How to cook chestnuts. Roasted chestnuts: homemade recipe

Treatment of seeds before sowing in the ground is a matter of preference for each gardener. You can plant seeds immediately in open ground if you are completely confident that the seeds will sprout. Typically, treatment is used not only as an additional means, but as emergency help for seeds if, according to various sources, they do not germinate very well.

Seeds can be processed and prepared in different ways. The most effective is to treat the seeds with hydrogen peroxide before sowing. This method allows you not only to prepare the seeds for planting, but also to disinfect them if they were purchased secondhand, and also to remove even the slightest possibility of damage to the seeds, and then the seedlings, as they get into the soil.

How to store chestnuts in winter for planting in spring?

If you need to save a chestnut for planting, then you need to hide it properly until spring.

There are several ways:

1. You can leave it whole. To do this, you need to place the fruit in a dry fabric bag and put it in the basement. Hide at a temperature of +5 degrees.
2. The second way is to germinate and by spring you will already have a grown seedling. To do this, you need to soak the chestnut in water and change it as often as possible. After about two weeks, shoots will appear. After that, we plant it in a pot with moist, fertilized soil and put it away in a cool place until spring.
3. Those fruits that fall in the fall are covered with sand in any container and stored all winter, at a temperature of +5-6 degrees. Before planting in open ground, for five days, you need to place the nuts in warm water so that the shell swells and an embryo forms inside. Then, the seeds are planted in the ground.

What seeds are soaked in hydrogen peroxide before sowing?

To combat diseases of carrots, beets, and celery, their seeds are soaked for 15-20 minutes at 45-50 degrees; cabbage seeds - 30 minutes at 48-50 degrees. Onion sets and garlic are immersed for 5 minutes in water at a temperature of 50 degrees, and then in cold water to combat the nematode. Bean and eggplant seeds are treated with water at a temperature of 60 degrees for 4 hours. Dry heating is most often used for pumpkin seeds. You can put the seeds at room temperature from 15-20 degrees, gradually increasing to 50-60 degrees over 3-4 hours. You can also soak the seeds in 10% hydrogen peroxide or vodka for disinfection. The time used is the same, about 20 minutes, as when soaking in potassium permanganate (a percentage solution of potassium permanganate).

To ensure uniform and friendly germination of vegetable plants, it is advisable to soak their seeds. The duration of soaking and the amount of water for this is not the same for different vegetable crops:

Cabbage, radishes, lettuce, radishes are soaked for 12 hours using 6 milliliters of water per 10 grams of seeds.

Cucumbers, zucchini, squash, and pumpkin are soaked for 12 hours using 5 milliliters of water per 10 grams of seeds.

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The onion is soaked for 6-8 hours, taking 7-8 milliliters of water per 10 grams of seeds.

Tomatoes are soaked for 48 hours using 7-8 milliliters of water per 10 grams of seeds.

The beets are soaked for 48 hours using 8 milliliters of water per 10 grams of seeds.

Parsley, celery, carrots, dill are soaked for 48 hours using 10 ml of water per 10 grams of seeds.

Beans and peas are soaked for 2 hours using 10 ml of water per 10 grams of seeds.

Frost protection

Chestnut is a moisture-loving and heat-loving tree. Although chestnut is frost-resistant, young trees need to be protected from frost. To do this, fallen leaves are placed under the tree, and the trunk is wrapped in several layers of burlap. This needs to be done every winter until the tree is completely strong.

The opportunity to fully grow chestnuts from nuts at home is available to everyone. The results depend on the quality of seed preparation, their planting and further care of the plant.

Brief description and types of chestnut

On our planet, chestnut is one of the most ancient plants. Its main features:

• rapid growth in favorable conditions;
• the remaining stumps retain their ability to germinate until a very old age;
• the tree has a deciduous form;
• species range - from shrubby to 45-meter and higher;
• the bark is brownish-brown, sometimes reddish in color with deep grooves and thickenings on the trunk;
• leaves are oval-elongated with a pointed end, grow spirally on the branches, arranged in two rows;
• spherical fruits in the form of a nut with a dense skin, dark chocolate color (shades are possible depending on the variety).

There are many types of chestnuts, which differ in the size of the trees, fruits and leaves.

