Nuts

Flour

Acorn flour is a fine powder milled from fully leached, thoroughly dried oak kernels. Because tannins must leave before milling, proper flour tastes mild and earthy rather than puckering bitter. It is gluten-free and richer in starch than most tree-nut flours, yet still carries enough residual fat that it can stale if left warm and open. Bakers blend it with wheat, rice, or tapioca for structure, or use it alone in traditional flatbreads, cookies, and Korean jelly batters where a soft set matters more than rise. Light toasting in a dry pan deepens aroma without turning the flour harsh. Good flour is evenly pale to light brown, free of grit from shell, and smells clean like toasted grain. Bad flour smells painty, tastes residual tannin, or packs into greasy clumps from age. Sift before measuring, weigh for consistency, and store cool in airtight jars. Commercial bags should list leach processing; raw acorn powder sold without that step is not kitchen-ready.