FOOD RESOURCE COLLEGE OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SCIENCES, OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
BEECHNUT
Ward, Artemas. 1923. The Encyclopedia of Food. New York, Number Fifty, Union Square.
is the seed of the beech-tree, one of the most beautiful members of the oak family, found in numerous varieties in this country and Europe. The nuts- small, sharp-edged, and triangular-grow in pairs in a rather prickly, scaly burr. Their kernels are tender and sweet flavored.
Excerpt and Modified from Kavasch, Barrie. 1979. Native Harvests. Recipes and Botanicals of the American Indian. Vintage Books, A Division of Random House, New York.
BEECHNIUTS (Fagus grandifolia are found in the northern forests. Harvesting is usually in late October or November after heavy frosts have dropped them to the ground. Roasted beechnuts, when ground, can be used as a fine caffeine-free coffee. Approximately one sixth of the nut's weight is oil, which is easily extracted by mashing and pressing the small nuts into a paste or by boiling and skimming the oil off the surface of the cooled broth. Beechnuts can be made into a flour by simply mashing or grinding the nuts and allowing the paste to dry out completely; then grind further to fineness required. Beech trees were an important part of the Iroquois det. The bark was dried, ground, and used to make bread. The young beech leaves were also cooked as greens in the Spring.
Kavasch, Barrie. 1979. Native Harvests. Recipes and Botanicals of the American Indian. Vintage Books, A Division of Random House, New York.
Roast the husked beechnuts by an open fire (or in a preheated 300F oven for 30 minutes) to crack the shells. Cool and shell the nuts, then dry further in moderate heat until they are brittle. Grind them fine with a rolling pin and place the "coffee" in a sealed jar until ready to use.