It should be noted that not all varieties of chestnut trees can be grown at home. Today there are at least 30 known and widespread types of chestnut. However, only a few are recommended for home growing.

Variety	Brief characteristics
Japanese	Famous for its high growth rate. Produces large edible fruits (about 100 g in weight). Fruiting begins already in the third year after planting.
Gorodchaty	There are no shrub forms. The tree grows thick, with a trunk 1–1.5 meters in girth.
Chinese softest	Grows up to 15 meters in height. It has beautiful small leaves with edges. The fruits, as in the previous case, are edible. They are popular among gourmets for their exquisite taste.
American	Resistant to adverse atmospheres and cold. A mature tree reaches 28–30 meters in height. Varieties adapted to Russia delight with sweet and large fruits.
short	Shrub 1–2 high or tree up to 12–15 m with a rounded crown. Unlike most of its “brothers”, it is quite unpretentious to soils (it can grow even in conditions of moisture deficiency).
Sowing	If agricultural techniques are followed, you can grow a tree 35–37 meters high. It has been established that this chestnut is a long-liver; the tree lives for 400–500 years. The nuts ripen with a soft shell. And although the fruits do not have an exquisite taste, they are still suitable for eating.

How to freeze chestnuts for the winter

Chestnut is the fruit of the sweet chestnut tree, whose name may come from Kastanea.
The height of the tree can reach 30 meters, and its wood is very valuable for carpentry work. The temperate climate favors the growth of this tree, so that the Mediterranean (Italy, Greece and Spain) are its largest producers, and it also grows easily in the East and Southern United States. Although this fruit is traditionally associated with winter, chestnuts are harvested in September and remain on the market until about March, as they are stored without problems. The fruit of the chestnut tree itself has a rounded, flat shape on one side. The size of the chestnut is slightly larger than that of a walnut, with a hard, dark brown woody shell and yellowish-beige flesh with a sweet, pleasant taste. In its natural state, the fruit is surrounded by a leathery, spiny “hedgehog” that falls off when ripe. There are different varieties of chestnut trees, among which one of the most popular is the Spanish chestnut. Also grown are mountain chestnut, reddish, wild and other varieties. Chestnut fruits contain 170 calories for every 100 grams, a complex of B vitamins; riboflavin and niafin, at the same time it is a fruit of enormous energy value, with a high level of carbohydrates, fats and mineral salts.

Chestnut is indispensable in the diet for teenagers and is undesirable in weight loss diets.

How to choose the right nut for planting

For successful planting, it is important to choose the right chestnut nut

• Only fallen nuts are suitable for planting.
• Since not all of them will germinate, it is recommended to harvest at least 2 times more (for example, 1-2 trees will grow from 5 pieces).
• The material is suitable for use only if there are no soft spots, cracks or other damage.
• Only beautiful-looking, hard and even chestnuts will germinate successfully. It is recommended to take them from trees with a strong, massive trunk. Pay attention to the size - planting unripe small nuts will not lead to success.

Rules for choosing chestnuts

The maximum benefits for the body come from nuts that have reached their maturity. Therefore, when choosing edible chestnuts at the market or in a supermarket, you need to follow the following recommendations:

1. The season for fresh chestnuts is from September to February. It is during this period that nuts will contain a large amount of nutrients, minerals and vitamins. If you can’t buy fresh chestnuts, you can pay attention to frozen or pickled products. They do not require cleaning, so they are ready to cook immediately.
2. Check the shell. It should be hard to the touch, as well as visually smooth, even and with a glossy sheen. There cannot be any stains or other visual defects on the surface of the chestnut. A fresh, ripe nut will have a dark brown color.
3. All chestnuts should be approximately the same size and weight.
4. It is best to give preference to chestnuts that have a slightly rounded shape. This type has a brighter and richer taste.
5. To determine the degree of freshness of the fruit, you need to press it with your fingers. A soft peel indicates that the terms and conditions of storage of the edible chestnut were violated.

Also, before purchasing, you should pay attention to the presence of a specific green layer. It indicates insufficient ripeness of the nut. Chestnuts must undergo heat treatment. Unripe fruits in raw form are strictly prohibited.

