Chestnuts and memories

[Gry]

Found some that looked too nice to pass up. I sure did look forward to having them. Little did I know what I was going to be in for. My hands hurt so damn badly from trying to peel and cook and, deal with these things. I do not recall having such a hard time when dealing with them before. Got about half of them done and decided to put the rest on hold for a few minutes.
Tough damn things and life itself. Very much enjoyed hearing a neat story of how the first people used chestnuts and acorns as a major source of food when they first got here. The chestnuts were real popular until sometime around the first world war there was an infection that wiped out what had been a major staple. Acorns for many still are a valuable food source.
Would imagine there are many who would recall elder relatives mentioning them. Funny what we do in pursuit of the flavor of memories.

 

[shithawk420]

Huh,never knew that about chestnuts and the ww1 era.I'll bet the protein content is through the roof

 

[stoned-trout]

haven't had any since I was a kid....acorns are easy to process..crush em ,shells will float,soak rest over night in river..chestnuts roasting by fire lol.. I don't know how animals manage to eat that stuff ...eating unsoaked acorns aint pleasant and more than a few that way generally wouldn't stay down prob LOL...think its tannic sp? acids

 

[shithawk420]

Forgive my ignorance,but basically you let them soak and you boil or steam them,and peel them?

 

[merc500]

the American chestnut foundation is working to restore the trees. other chestnut varieties chinese , korean etc. don't grow tall as the american did to reach the top of the tree canopy in the forest so only the american can survive in the forests on their own. ease of peeling is a trait in different cultivars.

 

[WaittillIdie]

dc

 

[Sisu]

Loss of the American Chestnut radically changed community structure and appearance of the eastern forest in NA. I remember talking to some of the old gray beards about how the forests looked then and how much game there was. I keep an eye out for old barns that might have old chestnut lumber in them, I get lucky some times.