CHESTNUTS!!

It is chestnut harvest time!  Get them off the ground fast, or they'll be snagged by birds, skunks, raccoon, and foxes, all of who appreciate these wonderful nuts as much as we do.  Chestnuts are low in calories, and are the only nut with significant levels of vitamin C.

We have several of these beautiful trees on our property.    

First, we collect the spiny husks, called burrs, with a grabber and pile them up to dry.  

A roller ball also works well.

As you can see, the burrs are heavy with sharp spines.  We use heavy gloves when handling so we can prevent bloody hands from handling our nuts.  

When dried, the burrs open.  The chestnuts are hidden within the burrs. 

The good looking chestnuts are pulled out of the husks and dropped into a tub of water.  We add a few tablespoons of Clorox to kill any molds on the skin of the nut (bleach will evaporate naturally when the nuts are dried and won't affect the taste).

The water also separates the good nuts from the bad.  Bad nuts float.  These are skimmed out and discarded.  The good chestnuts are air-dried and put into cold storage (at 28 degrees) for cooking or planting.  Chestnuts can be frozen for up to 3 to 4 months.

If you don't already have one, consider a chestnut tree for your property - they are fast growers.  You'll be glad you did!