When to plant and in what conditions to store chestnuts before planting

A good time for planting chestnuts is spring, or rather the end of February and the first ten days of March. The seed storage process has a number of nuances:

• usually occurs with losses, which is better to take into account in advance and make a safety supply of planting material;
• Some of the nuts will dry out by spring. Store seeded chestnuts in a bag filled with damp sand to prevent the fruits from losing their viability.

Seed chestnuts should be kept in the sand for at least 2–5 months before planting. If you kept them in regular paper bags all winter, take them out closer to spring and place them in wet sand. Close the container tightly, periodically opening the lid for ventilation, or make small holes. Some gardeners place chestnuts in a box of sand and dig it under the snow in late autumn.

And yet, even with proper storage, the seed coat hardens, and this will complicate the emergence of the young shoot. Artificial stratification will help solve the problem:

• seeds are immersed in warm water;
• kept for 5–7 days before planting;
• Be sure to change the water once a day.

The hard peel will soften after soaking, which will increase the chances of the nuts sprouting. The chestnut is ready for planting if a white sprout appears. The embryo is activated, now it is easier for the sprout to germinate.

To facilitate germination, it is necessary to keep chestnuts in water for 5–7 days before planting.

Sometimes nut seedlings are planted in the fall. This method also has its adherents. The advantage of autumn planting is that the chestnuts do not have time to dry out and there is no storage stage in the sand. However, stratification is still necessary to ensure the emergence of sprouts.

How long can fresh (raw) fruits be stored? Shelf life and temperature conditions

The main problem with chestnuts in winter is mold. Let's take a closer look at how long fresh chestnut fruits can be stored:

In a refrigerator

The shelf life of chestnuts in the refrigerator , subject to all conditions, is 2 months .

Since chestnuts contain a large amount of water, it is best to hide them in the refrigerator. The main condition is compliance with the temperature regime. You can preserve both peeled and unpeeled chestnuts in this way.

The temperature should be 0 or -1 degrees. This is achieved using a temperature controller. The temperature on the bottom shelves of the refrigerator is always lower. That is why it is best to place the fruits at the bottom.

To store chestnuts in the refrigerator, they need to be wrapped in a plastic bag and holes made for ventilation. Otherwise, they will begin to become moldy.

In sand

If you cover chestnuts with sand, they can last from 5 to 7 months .

Raw, unshelled nuts are stored very well in sand. It is best to sprinkle chestnuts with sand in wooden boxes or barrels. Then place the containers in the basement and store at a temperature from +2 to +5 degrees .

which is poured into wooden boxes or barrels. These boxes are installed in the cellar. Storage at a temperature of 2-5 degrees until spring.

Reference! Instead of sand, dry chestnut leaves are also used.

In the freezer

Frozen chestnuts can last more than 6 months .

When freezing, do not use plastic bags. It is best to place them in a vacuum container or wrap them in foil. The temperature in the freezer should be below 2 degrees.

Landing

Requirements for the pot and soil composition

Chestnuts begin to be sprouted in pots with a capacity of 300–500 ml. Minimum rules that it is advisable to follow at the initial stage:

• there are no special requirements for the composition of the soil - almost any soil will do, just buy a regular garden soil mixture at a gardening store and fill the planting container with it;
• place a thin drainage layer at the bottom of the pot;
• When planting seeds, the substrate must be well moistened.

Conditions for normal nut germination

Fruit chestnuts have been grown in Russia for many years. During this time, the plant acquired immunity and resistance to harsh climatic conditions. But the initial requirements for landing conditions remained key:

• enough light - in dark places the seedlings will grow stunted, and the base of the trunk will also be weak. It is advisable to place pots with planted seeds on the sunny side of the apartment;
• protection from drought;
• moderate soil moisture;
• warm. Protect pots from hypothermia, and plants that have broken through from drafts. The best temperature for seedlings is +17…+26 °C.

Transplanting chestnuts into open ground

For successful transplantation, it is necessary to take into account many nuances, including the depth of the hole.

May is the right time to transplant chestnuts from pots into the ground. Every year the May air temperature fluctuates, so to choose the right time it is necessary to take into account additional subtleties of transplantation:

• as soon as smooth, warm weather has established itself and the threat of frost has passed, begin to act;
• a little earlier, in April, it is sometimes useful to take pots with seedlings outside so that the plant adapts to the street air and begins to acquire immunity.

