Chestnuts...

MissMuppet · Chestnuts...

In my Delicious magazine this month there was an article about chestnuts... (this is for Mum really but others maybe interested!)

There are two types of chestnut: horse chestnuts (the conkers of a million schoolboy duels), which are inedible, mildly poisonous, and taste revolting, and sweet chestnuts, which you can - and should - eat. In France and Italy, the sweet chestnut gets ground into flour (which is gluten free, and very tasty) or is fed to pigs, which is good news for both the pigs and anyone who eats them. French organic chestnut flour, £5.25 for 450g from oakleaf-european.co.uk and pureed or whole chestnuts from merchant-gourmet.com.

Maybe you could sell your chestnuts to these companies Mum???

Nannyp

I'll try and make my own flour I think.

Then chestnut stuffing

Chuck them in stews and casseroles

Crushed in bread, but more than before

Crystalised Chestnuts

and on, aand on,and on,

MissMuppet

http://www.merchant-gourmet.com/osb/showitem.cfm/Category/20

If you have a look at this site Mum they have a parent company who buy from 23 countries, what's stopping you calling them and seeing if they want to buy your chestnuts?? You could be rich!

Nannyp

It's really hard for me to get across quite how many chestnuts I would need to pick up and process, and quite how long that would take. I have been picking up by the wheelbarrow load daily, I have probably processed 7-8 wheelbarrow loads in that 2 weeks, and there is at least another 4 weeks worth left on the trees. It makes my back ache, and it is never ending, as fast as I am picking them up, they are falling on me and the ground I have just cleared. Maybe if I get really poor and need the money, I'll consider it. Meanwhile, I have stopped.

MissMuppet

I was thinking that you could sell them unprocessed?!! Just a thought...

Nannyp

I don't think they'll come and pick them up and de-husk them though, that's what I mean by processing.

hec

There are also water chestnuts - the ones you get with your chinese.

You can also buy tinned chestnuts in Tesco. they are expensive though.

I remeber making chestnut stuffing once - well dad did - one Christmas. It took absolutely ages to skin them all, I don't think I'd bother doing that again - would rather buy them prepared, so certainly understand what you are saying Kathy.
I guess they would buy them whole, as they will surely have machines for skinning them but thye certainly wouldn't pick them themselves