Chestnut Roasting: Origins and Methods

[Talyn]

One of the greatest ecological tragedies, the American Chestnuts, which once covered over 200-million acres of the eastern United States, has been decimated since the introduction of a blight from Japan in 1904. In less than 50 years, the blight eliminated 3.5 billion of the 4 billion trees in the US.

Chestnut Roasting: Origins and Methods

 

[Recusant]

There are some hybrid varieties that do quite well.

American-Chinese Hybrid Chestnut | Chestnut Trees - Dunstan Chestnut

The hybrid Chestnut has become known as the #1 food for big bucks. Hybrid Chestnuts, provide the nutrients the deer need to become trophies. The Chestnut Trees produce a sweet nut the deer can not pass up. You can bet the deer herd will be back time and time again where ever you plant a Hybrid...

www.treepro.com

 

[Pitdogg2]

We had tons of buckeye trees in my youth here. You do not see any here now.

 

[Talyn]

We had tons of buckeye trees in my youth here. You do not see any here now.

Buckeye & horse chestnut trees are not true (American) chestnuts.

Difference Between A Buckeye Nut & A Horse Chestnut - Sciencing

Buckeye nuts and "conkers," the nuts from horse chestnut trees, are remarkably similar. This is because both trees, the American buckeye and the horse chestnut, belong in the same tree genus, Aesculus. There are about six species of buckeye trees and about a dozen species of horse chestnut...

sciencing.com

Buckeye vs Chestnut: Difference and Comparison

Buckeyes and chestnuts are both types of tree nuts, but they differ in terms of their appearance, flavor, and botanical classification. Buckeyes are native to North America and have a smooth, dark brown shell with a lighter-colored "eye" mark, and they are not consumed due to their high tannin...

askanydifference.com

 

[Pitdogg2]

Buckeye & horse chestnut trees are not true (American) chestnuts.

Difference Between A Buckeye Nut & A Horse Chestnut - Sciencing

Buckeye nuts and "conkers," the nuts from horse chestnut trees, are remarkably similar. This is because both trees, the American buckeye and the horse chestnut, belong in the same tree genus, Aesculus. There are about six species of buckeye trees and about a dozen species of horse chestnut...

sciencing.com

Buckeye vs Chestnut: Difference and Comparison

Buckeyes and chestnuts are both types of tree nuts, but they differ in terms of their appearance, flavor, and botanical classification. Buckeyes are native to North America and have a smooth, dark brown shell with a lighter-colored "eye" mark, and they are not consumed due to their high tannin...

askanydifference.com

I'm aware of that. My point was they too have died out.
When I was young my grandmother told stories of her Chestnut tree and collecting Chestnuts to roast. They bought Buckeye trees to replace the Chestnuts that died. They too (buckeye) eventually also got something and died. I'm mid 50's those Buckeye trees were about 15-20 yrs old in my youth by my mid 20's they too were dead and gone. As I started looking around I noticed all that had been planted to replace lost Chestnut trees were also dying.
Like I said there were tons of them but there are none now.

I will say we kids weaponized Buckeyes and green walnuts in our slingshots against squirrels.

I also remember that there where two distinct Buckeye trees those that had spikes on the shell and those that were smooth.

 

[Old_Me]

my mom used to roast them at only christmas time, and as i recall, my dad would gripe the cost for a pound (or 2), which i cannot recall the prices, but he'd gripe...LOL

today, the cost for 1 pound is (or was) over $10.00...BS......

they give me incredible gas anyways.......

 

[BobM]

Good article Talyn, thanks for posting it.
Unfortunately, haven't seen Chestnut trees in years. Were many around when was younger. (Notice didn't say growing up? Having puncture marks or cutting X's in or on them while heating was important. Throwing them into a bonfire or raking them up by accident while cleaning up leaves could leave some nasty unforgettable welts.

 

[Bassbob]

Reminds me of a joke. If nuts on your chest are chestnuts and nuts on a wall are walnuts, what are nuts on your chin?

Don't answer that.