It is necessary to pinch the taproot, then in open ground the plant will quickly develop a powerful root system.

Selecting a location and preparing a planting hole

• Keep in mind that the roots of the plant are shallow and then grow horizontally, so you should not deepen the plant too deep. The depth of the hole for seedlings depends on the degree of development of the root system.
• The tree prefers moderately moist soils - aridity, as well as swampy soil, is unacceptable for chestnuts.
• In terms of soil composition, chernozems are preferred.
• A mature tree will acquire a tent-shaped crown, which will provide dense shade - this is one of the reasons why there is no place for other (especially light-loving) plants near the chestnut tree.
• Remember that chestnut is a tree of powerful growth, so an abundance of small “neighbors” in the root zone is undesirable. Close proximity to other plants will lead to impoverishment of the soil; the chestnut will lose a significant part of its nutrients.

It is advisable to plant chestnut seedlings near fences, leaving an approach to it from two or three sides. If there are underground wine cellars, chestnut trees are often placed on top - the roots grow shallow, and the shade received from an adult tree will subsequently protect the surrounding soil from drying out and overheating.

Precautionary measures

If you plan to eat chestnuts, plant the trees away from:

• railway tracks;
• motorways;
• industrial facilities;
• radiation sources.

Chestnut trees have a high ability to absorb toxic substances. Ideal places for growing are a country house, a country estate, a quiet city center in the absence of heavy traffic.

Planting chestnuts along the path

Planting scheme

• Since we are talking about large trees, even the “smallest” species require sufficient space around them. Check in advance the descriptions of the characteristics of the variety of chestnut that is supposed to be planted. The minimum distance between seedlings is 3 meters.
• If you plan to plant the grown trees in a couple of years, then in the first summer place them at a distance of 60–85 cm from each other.
• Provide young plants with protection from direct sunlight.
• The depth of the planting hole should correspond to the root system of the seedling, on average from 35 to 60 cm.
• The width of the pit is about 55 cm, cubic in shape.
• Trees are planted mainly in groups in one line. Usually this is the perimeter of the territory or the contour around garden paths and city sidewalks. Spot planting of plants is possible according to the interests of the landscape design composition on the site.
• It makes no sense to place chestnuts in pairs, or even more so in the form of a plantation. Their shadows will overlap each other, interfering with the full development of first seedlings and then adult trees.

Step-by-step instruction

In order to properly plant chestnuts in open ground, you must strictly follow the instructions.

The bottom of the excavated holes is covered with a drainage layer thick

10–15 cm. Use sand, crushed stone, pebbles in approximately equal quantities.

• The near-root substrate is prepared from humus, sand and “native” hole soil (proportions 1: 1: 2).
• In soil with high acidity, slaked lime will improve root growth at the initial stage; it is enough to add 0.5 kg to each hole, after mixing it with the substrate. In the absence of lime, dolomite flour will give the same effect (it is sold in gardening stores).
• Immediately the plant will need potassium and phosphorus-containing fertilizers, literally 1-2 handfuls of an adult per 1 root.
• Holding the young plant by the stem, its root is immersed in the hole, and the root collar should be at the level of the ground surface. At this time, the substrate is covered with hands from all sides. Lightly compact the top layer near the growth point of the trunk.
• To protect the fragile seedling from the winds, it must be tied to a peg. Prepare them in advance, install them at a distance of 5–7 cm from the root.
• The height of the planting hole needs to be slightly increased so that when the soil shrinks, the plant trunk is not exposed.

Planting and propagation of chestnut

The chestnut can grow into a powerful, spreading beauty of 30 meters in height if you follow simple measures related to its planting and care.

Selecting a location

When choosing a place to plant a chestnut tree, you need to consider three main factors: space, lighting and protection from the wind. Preference should be given to a site with a large area, since chestnut has a powerful crown and root system, which require space for normal development. The distance from the chestnut tree to other plants or buildings should be at least 5 meters. Chestnut is a fairly shade-tolerant tree, but blooms better in good sunlight. And the last condition: to avoid deformation of the chestnut trunk during its cultivation, choose a quiet place not exposed to strong gusts of wind.

