Sweet Chestnut
Castanea sativa
FruitsSweet Chestnut
Castanea sativa
Woodland, parkland, planted estate trees
All Identification Points
Simple (not compound) long glossy toothed leaves, 15–25cm
Very dense spiny green husks — spines hair-like, 2–3cm long
2–3 shiny brown flattened nuts per husk with a pale pointed tip
Bark on older trees has distinctive spiral fissures
Quite different from horse chestnut: simple leaves, much spinier husk
Harvest Notes
Collect from September when husks split and nuts fall. Wear thick gloves — spines are sharp.
Uses
Roasted over fire, boiled, puréed, stuffing, gluten-free flour, marrons glacés.
Equipment Needed
Thick gloves, bag.
Storage
Keep cool and dry up to 2 weeks. Freeze after peeling. Dries well as flour.
Lookalikes
Horse chestnut (inedible, toxic raw) has palmate compound leaves (like an open hand) and smoother shells with fewer thick spines. Sweet chestnut has simple, long, serrated single leaves and very densely spiny husks.
Relative Nutrition