(Credit: Pixabay)
"Chestnuts roasting on an open fire" are the opening words to a popular tune known as The Christmas Song written in 1945 by Robert Wells and Mel Torme. Popularized by Nat King Cole, the song evokes memories from Wells' childhood in Boston, when street vendors would sell paper cones filled with roasted chestnuts at Christmastime.
Roasting chestnuts is a holiday tradition for many Americans. (Credit: Pixabay)
Historically, chestnuts were a staple food in many cultures, particularly in Europe. During the winter months, they provided a crucial source of nutrition. This abundance made them a symbol of warmth and comfort during the colder, holiday season.
Today, chestnuts are more of a curiosity than a source of nutrition. Although we seldom find roasted chestnuts for sale, we can still by them in grocery stores and have the pleasure of roasting them or using them in other ways.
The fruiting structure of a chestnut is known as a burr and normally contains two or three nuts. (Credit: Pixabay)
The American chestnut (Castanea dentata) was once a major lumber tree and dominated forests in the eastern region of the United States. Its nuts were also an important food source for early settlers, their livestock, and for wild animals. The American chestnut was almost totally eliminated during the first quarter of the 20th century by a fungus disease commonly called chestnut blight (Cryphonectria parasitica) that was accidentally introduced from the Orient to the east coast of the U.S. in 1904. The disease spread through eastern forests at the rate of about 20 miles per year and is estimated to have killed more than three billion chestnut trees.
For gardeners who would like to experience the pleasure of fresh chestnuts from their own trees, chestnuts may be grown in our climate. However, the species most suitable is not the American chestnut, but rather the Chinese chestnut (Castanea mollissima). The latter is resistant to chestnut blight.
Newly available to chestnut growers is a hybrid between Chinese and American chestnut. This hybrid often is listed as the Dunstan Chestnut™. It was named in honor of Dr. Robert Dunstan, the breeder who crossed Chinese chestnut with a selection of American chestnut that (apparently) had developed resistance to blight. Dunstan hybrid is favored because of its exceptional resistance to chestnut blight and its delicious flavor.
Because of a disease known as chestnut blight, chestnuts grown today normally are hybrids of Chinese chestnut. (Credit: Pixabay)
Chestnut trees have a fairly rapid growth rate and may begin production only two to three years after planting. Two or more trees are necessary for nut production, since chestnuts are self-sterile and require cross pollination. Chestnuts are primarily wind pollinated not insect pollinated. This necessitates that trees need to be planted in relatively close proximity (about 60 feet) to one another. Additionally, planting more than one variety is recommended to optimize pollination.
Chestnuts are wind pollinated, and bear separate male and female flowers. Pictured is the male flower known as a catkin. (Credit: University of Tennessee)
Although they can adapt to a wide range of soils, chestnut trees prefer a well-drained, sandy loam soil with a pH close to 6.0. They will not survive low areas with poorly drained soils.
Even though chestnut trees flower fairly late in the spring, the flower buds are susceptible to frost damage as soon as they begin to swell. Accordingly, trees should not be planted in frost pockets where flower buds are more likely to be injured. As is the case with many fruit trees, they should be planted on sloping land where cold air drains downward to the bottom of the slope.
As a food source, chestnuts are quite different from other nuts. They have a high carbohydrate (starch) content of from 40 to 45 percent and contain only about 5 to 7 percent oil. This compares with pecans and walnuts which contain 63 percent oil. Nutritionally, they have been compared with brown rice.
The high starch content causes chestnuts to lose water rapidly at room temperature. Therefore, they must be stored correctly immediately after harvest. Improper storage causes the kernel to become hard and inedible or causes its destruction due to fungal or bacterial disease.
To store chestnuts properly, they should be placed in either ventilated containers or polyethylene bags and placed in a refrigerator. If nuts were wet when harvested, they should be allowed to dry thoroughly before storage.
Although preparing chestnuts for consumption by roasting them over an open fire might be more nostalgic, oven roasting is much easier. To accomplish the latter, carefully cut an X into the skin on the rounded side of the nut. Arrange them with the cut side up in a single layer on a baking sheet and place them in an oven preheated to about 350 degrees F. Roast chestnuts for 30-35 minutes or until the skins have pulled back and the nut inside has softened. Soaking the chestnuts in hot water before roasting makes skin removal easier.
Chestnuts might be small, but they are packed with nutrients. Chestnuts are a good source of vitamins and minerals, such as vitamins B6 and C, thiamine, folate, riboflavin, copper, manganese and potassium. They are also a good source of dietary fiber and have been shown to contain a wide array of antioxidants. Primarily found in plant foods, antioxidants are molecules that can help fight off harmful free radicals that can lead to cell damage and health conditions such as cancer.
Low in fat, roasted chestnuts have a high starch content and are a good source of valuable nutrients. (Credit: Pixabay)
As we enter the busy holiday season, make time to roast and enjoy the unique flavor of chestnuts. In so doing you will be participating in a centuries-old tradition that serves as a connection to both our cultural heritage and the celebrations that are so much a part of this festive time of the year.