Timing

Any variety of chestnut should be planted in spring, in soil well warmed by the sun. It is not recommended to plant chestnuts in the fall, since rodents in the ground often damage the seeds, which leads to the death of the planting.

Soil preparation

Chestnuts prefer loose, nutritious, slightly acidic or neutral soils, well drained, with moderate moisture.

The tree grows well on chernozems or loamy soils with the addition of lime. If the site has clay soil, you need to add sand to the planting hole. If the soil, on the contrary, is sandy, it is recommended to add a little clay to it, which will prevent excessive drying out. Also, a mixture of turf and leaf soils with sand in equal quantities is suitable as a substrate for chestnut.

Important! Dense soil is not suitable for chestnut; in it it will not be able to develop a strong root system.

Features of planting seedlings

Usually, seedlings are chosen at the age of three years, sometimes older, since chestnut transplantation can be done up to ten years of age, but only in the spring. To plant a chestnut seedling, you need to dig a cube-shaped planting hole 50-60 cm deep and about 50 cm wide. A drainage layer of sand and crushed stone about 30 cm thick is laid in the pit. Then a layer of substrate: soil mixed in equal quantities with humus and half a kilo of dolomite flour. The seedling is placed in a hole without deepening the root collar. The planting hole needs to be raised by about 10 cm, since the trunk will be exposed due to soil subsidence. Then the planted plant needs to be watered well (3-4 buckets of water) and wooden supports installed to protect it from the wind. The supports are removed when the root system of the new plant is sufficiently strong.

Reproduction

Chestnut is propagated by cuttings (seedlings) and seeds (fruits). For cuttings, planting material is prepared in the fall, when the bark and wood of the mother plant have already matured sufficiently and the buds have formed. For rooting, you need to cut a 20-30 cm cutting from a branch with 5-7 buds and place it in boxes with sand or sawdust for rooting.

Features of seed propagation

For propagation of chestnut fruits, well-ripened nuts that have fallen to the ground are suitable, the main thing is that they are whole and undamaged. Chestnut seeds germinate only after stratification, which naturally occurs in a pile of fallen leaves, where fallen chestnuts overwinter and then germinate successfully in the spring. However, stratification can be carried out artificially. You need to collect ripe fruits at the end of autumn, soak them in warm water for 5 days, periodically changing the water. This will soften the hard skin of the nut for better germination. Chestnuts prepared in this way are planted in open ground to a depth of 10 cm and insulated with dry leaves. Many of these fruits will sprout in the spring. Also, for artificial stratification, you can place the chestnut nut in a tightly closed vessel filled with wet sand and hide it in a cold place for six months.

How to grow chestnut bonsai at home

The home "bonsai" is originally a dwarf, low-growing, small-leaved variety of chestnut tree. Information about the genetic properties of the plant can be found in encyclopedias or consulted with specialists at the botanical garden. They will tell you whether the project is worth starting and whether it will be successful.

Please note that the fruits of decorative chestnut varieties are inedible. In addition, homemade chestnuts rarely grow to the point where the nuts ripen, because bees do pollination, and they are inappropriate in an apartment. Self-pollinating varieties have not been bred by breeders, since they are not of particular interest (the whole “zest” is in the crown, and not in the fruits).

Dwarf chestnut grown at home

• prepared seeds are planted in pots in the fall;
• plants are kept on the sunny side in a warm room;
• within a year the crown begins to form;
• pruning should be done twice a year (spring and autumn), interseasonal adjustments are also permissible - only if the plant is growing vigorously;
• fertilize according to recommendations for a specific type of bonsai;
• Regular watering, avoiding excess water.

Diseases and pests

Growing chestnuts is greatly complicated by diseases and pests. Threats are present even in cases where the gardener takes care of his charges in good faith. The main thing is not to get lost when you discover a problem, but to take competent measures to eliminate it. First you need to know what pests and diseases can affect a chestnut tree.

