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whats in the bag???



more sweet chesnuts than you could shake a squirrel at!



just a short walk from me on the other side of my permission and the result of half hour or so rooting around in the leaf litter!

cheers
hyperion

to be honest ive got far too many than i really know what to do with!, i can only eat so many roast chesnuts a day!

so the question is what do i do with them??, ive made soup with them before but other than that im out of ideas!

cheers
hyperion

What a great find, so far round here the chestnuts aren't up to much this year (maybe it's just the way I'm looking..).
Instead of roasting them and ending up with sore thumb nails you could try this.
Cut a slit in each nut (the same as if you were going to roast them) then boil them for 8-10 minutes.
After peeling away the soft skins throw the nuts in a frying pan with a knob of butter and keep them moving over a high heat to brown and crisp.
After that it's up to you. I like them with a sprinkling of flaked sea salt or in with chopped smoked bacon and quartered baby brussels sprouts, all sauted in more butter until the edges of some sprouts start to brown.

Hope you enjoy

Martin

you can roast them, peel them then freeze them.. then save em up for thingymas... chestnut stuffing

I'm jealous.. not found any round here.

Carltonian Man wrote:What a great find, so far round here the chestnuts aren't up to much this year (maybe it's just the way I'm looking..).
Instead of roasting them and ending up with sore thumb nails you could try this.
Cut a slit in each nut (the same as if you were going to roast them) then boil them for 8-10 minutes.
After peeling away the soft skins throw the nuts in a frying pan with a knob of butter and keep them moving over a high heat to brown and crisp.
After that it's up to you. I like them with a sprinkling of flaked sea salt or in with chopped smoked bacon and quartered baby brussels sprouts, all sauted in more butter until the edges of some sprouts start to brown.

Hope you enjoy

Martin

now that sounds like a great idea!

cheers
hyperion

I love chestnuts but have only found one....yes one!!!!

CABBAGE WITH CHESTNUTS

Serves 4

Ingredients
50g/2oz Butter
1 small Onion, chopped
1 small Granny Smith Apple, peeled cored and chopped
450g/1lb Cabbage, shredded
Salt
1 teasp Sugar
12 cooked peeled Chestnuts


Instructions
1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan, add the onion and apple and cook gently, stirring from time to time until softened.
2. Add the shredded cabbage, salt and sugar. Stir well then cover and cook over a low heat for 8-10 minutes or until softened.
3. Add the chestnuts and mix thoroughly but gently to avoid breaking them up. Cook for a few minutes until heated through. Serve immediately.
This is a nice alternative to Brussels sprouts to accompany Christmas or Easter dinner.
*****

Have fun peeling them all!

Veggiesauraus wrote:I love chestnuts but have only found one....yes one!!!!

ill swap ya??

engage. brain. then. type.

meant to say i found another tree thats chucking out good sized chesnuts while on maneuvers last night!

ive got far too many than i know what to do with so if any one in dorset wants to bring a dog (optional) and go for a forage your more than welcome!

meeting in a public place first just so i can be sure your not an axe murderer!

cheers
hyperion

I like bubble and squeak with brussels or cabbage, onion, tatties and chestnuts - adding some grated nutmeg yummmm

hyperion wrote:... if any one in dorset wants to bring a dog (optional) and go for a forage your more than welcome!
meeting in a public place first just so i can be sure your not an axe murderer!
cheers
hyperion

I'd love to accept that offer, having seen some in Sussex last weekend but not at a safe place to stop (on a road)
and now back home in east Wiltshire and not due to go to Dorset for another couple of weeks
I shall have to search locally

I've just been collecting some chestnuts, it's true that I've seen bigger in previous years but the wild ones (chataignes) tend to always be smaller than the marrons that you see for sale in the supermarkets. Anyway they are free and delicious so I don't care!

Oh dear, I've just realised that I really am still a townie. I don't think I've ever seen a sweet chestnut in its skin and I've no idea what a tree looks like. How do you tell them apart from the horsey variety?

Cheers
Zoe

The nuts are very different - sweet chestnut are not conkers! Try this site for some pictures

http://www-saps.plantsci.cam.ac.uk/trees/index.htm

Thanks for that. I will have a look and see if I can identify a tree near here.

Cheers
Zoe

I did a bit of reading for work, looks like the sweet chestnuts may be mildly upset by the fungus thats killing the horse chestnuts.

Also low rain levels can result in the very desicated looking sweet chestnuts that I (and its sounds like everyone else) have been finding. I looked for trees close to waterways/flood plains and they have decent chestnuts. mmmm yummy!