Are sweet chestnuts ready yet?

**scarey55** · 24-09-2008, 06:14 PM

I think you may be a little bit too early. Here, they are starting to fall but are still a bit small. I'm sure there are some Grapes who have them in their garden and can give you more info but I'll keep my eyes open and let you know when ours are ready.

**tootles** · 24-09-2008, 06:17 PM

Ours won't be ready until mid/late October. Make sure you don't miss them this year! We have a particularly good tree that all the locals come to scrump (grrrrrr)
The best chestnuts are those that come in two's (not three in the case).
Yummy with cider.

**BarleySugar** · 24-09-2008, 06:36 PM

I usually find it is around the autumn school holiday, we usually go then, although last year they were later.

**Polly Fouracre** · 24-09-2008, 08:22 PM

Not a good year for sweet chestnuts. They need a long hot summer,which is why they grow so well in Spain.
We have a few here but very small. I think I will leave them for the squirrels and badgers and use up the ones I dried last year.

**SlugLobber** · 25-09-2008, 10:17 AM

I'd say help yourself to mine, but Bristol to Surrey is quite a trek! I think they will be quite small again, this year, but they are certainly falling in my neck of the woods! Got two trees in the field that I rent and me and the ponies will be stuffing ourselves shortly!

**amandaandherveg** · 25-09-2008, 01:28 PM

There's a tree laden with them where I take the dogs for a walk. What can you do with them, I only remember using them as conkers.

**bluemoon** · 25-09-2008, 03:58 PM

Conkers are Horse Chestnuts, Amanda. Sweet chestnuts are the most gorgeous thing in the world ever and if I could only take one thing to a desert island it would be they. You can tell the difference as the horse Chestnut has a prickly coat to the shell which resembles an old sea mine and the sweet ones have a coat which more resembles a hairbrush. They can be used to make stuffings and various other things, but are best simply roasted then enjoyed with a glass of fruity red. I don't expect any here until late October either, we always used to eat them on bonfire night when I was a kid, but people seem to associate them more with Christmas these days.

**scarey55** · 25-09-2008, 05:43 PM

Originally posted by bluemoon View Post

Sweet chestnuts are the most gorgeous thing in the world ever and if I could only take one thing to a desert island it would be they. ...we always used to eat them on bonfire night when I was a kid, but people seem to associate them more with Christmas these days.

I couldn't agree more Bluemoon. When I was a kid, I used to love nothing more than going into the woods collecting chestnuts. We always used to eat them roasted in the 5th November bonfire but nothing tops eating them straight out of their shells (as long as you peel the bitter pith off first

)

**alexihen** · 25-09-2008, 05:54 PM

They're already all over the roads in Brittany. As I drive along I can't help driving over hundreds of them down the lanes by me. I have several trees around my veggie plot too, so can take advantage of them. I love them added to the fried bacon pan for breakfast, with a little marmalade on the side - delicious!

**amandaandherveg** · 25-09-2008, 06:12 PM

So where do you find sweet chestnuts?

**coomber** · 25-09-2008, 06:20 PM

you can find them in some woods or public parks, or someones garden

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Are sweet chestnuts ready yet?

Are sweet chestnuts ready yet?

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