Table: problems that chestnut may be susceptible to

Problem	Which species are susceptible?	Symptoms	Control and prevention
Wood mite	Fruit, decorative	Leaves affected by mites turn red, dry out and become crumpled. Then they die off.	For prevention, the tree is treated once every 2 weeks with phytover (10–15 ml per 10 l of water) or karbofos (75–90 g per 10 l of water). In advanced cases, plants die.
Chestnut moth	Mostly decorative, less fruit-bearing	The insect infects the leaves, after which they fall off in the summer. By autumn, the tree arrives weakened and may not survive the winter period and die.	The fight is effective if you spray the affected areas with Lufox 105-EC. The concentration depends on the age of the plant; this information can be found on the packaging of the product. It destroys both larvae and adults.
Powdery mildew	Fruit, less ornamental	Fungal disease. White, grayish or dark spots appear on the leaves. Sometimes with a hint of “rust”. The leaves dry out, turn yellow or black, and fall off.	Prevention: inclusion of phosphorus fertilizers in the tree’s diet, treatment of plants with fungicidal compounds.
Hole spot	Fruit, less ornamental	Occurs due to fungal cultures. Many small holes appear on the leaves, the greenery darkens, the leaves die.	The remedy is Bords liquid with a strength of 1–3%. 10 days after the start of flowering, the plant is sprayed every 2-3 days until the signs of the disease disappear.

Do not use toxic drugs that can harm pollinating bees. Otherwise, the tree will not bear the expected fruits. Regarding chestnut fruit species, toxins are dangerous in any case, because ripe nuts should be safe for humans. Damaged fallen leaves must be burned.

Photo gallery: chestnut pests and diseases

Growing chestnut trees requires a lot of effort. But all of them are more than rewarded if you properly care for the plant. Being in favorable conditions, seedlings of decorative chestnuts will delight you with a stylish exterior, and fruit species will delight you with delicious nuts rich in nutrients.

How to plant a chestnut tree correctly

Only mature and undamaged chestnuts are suitable for planting. They need to be collected at the end of summer - beginning of spring, when they fall en masse from the trees. After the prickly amniotic membrane has burst, the chestnuts are suitable for further cultivation.

You can plant chestnuts in two ways:

1. Deepen the collected nuts into the ground in the fall of the same season.
2. Store and germinate at home, planting the grown seedlings in open ground in the spring.

Both methods have been tested quite well in practice and have their pros and cons. If chestnut grows on your site, you can use the natural method of stratification and germination. To do this, the fruits are simply covered with foliage near the mother plant and left until spring. In spring, chestnuts are harvested and planted in the ground. They have already passed the required level of hardening, so there should be no problems with survival.

By the way, at the beginning of the season, seedlings may spontaneously grow around the tree, which can simply be transplanted to another place. This method is quite simple and effective, but subject to free access to the tree. If it grows in a park, you should not dig up a young tree, because this is fraught with fines and other troubles. In this case, it is better to return to the methods of growing chestnut described above; each of them is described in more detail below.

How to deliciously roast chestnuts

If you want an unusual dish, you can buy chestnuts and fry them. The result is an original, tasty and completely versatile dish.

For Europeans, this has long been both an independent snack and a savory addition to salads, soups and side dishes. Just don’t eat these nuts raw. In our country, not everyone understands how to fry chestnuts so as not to spoil the ingredient.

Knowledgeable housewives and experienced chefs claim that there is nothing complicated in the process of preparing chestnuts.

How to fry in a frying pan?

When the nuts are purchased, they need to be prepared. The edible fruits have only one flat surface and are small compared to wild horse chestnuts. Raw chestnut fruits should be stored in dark and cool rooms and pantries. It should be remembered that Teflon pans are not used when frying.

First way

Before frying chestnuts in a frying pan, the selected raw materials will need to be processed by sorting out the nuts and getting rid of bruised, cracked and spoiled ones. Each whole fruit is washed with a dish sponge.

Tip: You can check the suitability of chestnut beans by pouring them into a wide bowl of water. An edible chestnut will certainly sink, and unedible fruits will float.

Selected raw materials are soaked for 15 minutes in cool water.

The nuts are wiped with a soft towel or clean cloth.

To prevent the shell from breaking during frying and the product from spoiling, you will need to make several punctures of the fruit surfaces with a fork, knife or awl.

Tip: The frying pan should be deep so that its walls and bottom are thick. There are some tricks on how to properly fry chestnuts. There should be a lot of oil in the pan so that it covers the nuts almost completely. To prevent the product from drying out during frying, you will need to take thick wet wipes (a few pieces are enough).

