Volcan Mountain Foundation

November 24, 2024 Wildcrafting: Acorn Holiday Cookies

Join VMF's Education Coordinator, Janice Smith, for a fun workshop making acorn cookies!  Note: Due to its popularity, this workshop is also held on Saturday, November 23.

Late fall is when oak trees drop their acorns in abundance.  Acorns were the source of food throughout different cultures in the Americas, Europe, and East Asia. In Serbia and in other countries in Europe, for example, bread was made from acorns. In Korea and Japan, acorns were used to make noodles. Most Native Americans also used acorns for food, including our local Kumeyaay who preferred black oak acorns to make porridge called Shawee.

In this class, we will turn our acorn flour into delicious cookies for the holidays. We will start with a short walk to observe different oak trees and their acorns and learn about the process of harvesting them, including acorn selection, drying, leeching, and grinding techniques.  

Wildcrafting is the age-old practice of collecting or harvesting plants from their natural habitat, or “wild” habitat, for food, medicine, or craft.  It applies to uncultivated plants wherever they might be found and is not necessarily limited to wilderness areas. Ethical considerations and sustainable behaviors are practiced, such as protecting endangered species and avoiding potential depletion of commonly held resources. The practice of sustainable wildcrafting requires making a commitment to develop your knowledge and connection to the natural landscape, deepen your local sense of place, and take responsibility for its regeneration for future generations. For more information, please watch VMF's 10 Best Practices for Foraging Wild, Edible Plants. 

Date: Sunday, November 24, 2024

Time: 10:00 am - 2:00 pm. 

Cost: Activity Fee is $25 per person. Space is limited to 12 participants. 

Location: VMF's Volcan Mountain Nature Center in Julian.(22850 Volcan Road/4002 Farmer Road, Julian, CA 92036). 

Wildcrafting workshops are generally held every other month on the 4th Sunday of the month from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm.  Holidays might change the date of the workshops. 

You may contact the VMF office with questions or for more information at 760-765-2300 or contact Janice at [email protected]. 

To register, complete the information below  and make your payment on the following page. Please register one participant per form submission.