Chestnuts

Shiny, dark shells beneath the burr

Happily, my competition with the squirrels ended weeks ago. First, it was the race for the chestnuts, and then, to their surprise and disappointment, this year, I discovered the black walnuts. I know I'm out numbered by the squirrels, but it's a quest that I simply cannot let go.

I had no idea really when we my husband and I first walked the property that we would fall in love over and over again-- with a tree. The tree's canopy is magnificent during the late spring and summer months; providing the ideal spot for my husband's hammock. 

We had to do a bit of research to identify the type of chestnut tree that we had in our yard. 

Several decades ago, a blight destroyed nearly all of the American chestnut trees that grew in the eastern part of our country so we were pretty certain that it wasn't an American variety. Instead, we learned that ours is a Chinese chestnut tree, and thankfully, it is blight resistant and produces edible nuts. 

Identifying the Chestnut Tree

One of the most telling characteristics of the chestnut tree is the spiny husks, called burrs (or burs), that grow in clusters on the tree. These protective burrs are where the chestnuts form. They typically appear on the tree in early summer and stay attached to the tree until late fall, when the nuts are ready to harvest. 

You can wait until the burrs or nuts fall to the ground, but you risk little or no harvest. Instead, I like to remove the burrs from the tree as that have begun to open. 

Heavy leather gloves are the only defense against the spikes when harvesting, and will do a reasonably good job protecting your hands. The best chestnuts are those that are smooth, glossy and heavy. Gathering and processing chestnuts is some of the hardest and most tedious (and at times, painful) work, but oh, those sweet chestnuts seem to beckon me every September. 

Our harvest begins!

When we harvest chestnuts, we shell and roast them immediately because we have limited freezer and refrigeration space. The nuts must be enjoyed within one week following their removal from the shells or you risk having them dry out. So, shell chestnuts just before you are ready to use them. Chestnuts in the shell will keep in the refrigerator for one month or in the freezer for one year. 

Chestnut shortbread cookies

How to eat? Boil, braise, roast, and candy chestnuts! They're sweet and delicious. Chestnuts can be used in desserts, in stuffing, meat dishes and even soups. We've only touched the surface of the possibilities and have made chestnut puree, butter, cream, and flour for use in pasta and my personal favorite- a shortbread cookie that I bake for the holidays. 

You may be most familiar with roasted chestnuts. If not, and you want to give them a try, they're selling on average for around $10 per pound at the market, but worth the treat. 

Roasting chestnuts brings out the slightly sweet flavor of the nut. The texture is a bit soft and not like a pecan, peanut or walnut. There are pans with perforated bottoms designed wholly for roasting chestnuts. No worries if you don't have one of these. I surely don't. A cookie sheet in the oven works fine.

How to Roast Chestnuts

1. Preheat the oven to 425. Gather the nuts and a sharp paring knife. Make an "x" on the round side of each nut. This will prevent the nuts from exploding under pressure and it makes removing the shell easier after roasting. 

2. Arrange the nuts on a baking sheet. Roast in the oven until the skins have pulled back  and the nutmeats have softened. This will take 15-20 minutes.

Have two thick hand towels ready when they are removed from the oven and make a mound and  cover the nuts well and do your best to prevent steam from escaping. Allow them to sit for about 5 minutes and then begin removing the dark shells while doing your best to also remove the papery skin between the shell and the chestnut. 

The chestnut tree is a real giver....messy and even a bit painful when it comes to the spiky outside shells. Despite the rough and even painful parts, the sweet tasting nuts are a reminder of life's rewards.