deer, eat beech nuts.
Is beech non toxic?
3. Non-toxic beech wood. Since beech wood is non-toxic, it is ideal for home and kitchen products. Beech wood, for example, is widely used for huge domestic projects like as kitchen worktops, but it is also utilized for little objects such as cutting boards and even lollipop sticks.
