Chestnuts or chestnuts are not only delicious in the run-up to Christmas. However, only a few people have a corresponding tree in their garden. In most cases, however, it is permitted to harvest from so-called “abandoned trees” for your own needs.
How and when do I collect chestnuts correctly?
Collecting chestnuts is permitted if the tree is abandoned. Be sure to distinguish edible chestnuts from inedible horse chestnuts. The harvest time is usually between the end of September and a few weeks afterwards. Use the fruit quickly or freeze it.
Can I collect chestnuts anywhere?
Before you harvest fruit from other people's trees, you should make sure that they are really "ownerless" trees, otherwise you will commit robbery. You are unlikely to find them in the north of Germany, as sweet chestnuts prefer a location in the mild climate of a wine-growing region. Therefore, you will find most chestnuts in the Palatinate or on the Moselle, Saar and Nahe.
How do I recognize chestnuts?
In contrast to the sweet chestnut or sweet chestnut, the horse chestnut bears inedible fruits that can cause stomach pain. That's why you should be careful when collecting. However, distinguishing between these trees is not too difficult and is possible based on both the leaves and the fruits themselves.
Most children are already familiar with the typical hand-like shape of horse chestnut leaves. In contrast, the sweet chestnut has individual, narrow leaves with a jagged edge. The fruit capsules of both plants are spiny. While the shell of the horse chestnut only has individual short spines, the capsule of the chestnut has numerous thin and longer spines.
The fruits themselves are also quite different. On the one hand, the shell of the horse chestnut usually only contains one fruit, while the shell of the chestnut contains up to three fruits at the same time. On the other hand, the shape of the chestnut should be taken into account. Horse chestnuts are fairly uniformly shaped, round or oval. However, chestnuts are noticeably flattened and tapered. They are slightly hairy at the tip.
When do I harvest chestnuts?
You can harvest chestnuts from around the end of September, usually only for a few weeks. Some cultivars have a different or longer harvest time. The harvest itself is not particularly difficult because the ripe chestnuts fall from the tree and just have to be picked up. However, they didn't want to wait too long, otherwise the squirrels would snatch your harvest.
What do I do with the collected chestnuts?
Since chestnuts don't last very long, you should use the fruit quickly. A delicious snack is roasted chestnuts, which you can easily prepare in the oven. Baked or boiled chestnuts can also be used to create delicious desserts or make tasty soups. If the harvest was very plentiful, simply freeze the surplus chestnuts.
The most important things in brief:
- Harvesting from abandoned trees is usually permitted
- Don't confuse chestnuts with horse chestnuts!
- Indication of chestnuts: several flattened fruits per shell
- Fruits don’t last very long
- multi-use
Tip
Collect the chestnuts regularly, their shelf life is limited and competition from wild animals is high.
