21 Chestnut Recipes That Demand a Spot on Your Holiday Table (2024)

FAQs

Why don t we eat chestnuts at Christmas in North America anymore? ›

Its opening lyric, "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire," evokes images of Christmas – a wistful version of the holiday most of us have never actually experienced, because a blight caused the American chestnut tree, once the most predominant tree in the country, to go extinct.

Chestnuts flooded early American cities around the holidays

Train cars filled with chestnuts used to roll into cities like Indianapolis, New York, Baltimore and Philadelphia from small towns across the country. The nuts were harvested from mid-September through November and were considered a seasonal delight.

Chestnuts, widely used in this country only a generation ago, all but disappeared from American dinner tables after our chestnut trees were wiped out by a blight. The chestnut tradition lingered on in New York, thanks to immigrant vendors and grocers who sold chestnuts imported from Europe.

The soaking period allows the shells to fill up with water. The water in turn produces a steaming effect when the chestnuts roast, forcing the shells to burst away from the nut. Many recipes and tips I've encountered throughout my cooking life call for a brief soak, 30 minutes or so.

Asia is the largest producer and consumer of chestnuts in the world. The use of chestnuts as food over 9,000 years ago in Japan is documented in carbonized nuts found in ancient villages. Recent programs have mandated the large-scale establishment of chestnut orchards in many different regions of China.

They can be candied or puréed and sweetened for desserts. They are used to make fritelli (fritters), and they are also used as a substitute for potatoes in stews. Many Italian-Americans incorporate chestnuts into their Thanksgiving stuffing.

Though the American Chestnut tree technically still grows in the U.S., it's highly endangered because of the blight fungus which remains rampant along the eastern region of the United States. Once planted, the tree is guaranteed to die from the fungus.

While cultivated or wild sweet chestnuts are edible, horse chestnuts are toxic, and can cause digestive disorders such as abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, or throat irritation.

Raw chestnuts are safe to eat for most people. However, they do contain tannic acid, which means they could cause stomach irritation, nausea, or liver damage if you have liver disease or experience a lot of kidney problems.

However, chestnuts are still considered a higher carb nut. While eating a small to moderate quantity of chestnuts may offer these benefits, consuming too many chestnuts frequently may counter these health benefits. Chestnuts are a good source of fiber, which may help balance your blood sugar levels and prevent spikes.

How often should you eat chestnuts? ›

You can eat as many chestnuts as you want as long as they are boiled/cooked properly but preferably boiled then roasted.

When cooked, the shells will burst open, and the chestnut will be golden brown. Roast until the shells begin to peel back where you cut into them. “Keep a careful watch to ensure they are not overcooked or undercooked,” Patton says. “Either will result in hard chestnuts and the inner skin will be difficult to remove.”

How to cook chestnuts. Fresh chestnuts must always be cooked before use and are never eaten raw, owing to their tannic acid content. You need to remove the chestnuts from their skins by either boiling or roasting them.

Mature American chestnuts have been virtually extinct for decades. The tree's demise started with something called ink disease in the early 1800s, which steadily killed chestnut in the southern portion of its range.

A Deadly Disease

In 1904 however, the non-native chestnut blight fungus (Chryphonectria parasitica) was introduced and quickly spread through forests of the eastern U.S. By 1950, almost all American chestnuts in their native range were dead.

Traditionally chestnuts are eaten in the lead-up to Christmas. They are in season in late autumn/ early winter.

Despite its demise as a lumber and nut crop species, the American chestnut is not extinct. The blight cannot kill the underground root system as the pathogen is unable to compete with soil microorganisms.