When chestnuts are fried, it happens that the raw material explodes; to prevent the product from scattering around the kitchen, there should be a lid on the frying pan. The burner is turned on to medium heat. The period of time when the fruits are fried should not exceed half an hour. Sometimes 25 minutes is enough.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXDHupkaXoY

Professionals know how best to roast fresh chestnuts. They shake the container covered with a lid several times during the cooking process. But if you don’t want to take risks, you can take a slotted spoon or a wooden spatula and use this to stir the product.

Paper towels are laid out on a plate and the prepared nuts are poured onto them. When they cool down a little, they are ready to eat. The fruits are peeled by lightly pressing on the shell. The peel that has begun to crack can be easily removed.

Second way

The fastest and easiest recipe, when you only need to fry the nuts for a few minutes, involves pouring water (a third of a glass) into a frying pan and pouring the fruits into it. When the water boils, continue cooking the product over low heat for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring. When the fruits can be easily squeezed, they are ready.

In cooking, there is a nuance about which chestnuts can be fried without water. Young nuts are suitable for this. A dry frying pan is heated, the fruits are poured into it, fried over medium heat for about 30 minutes, cooled, peeled and separated, and can be served a hundred, sprinkled with a pinch of sugar or salt.

How to cook in the microwave?

There is a wonderful recipe for roasting chestnuts in the microwave. When the maximum power is set in the microwave, products are baked for no more than five minutes. First, salted water is poured into a special bowl for the microwave oven, and the chestnuts must be cut on the sides before being roasted.

You can fry nuts effectively by stirring them every minute and a half during the process. To get tasty, perfectly prepared products, you need to know how to fry healthy chestnuts at home according to the rules.

How to roast in the oven?

You should take into account the specifics of how to roast chestnuts in the oven. The stove needs to be heated to 210 degrees. The cuts in the fruit are made cross-shaped, as deep as possible, and on the flat side. This is necessary for steam to escape.

Corn or sunflower oil is used to lubricate the sheet. The nuts are placed in one row in the middle of the baking sheet, with the cuts facing up. The chestnuts are sprinkled using clean water.

The fruits are baked for 15 to 20 minutes, during which time they should soften. After every two minutes, you will need to move the product to prevent burning.

The oven turns off when the chestnut shells begin to crack.

The fruits should cool down within three minutes. To properly remove the shell, wrap each specimen in a cotton towel, press on the fruit and wait about five minutes, then remove the peel. The inner shell is also taken out and removed.

Peel the chestnuts within a ten-minute period of time after the end of frying, while the beans are still warm. Later, the shell hardens, and manipulation will no longer be so easy.

Tip: Nuts that cannot be peeled are re-roasted in the oven for five minutes and tried to be peeled. They cannot be split with a knife.

After peeling the nuts, you can add a few cherry tomatoes, sweet peppers, a little arugula and hard, undercooked pasta.

How to fry in an air fryer?

There are many recipes for frying chestnuts at home. In an air fryer you can roast chestnuts just like in an oven. The taste of the nuts is approximately the same as that of baked ones. Beans with half-centimeter or centimeter cuts are laid out on a sheet and in a special pan. The temperature of the device should be set to 180 degrees. Frying will take about half an hour.

Tip: If you scatter the fruits on the bottom rack of the air fryer over foil and cover the top rack with foil, you will get the effect of a double boiler.

Source: https://zen.yandex.ru/media/id/5acf89cc61049348b6c053b9/5da6ebd032335400b11902ea

Autumn planting of nuts

Planting nuts in the fall has many benefits. Plants receive the necessary hardening, have strong immunity and good germination. In addition, chestnuts are not capricious and can grow in any soil and in the most extreme conditions. When planting, you should take into account the future dimensions of the tree so that it does not subsequently shade the beds and fruit bushes.

The landing algorithm is extremely simple:

• A few days before planting, you can soak the nuts in warm water. This will make the peel softer and make it easier for the sprout to “hatch”.
• The penetration into the ground is carried out approximately 5-7 centimeters. For regions with cold winters, you can play it safe and deepen the chestnut tree by 10-15 centimeters, and cover the top of the bed with fallen leaves or agrofibre.
• In the spring, friendly shoots will appear at the planting site, which are thinned out as necessary, leaving the strongest ones, watered and weeded.
• At first, seedlings need active watering and loosening. You can tie up the trunk so that it grows evenly.
• Crown pruning usually occurs when the tree reaches 8-10 years of age. If small decorative plantings are planned, crown formation begins much earlier.

