Greenfoot
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Sweet chestnutsI have just been given a lot of sweet chestnut by someone in the village and she tells me that she usually freezes them to use them up roasted later in the season. Has anyone ever tried to freeze them fresh? Other than roasting, what other ways can you cook them?
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tahir
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The best peelability is by cutting a cross into the pointed end, not sure whether boiling or roasting is better though, had mixed results.
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VM
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We collected masses one year and froze them - but peeled them first and blanched them - so were for general cooking rather than roasting. Felt very luxurious given cost of imported vacuum packed ones!
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nettie
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| VM wrote: | | We collected masses one year and froze them - but peeled them first and blanched them - so were for general cooking rather than roasting. Felt very luxurious given cost of imported vacuum packed ones! |
Yep did the same, they were really good for thickening soups and stuff. It would be interesting to see if you can roast them from frozen.
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Midland Spinner
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Thanks for the reminder folks - We collected quite a few from our garden & from a local tree, they've been stored in the fridge in a plastic tub for a few days, but I've finally got time to blanche, peel & freeze some (the rest I'll keep for roasting on top of the woodburner).
It feels like Christmas (my mum used to make Chestnut stuffing from scratch every year)
Is there a quick / easy way to get the inner pith off the flesh?
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PeteS
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It's been a good season for sweet chestnuts. Recent years have been poor down here but last week I picked just over 6kg.
I find that they last just fine until early in the new year if you simply put them in a nice cold fridge. The old type of fridge is best - in my view some of the new frost free fridges tend to dry things out. I have a second hand fridge just for my foraged food.
My favorite is to boil them and make Marrons Glaces (candid sweet chestnuts) - really yummy. You don't need to take the skins off for this too
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Rob R
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I'm going to have a go at chestnut jam this year, after seeing the recipe in the River Cottage Preserves Handbook.
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earthyvirgo
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| Rob R wrote: | | I'm going to have a go at chestnut jam this year, after seeing the recipe in the River Cottage Preserves Handbook. |
That sounds interesting.
I gathered a whole load (DS bag and a half) at Bisley this weekend just gone. There were several dozen trees absolutely full of them and no-one but me picking them up!
EV
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lettucewoman
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Yes we just went for a little walk and picked up a bagload...going to try roasting some on the woodburner later for a samhain feast!! 
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Bebo
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| lettucewoman wrote: | | Yes we just went for a little walk and picked up a bagload...going to try roasting some on the woodburner later for a samhain feast!! |
Didn't forage any but bought some today when I was having a mooch around Tunbrigde Wells earlier with exactly the same intention (except the samhain bit). I find leaving the woodburner door open and roasting them on a shovel works better than trying to do them on top.
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LynneA
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| Rob R wrote: | | I'm going to have a go at chestnut jam this year, after seeing the recipe in the River Cottage Preserves Handbook. |
That's something I'd love to have a go at. I used to treat myself to a couple of jars when the French Market came to Crews Hill. Must ask Howard to be on the lookout for some next time it calls at Wimbledon.
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gil
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When I was a child, I used to slice them and fry in butter. Yum !
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lettucewoman
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| Bebo wrote: | | lettucewoman wrote: | | Yes we just went for a little walk and picked up a bagload...going to try roasting some on the woodburner later for a samhain feast!! |
Didn't forage any but bought some today when I was having a mooch around Tunbrigde Wells earlier with exactly the same intention (except the samhain bit). I find leaving the woodburner door open and roasting them on a shovel works better than trying to do them on top. |
managed to roast them quite well on the top...mind you we are flippin boilin' now..... 
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lottie
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We bought 3 French trees from Agroforestry to act as fertilizers for one already here which needed it and they've all died  unlike other stuff I've had from them which has been brill---so I'll stick to buying my chestnuts in future.
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tahir
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What did they look like when they died? As I've said previously we've lost over 50% of our French cultivars
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lottie
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They seemed o.k. after planting and in the spring but turned brown and died in the summer. The first 1 we planted the year before we moved in-- and as we weren't here full time I assumed it was a watering problem,the other 2 we planted after we moved in ---being really careful about planting holes and watering etc but they never really thrived and turned into dead twigs by early summer---they may not like conditions here---meanwhile I have a thriving chestnut of unknown variety which only sets a couple of fruit as it clearly needs a pollinator.
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tahir
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Sounds like what happened to mine, you need a resistant variety, from the other thread:
The bad ones:
Marron de Redonne
Marron Comballe
Marridone
Marron de Goujounac
Best (in terms of not dying):
Marigoule
Marigoule's been good, vigorous and no deaths.
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lottie
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Marigoule was one that died, also Rousse de Ney---can't remember the name of the first one as it was before I started keeping records  . I think I may have been optimistic trying them---might give a native cultivar a go---as the one growing here and not fruiting properly is very healthy.
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tahir
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Got to be worth a go.
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