Chestnuts - (was going to say "waste of money")

[spandit]

Bought some chestnuts at Tesco yesterday, they were grown in Italy (which is where our sweet chestnut trees were brought by the Romans, I think). I normally buy them because the home-grown ones are so small.

However, in my local woods today, I found masses of this size:

For those that can't tell, the shop bought ones are on the right.

I was going to say that I'd wasted my money but most of the natural ones have tiny holes drilled in them where something has got it and they're partially spoiled inside - such a shame!

 

[hiho]

no picture showing here...

 

[blacktimberwolf]

You're right, the Romans did introduce the sweet chesnut into the UK..................what counts is the taste, not the size......which are sweeter?

 

[spandit]

Sadly, the Italian ones are sweeter (& I'm fed up of finding cooked maggots inside the wild ones!)

 

[Kepis]

I'm fed up of finding cooked maggots inside the wild ones!

Most of the ones we have found this year have had maggies in them, we just look at it as extra protein, doesn't taste very nice though

 

[spandit]

I'm sure if that was a means of my survival I'd be glad of them but I'm hopefully avoiding eating them

 

[Harvestman]

Just collected masses of chestnuts today, including some really big ones. The few that I ate raw (great trail food) were fine, so I'm hopeful about the rest.

Also got more huge pears from a tree I discovered last week. Windfalls only, as the fruit is out of reach, but the flesh is ripe and juicy. I've made a big batch of pear and apple jelly already.

 

[mikeybear]

unfortunately most of the chestnuts in the supermarket seem to be of poor quality , I have almost stopped buying them as a result.

Must get out and find some "wild" ones


MB