The disadvantage of planting chestnuts with nuts in the fall is the risk of spoilage of the nuts by rodents. Plantings can be protected with special wire shelters, as well as with natural methods (spraying the soil with strong-smelling substances, planting herbs and plants).

The proposed video will show how to properly plant a chestnut seedling.

Growing chestnuts from walnuts at home

This method is ideal for harsh climates, because there is no guarantee of a safe winter for the planted seeds. It is much easier to germinate nuts at home; you just need to follow the basic rules for success.

How to land:

• Collected chestnuts must be stored in a fabric bag in a cool room. A balcony, veranda or fairly dry basement will do.
• After the first frosts begin, you can begin planting.
• First, the seeds need to be hardened. To do this, they are placed in a shallow container and sprinkled with wet sand.
• For planting, select the largest fruits that are round in shape and without damage.
• After standing for 10-15 days in such conditions, the chestnuts will begin to sprout the first shoots. This is a signal to plant in the ground.
• The growing container or individual pots must be filled with a nutritious earthen mixture. Chestnuts are planted shallow in the ground (about the height of a nut).
• Further care comes down to watering and loosening. The first shoots appear after 15-20 days.
• In spring, the plant is transplanted to a permanent place. This can be done after the soil has sufficiently warmed up, around the end of April - beginning of May.
• Further care comes down to watering and loosening, as well as weeding. Chestnuts are unpretentious to growing conditions; fertilizing can be done while fertilizing other garden trees.
• In hot weather, the leaves can get burned, so it is advisable to shade the plants a little in the first year.

The final “maturation” of the tree can be expected 10 years after planting. Upon reaching this age, the chestnut does not require special conditions and care. It can receive all nutrients and moisture thanks to its branched root system. The only thing that remains for the gardener is to monitor the condition of the branches and leaves: perform formative pruning and, if necessary, treat the plant for characteristic diseases and pests.

An unusually beautiful spreading chestnut tree will become a real decoration of your site. It grows quickly, does not require specific conditions and care, and its crown can be shaped as desired. The main points on how to properly plant and grow a chestnut from a nut, as well as some of the subtleties of this process, are discussed in our article.

Useful properties of edible chestnut

Nowadays, people more often use horse chestnut for medicinal purposes. However, edible fruits also carry a huge number of beneficial properties. Sweet fruits contain a number of microelements that are necessary for the treatment of many diseases:

• mastitis
• haemorrhoids
• swelling
• thrombosis
• dysfunction of the respiratory organs
• chronic bowel diseases

In addition, chestnut is a powerful vitamin fruit that contains a number of vitamins and microelements necessary to maintain the normal functioning of the body: K, A, potassium, copper, manganese and so on.

• Vitamin K has a powerful antihemorrhagic property, which is almost never found anywhere nowadays. In addition, it perfectly protects the body from the development of external bleeding.
• Vitamin A has a beneficial effect on the optic nerve and also has wound healing properties.
• Manganese is able to normalize the condition of the body's bone tissue. In addition, it regulates blood glucose and is actively involved in metabolic processes.
• Copper actively controls the production of sex hormones and also monitors the condition of connective tissues.
• Potassium relieves the body of stress and fatigue. In addition, it actively removes salts and excess fluid from the body.

As you may have noticed, chestnut is an excellent medicinal fruit that can treat many diseases of the body. It is important to note that its price is low, but its therapeutic effect is quite broad.

In addition, chestnut has other advantages: it is a honey plant, its leaves are used in folk medicine, and the wood is used to make high-quality wine barrels, and in general is highly valued as a building material.

Considering the huge demand for chestnuts abroad. The lack of competition in this sector of crop production in Ukraine, planting chestnut orchards over large areas can be a good source of income.

If you are not at all familiar with the technology of growing edible chestnut, and also do not know whether you will be able to sell its fruits and seedlings, start by planting one tree on your site.