Beech nuts: Expert knowledge of the beech fruit

In autumn there are thousands of beech nuts at the foot of the beech trees. Botanically, these are nuts - so they can also be healthy for humans.

Most people have already forgotten them, many only know them from stories - the beechnuts. The small nuts from the forest are the fruits of the common beech (Fagus sylvatica), which is native to Germany. In autumn they lie en masse on the forest floor, just waiting to be picked up. But can you really eat beech nuts? We clarify this question in the following and present everything important about the forest fruit.

Beech nuts: properties and ingredients

In earlier times the European beech covered entire stretches of land, nowadays the area has been greatly reduced. The typical Central European plant is still the most common tree in this country with a 15% share in the forests and the amount of beechnuts is correspondingly large. The approximately 1.5 cm large fruits usually fall from the trees in September, but the amount varies from year to year. Especially after hot summers, beech trees produce more of the small, brown nuts.

Beech nuts are characterized by their high oil content, which is why they were used again as food after the Second World War. In addition to the fat content of almost 40%, the nuts contain many minerals such as iron and zinc.

Are beechnuts poisonous?

When it comes to beechnuts, one often reads that the fruits are poisonous. In fact, beechnuts contain several toxins, including what is known as fagin (Trimethylamine), which after the beech (Fagus) is named. The raw fruits also contain oxalic acid, which, like fagin, can lead to stomach upsets and symptoms of intoxication. This can happen in particular when consuming larger quantities of the uncooked beechnuts. It is therefore important to always heat the nuts before eating them. You can find more detailed information on this in our article "Are beechnuts poisonous?“.

Can you eat beechnuts?

Despite the toxicity of beechnuts, it was not eaten for free in earlier times. If the square nuts of the beech are properly cooked, they can be eaten without hesitation and are suitable for refining all kinds of dishes. How exactly you have to prepare the nuts in order to get the Eat beechnuts can be found in our article.

Buying beechnuts: An expensive delicacy

If you don't want to collect the angular nuts yourself or if it's not the right season, you can also buy beechnuts on the Internet, for example. As a rule, however, the buyer has to dig deep into their pockets, since beechnuts are not exactly cheap. Since red beeches are not grown specifically for collecting the brown fruits, it is therefore not surprising that the prices are so high.

Roast the beechnuts before eating

Probably the best way to cook the energy-rich beechnuts is to roast them in a pan without oil. On the one hand, the toxins oxalic acid and fagin are broken down by heating, on the other hand, the nutty aroma can best develop through the roasting process. The best thing to do is to try it out yourself.

If you are looking for more healthy nuts are interested, have a look at this article about our top 10.