Content

• To step
• Tips
• Necessities

Acorns are the seeds of the oak. They can be incorporated into recipes. They are ripe in September and October and then they fall from the tree. There is often an abundance of acorns, and you can also use them for crafting. Children like to make paintings, dolls or other creations, and adults sometimes use it to decorate mirrors or candlesticks. Whatever craft project you have in mind, there are a few things to keep in mind when letting acorns dry. Insects are good at hiding in the shell, but you can safely and effectively reduce the risk of an insect infestation. This article will show you how to dry acorns for crafting.

To step

1. Pick up acorns as soon as possible if they fall from the tree. They can be green or brown. The longer they have been on the ground, the more likely they are to contain insects.
   • Acorns make up a large part of the squirrel's diet. They are very quick to pick up the best acorns, so you can see them actively hunting when the acorns are ripe.
2. Place the acorns in a bowl of water to rinse. Gently wipe them with a nylon brush to remove dirt, insect larvae and leaves.
3. Place the acorns on a tea towel and let them dry for an hour. Discard any acorns that are moldy or rotten. They don't look nice in your craft project.
   • If you see acorns with small holes in them, it is a sign that there are or have been insects in them. If you let the acorns dry for crafting, the insects will die on their own, so it's up to you whether you want to keep them or not.
4. Preheat the oven to 80 ºC. Place the acorns in one layer on a baking tray. Put the acorns in the preheated oven.
5. Leave the oven door ajar. Then the moisture can escape while the acorns dry.
6. Turn the acorns every 30 minutes. Leave the acorns in the oven for 1.5 to 2 hours so that they really dry. Remove them from the oven when they are dried.
7. Turn off the oven. Discard any acorns burnt in the process. Let the acorns cool on a rack before using them.
8. Use the acorns for your craft project. You can stick them on somewhere with glue. Look in magazines, blogs, or craft books for ideas.

Tips

• You can also eat acorns that have been dried in this way. They do need a lot of processing before they are really tasty.
• If you just let the acorns air dry, make sure there are no squirrels, insect larvae, and other critters around.

Necessities

• Just picked acorns
• Oven
• Water
• Dishcloth
• Baking tray
• Aluminium foil
• Scale
• Brush