You can collect chestnuts from September to December. The preparation options are far from exhausted with roasted chestnuts or soups.
Autumn is chestnut season. Children feed the shiny fruits to the deer or make funny little people out of them. But chestnuts can also enrich our menu. It is important to make differences. While the widespread horse chestnut is inedible, chestnuts are a versatile food not only at Christmas time.
Sweet chestnuts are among the sweet chestnuts and come from the Black Sea region. They are commonly referred to as chestnuts. But there are some differences between sweet chestnuts and chestnuts. In the following we explain how to recognize sweet chestnuts and reveal what can be prepared from them.
Recognizing Chestnuts
On an autumn walk, we will usually come across horse chestnuts. Although the chestnut is similar to the inedible horse chestnut, the two fruits are not related. Chestnuts belong to the beech family. This means that chestnuts, like beechnuts, can be counted among the nuts.
There are about 20 different types of chestnuts in this country. It's important to know the differences. Horse chestnuts should only serve as handicraft material.
Warning: Immature horse chestnuts are slightly poisonous.
Chestnuts are also not to be confused with chestnuts, although this would be less of a problem as both are edible and tasty.
Chestnuts are small and rather rounded. Up to three fruits can be hidden in a prickly shell. A sure sign of identification is the shell. This is much softer and finer than that of a horse chestnut. The spines are significantly longer and denser and also much finer.
What are the differences between chestnuts and sweet chestnuts?
Chestnuts and chestnuts are often mentioned in the same breath. However, distinctions must be made. Chestnuts and chestnuts are two different types of sweet chestnuts. The chestnut was bred from the chestnut.
Chestnuts are significantly larger than chestnuts. They are easier to peel andhave a more intense sweetish-nutty taste. That's why we often find hot chestnuts on sale at Christmas markets.
Chestnuts can also be recognized by their heart-like shape. The red-brown shell has a triangular underside. Sweet chestnuts are significantly smaller and completely round in shape.
Both sweet chestnuts are surrounded by a prickly green shell. The shell of the sweet chestnut has significantly more long and fine spines.
Differences at a glance
| Distinction criterion | Chestnut | Chestnut |
|---|---|---|
| Shape | • small • round | • larger • heart-shaped |
| Bowl | • soft • many small spikes | • harder • fewer and stronger spikes |
| Flavour | • slightly sweet • less aromatic | • aromatic • nutty • sweet |
When can chestnuts be collected?
Chestnuts can be collected from the end of September. The season often lasts into December. The ripe fruits fall out of their shells and are simply picked up from the ground.
You can easily test whether the fruit is fresh and suitable for consumption:
- Put the chestnuts in lukewarm water
- Chestnuts sink to the bottom=fresh fruit
- Chestnuts remain on the surface=old and inedible fruit
If you can't find chestnuts in the wild, you can buy them in the supermarket between September and March. Chestnuts are available all year round in canned form or as puree.
How to use chestnuts?
Roasted chestnuts - the classic
Chestnuts are usually enjoyed roasted and are no different from chestnuts. The flesh is surrounded by a seed skin and a woody husk. Before preparation, the bowl is cut in the shape of a cross on its curved side.
Tip: If the chestnuts are soaked in hot water before roasting, they are easier to cut and stay juicier in the oven.
Chestnuts can be roasted at 180 to 200 degrees. The preparation time varies with the size of the nuts. About a quarter of an hour should be enough. If the shell bends outwards, this is a sign that the roasting process is complete.
The roasted chestnuts are peeled after they have cooled. Not only the outer shellremoved. The furry seed skin is also not suitable for consumption. Once removed, the pulp can be enjoyed.
Other preparation options
If chestnuts are to be processed into soups or puree, the nuts must be pre-cooked. After a cooking time of around ten minutes, the chestnuts can be peeled and processed accordingly.
Due to the sweet and slightly nutty taste, chestnuts are also an ideal ingredient for cakes and desserts.
While we Germans are still somewhat reluctant to eat chestnuts, the Italians are seen as pioneers in the diverse and creative use of the nut. They conjure up pasta with chestnuts, chestnut soup, ice cream or jam. In France, “marrons glacés”, caramelized chestnuts, are popular with gourmets. In Corsica, gourmets appreciate freshly brewed chestnut beer.