If acorns turn black while being processed, are they safe to eat? Or should I discard them?
I recently picked acorns for the first time. It's probably a bit early, but I found a tree that had them falling already. I picked them off the ground and some off the tree, but only if they came off easily. They were all brown.
Further info about the acorns: they were from a white oak, possibly a bur oak but I'm not sure. It was a relatively young tree, and I thought that might be why it was early.
I did a float test, and discarded the ones that floated. I shelled, chopped and soaked them to leach out tannins. They soaked for four days, in the fridge after day 1 because my kitchen is fairly warm. I put a bit of baking soda in every time I changed the water as I've been told that should speed up the process. By the fourth day the water wasn't turning dark anymore, and they didn't seem to taste bitter, so I drained them and put them in the oven to dry and then toast.
However, the pieces of acorn seemed to turn a little dark while soaking, and even before that, while I was shelling them. Then while drying in the oven, they turned even darker. Definitely not burned, because they were still moist when this started. It looked like oxidation, maybe...
I roasted them a little after they were dry, and they smelled good. They definitely don't smell burnt. But none of the articles or videos I have come across have any mention of the acorns turning black or oxidizing; and as I have never done this before, I am unsure whether to eat them.
Has anyone had this happen? Is it because I picked acorns too early, and they weren't properly mature, or did I do something wrong?
The other acorns I have seen aren't ripe yet, I want to try again in any case. Any advice, information or recommendations will be appreciated!