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Wednesday 14 October 2009

Sweet Chestnuts

Early Back Woods
Cheethams Park & Nature Reserve
Stalybridge

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Now is the ideal time to go out collecting our Sweet Chestnuts. As the October winds blow there will plenty falling from above. Make sure your head is safe.... I had one spike my bald pate last year ha!

I love these roasted , I simply slit the skin with a knife as they explode if you don't and roast them in a hot oven..... I can then sit there peeling back the skins and eat the softened nut within.
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I picked about 10-12 pound in weight last week and have them in the shed ready for when needed.

16 comments:

This Is My Blog - fishing guy said...

Tom: What a neat treat for certain. That is the only reason I don't like my Ohio Buckeye Tree because I can't eat the nut. The squirrels sure enjoy them.

Tom said...

Hi Fishing Guy
I've seen the pictures of your Buckeye Trees and they are what we call 'Conker Trees' Far to much tannin in conkers... they are very bitter but like yours our squirrles seem to love them.
Our children like them to play with the conkers as well.

Patty said...

I've never seen a chestnut and have never tasted one.

Tom said...

For those who have never seen or heard of these have a look
HERE

Leedra said...

I gathered my chestnuts and took them in the house. I checked all for those little pinhead signs of worms, all looked good so I took them inside. They got infested and I had to throw them out. After seeing what happened I know why the saying started "chestnuts roasting on an open fire"...to keep them from getting infested. But I don't think I will ever be able to eat them after what happened in my kitchen.

Leedra said...

I forgot to say...the fishing guy sent me here. I posted about my chestnut tree, when I thought it was a buckeye. I have 2 post, just a few back on my blog listed below.

Leedra’s Photos For Fun

EG CameraGirl said...

Chestnut trees such as these used to be everywhere across North America but then some sort of blight took many of them down.

Now all we have growing here are the conkers!

However, we can purchase chestnuts in our stores, and vendors sell freshly roasted ones on the streets of Toronto this time of year.

Tom said...

I have yet to see them being sold roasted in the street like my parents used to tell me about... and in the shops they are very dear.... I have picked these since childhood.... I was taught never to pick any that are damp... try to pick them in the wind and as they fall.... luckly where these tree grow is on a slope... and tends to keep dryer. I have never had the trouble that 'Leedra' mentions... but did forget about some in a bad one time.... which went mouldy..

Anonymous said...

I never have tasted these but they do look good and the way you do it makes them seem easier to eat than I had thought.

Tossing Pebbles in the Stream said...

In southern Ontario we had horsechestnut trees, similar to the Ohio Buckeye your Ohio friend mentioned. They are not edible but make wonderful "conkers". We also made parachutes with them and a hankie. http://ontariotrees.com/main/species.php?id=2049

These pictures are by Walter Muma who has a vast collection of sites on Nature things. I may have sent you his one on travels on the far north roads.

imac said...

Ah, you remind me of Johnny Morris, about the same size too.lol.

Bet you cant remember him eh eh eh.

come see the rough sea at st ives.

alicesg said...

Oh I love chestnuts. I did not know they looked like this till I saw some of them in a stall in chinatown.

Virginia said...

OK, now I get it . Our friend Marley had these on his blog and I said I thought they were green sea urchins. Now we know! :)

James said...

I've only had roasted chestnuts once and it was in Paris. They are wonderful on a cold day. I didn't even know what they looked like on the tree until now.

Carletta said...

My Mom has a chestnut tree that has been there since I was a little girl. This year the squirrels and deer are getting them as soon as they fall.
I brought a few home and the same thing happened to mine as Leedra's. I just threw mine away tonight.
I like them raw.

Rune Eide said...

I don't think we have that kind of nuts here, only the horse chestnuts that are not edible. So I'll have to settle for watching this delight!

PS Thanks for the comment! I have my own mixer (not this one)dating from the time I tried to build a garden around our new house. I can happily say that it has now been resting in the garage for many a long year.