Chestnut Trees are dropping their chestnuts

There are a number of edible chestnut trees around town. Memorial park near the pond and another near the library. Most are Chinese or hybrids. Look for the apple sized bristly, prickly green clusters that contain two or more chestnuts. They are ripe when they fall to the ground. And the chestnut inside have pointed shape. They are easy to tell from the inedible Horse Chestnut which has a pod with thick spikes rather than the fine bristle brush of all edible chestnuts. Do not eat horse chestnuts. See http://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/yard-garden/trees-shrubs/chestnuts-horse-chestnuts-and-ohio-buckeyes/ for a description. Telling the difference is easy.

cool. I love chestnuts.

Saw a family in memorial park a few years ago park their car underneath the chestnut up at the corner of Dunnell and whatever that road is that runs through the middle of the park and shake the chestnuts off the tree, which fell bang-bang-bang on their car.

I guess they were more worried about getting a bunch of free chestnuts that weren't damaged by hitting asphalt than their car. Some people really love chestnuts I guess, and love free chestnuts most of all.

We have two in our backyard and as lovely as they are, when they peak, they are crazy hazardous to vehicles and to people. Can't tell you how many times I've been pelted walking into my home. Hurts like hell. Day and night, you can literally hear them plop onto the roof and roll down onto the patio. And they fall like rain. When coming onto my driveway, our tires pop them open. leaving acorn / chestnut carcasses everywhere. Love nature, but this is some BS.

Wow, I didn't know there were anymore Chestnut trees. I thought they all died in a blight a hundred years ago! I have to visit the park to see what one looks like.

@ Surya I think you might be thinking of the indigenous American Chestnut tree which was, indeed, wiped out by a blight (Although, I heard tell of a few isolated old fellahs that have survived).

We have black walnut trees on our upstate NY property. The dropping sound is loud! The previous owners of the property told us what they did to harvest them. It was a lot of work, but they tasted great.

annesimms said:
@ Surya I think you might be thinking of the indigenous American Chestnut tree which was, indeed, wiped out by a blight (Although, I heard tell of a few isolated old fellahs that have survived).

Oh ok. I didn't realize there were different species(?) of Chestnut trees. I see that Tourne mentioned the one's in Maplewood may be from China or hybrid. What are the hybrids composed of?

The American Chestnut is not extinct- they just die once they get to a certain size/age.

There are lots of hybrids out there, but I always wondered if Maplewood got a shot at the super-secret American Chestnut Foundation's "restoration" chestnuts, which by their telling will be nearly indistinguishable from pure American chestnuts but fully blight resistant....

We won't live to see them at their full size if they're successful, but our kids may get a chance to see the tree called the Lord of the Forest in real life.... They are out there, growing in as much anonymity as they can get.

ETA: http://mobile.nytimes.com/2013/07/14/us/like-minded-rivals-race-to-bring-back-an-american-icon.html?referer=&_r=0

Badass.

Quite.

kibbegirl said:
We have two in our backyard and as lovely as they are, when they peak, they are crazy hazardous to vehicles and to people. Can't tell you how many times I've been pelted walking into my home. Hurts like hell. Day and night, you can literally hear them plop onto the roof and roll down onto the patio. And they fall like rain. When coming onto my driveway, our tires pop them open. leaving acorn / chestnut carcasses everywhere. Love nature, but this is some BS.

Have a black walnut tree in my yard. Sounds like I blow out my tire whenever I enter or leave my driveway! The squireels love them as well. They eat through the skin and then thru the shell all day and nite it seems. My mother bakes pies using the black walnuts I harvest after nature has its fill. Still I wish the tree wasn't in my yard...

These are edible?

joy said:
These are edible?

Yep! Bristle burr and point on end of chestnut with little tassel sometimes attached. Let sit for a few days, cut an X in the top with a pointy sharp knife (carefully) and roast in oven at 400 for 25min. give or take a few. Letting it sit will increase the sugar content. Peel while still warm

Awesome! Thx!