21 Chestnut Recipes That Demand a Spot on Your Holiday Table (2024)

FAQs

Why don't we eat chestnuts anymore? ›

The disease was ultimately traced back to a variety of Asian chestnut that had been imported to Long Island, but by then it was too late. The blight spread, and within 40 years, nearly every American chestnut was dead. Other varieties of chestnut are still eaten all over the world, just as they have been for centuries.

In savoury dishes, chestnuts are the epitome of earthy, rustic cooking and can be used in a variety of ways to provide a deep, nutty flavour. Cook them in stuffing, pasta and rice dishes, soups and stews, or as a purée instead of mashed potato.

Raw chestnuts are safe to eat for most people. However, they do contain tannic acid, which means they could cause stomach irritation, nausea, or liver damage if you have liver disease or experience a lot of kidney problems.

Two species of weevils pose the greatest risk of injury to a Midwest-grown chestnut crop. These weevils lay eggs inside chestnuts starting in August and continuing until the burs open. Larvae of the chestnut weevil are white, legless grubs that can devour the entire contents of a nut (Picture 4).

The soaking period allows the shells to fill up with water. The water in turn produces a steaming effect when the chestnuts roast, forcing the shells to burst away from the nut. Many recipes and tips I've encountered throughout my cooking life call for a brief soak, 30 minutes or so.

Certain people with severe intestinal issues, kidney problems, liver disease, and those who are pregnant, should avoid raw chestnuts. These nuts are usually boiled or roasted before eating due to the high levels of tannic acid.

I score the chestnut peels first and soak the chestnuts in water before roasting. The residual water left in the drained chestnuts creates steam in the hot pan, keeping the chestnuts from drying out and making them easier to peel.

In Northern Italy, particularly in Piedmont and Lombardy, chestnuts are celebrated in savoury dishes like chestnut and mushroom risotto or hearty chestnut soups. The Piedmontese even have a traditional chestnut dessert known as “Montebianco,” where chestnut puree is piped into a mound resembling a snow-capped mountain.

Cooking them before you eat them, though not required, is strongly recommended, says Applegate. “It makes the starch more digestible.” The best cooking method depends on how you plan to use them, Kamp says. For snacks and salads, you want to keep the chestnuts dry, so roasting is her pick.

Are chestnuts worth money? ›

Wholesale prices for large, high-quality chestnuts are $3.00-5.00/lb, and higher for organically grown chestnuts. Retail prices range from $3-10.00/lb. This is a superior return to pecans, hazelnuts, and many other tree crops!

Over 50 years of crops, that means each tree will yield 1,000 pounds of chestnuts. Now, the price of chestnuts varies greatly. Small conventionally produced nuts can go for $5 per pound at retail, while fresh local organic chestnuts can sell for upwards of $16.50 per pound.

Deer Are Programmed to Eat Chestnuts

This highly nutrient-rich food source provides critical energy during the rut in the fall. Chestnuts also have no bitter-tasting tannic acid (tannin). Deer have thousands more taste buds than humans and are sensitive to bitter tasting tannins.

Potential income: An average of 2,000 pounds per acre of high quality nuts can generate $5,000 to $6,000.

In 1904 however, the non-native chestnut blight fungus (Chryphonectria parasitica) was introduced and quickly spread through forests of the eastern U.S. By 1950, almost all American chestnuts in their native range were dead.

Roasted chestnut is a popular autumn and winter street food in East Asia, Europe, and New York City.

Sweet chestnuts are edible, but horse chestnuts are poisonous. If eaten, they can cause digestive problems such as abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and throat irritation. More than one in 10 cases of poisonous plants being mistaken for edible plants involve horse and sweet chestnuts.

The tree's demise started with something called ink disease in the early 1800s, which steadily killed chestnut in the southern portion of its range. The final blow happened at the turn of the 20th century when a disease called chestnut blight swept through Eastern forests.