The title of my previous blog was »Trgatev time!«. In this blog, it is »chestnut time!« :D. Autumn has arrived and so the chestnuts are falling from the trees. This morning, Bine, Larsen, Lexi, and Manca drove to »Brezova reber« to gather them. It’s about 15 km from where we live. That’s the spot where we always find the most chestnuts. There are of course several places in the area where we can gather chestnuts, but they are right along the road. And because we are of course not the only ones who collect them, they are often gone already in those places. The place at Brezova reber is located in a forest, and you have to walk fifteen minutes from the road. As a result, this place is less known and therefore less crowded.

Chestnuts can be roasted or boiled, but we all think roasted chestnuts are the best. Moreover, it is so nice to all be standing around a fire outside instead of sitting inside and putting on a pan of water ;).

If you’ve never done this before, here’s a short explanation ;). What do you need to roast chestnuts? First of all, of course, a bucket/bowl/pan with chestnuts :). Cut each chestnut once along its length. We use box cutters for this, but it is of course also possible with a kitchen knife or something. Slitting the skin prevents the chestnuts from »exploding« over the fire.

Then you have to make a nice fire. We do this in a fire pit because the chestnut pan fits exactly on it. That’s an iron pan with holes in it. They are for sale everywhere here, such as in a large Mercator or Spar or, for example, in the Merkur. Place the pan on the fire pit and place a single layer of chestnuts in it.

Now take a stick and keep stirring the chestnuts constantly so that they roast evenly. This will take about 10-15 minutes, depending on the size.

Prepare a pan or bowl to put the roasted chestnuts in. Put a newspaper in it, put the roasted chestnuts in it and cover them with the newspaper. Then let them rest for a little while so that the moisture can escape. The skin of the chestnut has now opened a bit and when they are well roasted you will be able to peel them easily.

By the way, make sure that you don’t wear light-colored clothing because your hands become nice and black because of peeling :).

Of course, there are plenty of other ways to eat chestnuts, such as making them into a purée or soup. So hurry up to gather them and search the internet for tasty recipes.

I am curious about your photos of collecting or roasting chestnuts and love to hear about some other delicious chestnut recipes!