Chestnut is a strong tree with a powerful root system. You can meet chestnut in the wild in the southern latitudes of the northern hemisphere of our planet. The fruits of the tree - chestnuts, are valued for their high nutritional value and are used as food. Bark, foliage and fruits are valuable raw materials in the pharmaceutical, medical and cosmetic industries.

Enthusiasts calmly grow chestnuts in mid-latitudes, getting a nut crop unusual for central Russia. Chestnuts, in addition to food, are in demand in folk medicine, which reveals their medicinal properties.

This article will focus on a nut that is no less common than walnut. This is chestnut. You will learn more about how to cook it correctly, what can be made of it, why it will be useful. Is it possible to eat it for children or expectant mothers. And also you will learn how to easily grow chestnuts directly in your area or even at home.

What is a chestnut

Chestnut is a tree belonging to the Bukov family. In height can reach fifty meters. And the diameter is about two meters. The bark of the tree is dark brown, thick and covered with deep furrows.

The chestnut tree reaches a height of 20-50 m with the base of the trunk, often with a diameter of 2 m. The bark often has a mesh shape with deep grooves or cracks spiraling in both directions along the trunk. Long lanceolate, serrated leaves are 16-28 cm long and 5-9 cm wide.

The leaves of this tree have an oblong shape and sharp “denticles”. Light green in the summer, in the autumn they change their color to yellow. The length of the sheet plate can reach up to twenty centimeters. As for the flowers of the chestnut, they are collected in inflorescences up to fifteen centimeters long, and resemble spikelets.

Chestnut begins to bear fruit only after reaching the age of about twelve years. But it is wild. If we talk about the "domesticated" chestnut, then it begins to bear fruit at about the age of four to ten years. In the first decade of its life, a tree grows rather slowly. And it bears fruit once a couple of years, in the first two autumn months.

Sometimes in the name of a chestnut one can hear such additional words as a noble, genuine, edible.

What kind of chestnut has

The fruits of this tree have a spherical shape, surrounded by a shell, densely covered with thorns. During ripening, the shell has a green color, and already in ripe fruit it is brown. Inside the shell there are up to four nuts. When the fruit is fully ripe, the shell cracks and the fruit falls out.

The nut itself has a spherical or slightly flattened shape. Its surface is dark brown and smooth. The diameter of the nut can be up to six centimeters.

In what area does chestnut grow

Chestnuts love heat and moisture. And soil with a low level of acidity. This tree does not tolerate long heat and especially drought.

Chestnut can often be found in America, in the east of Asia, in the Mediterranean, Russia, Ukraine and the Caucasus. Interestingly, the size of the chestnut may depend on where it grows. So, for example, in Armenia chestnuts rarely grow to the size of a walnut, and in some European countries, on the contrary, this nut can compete in size, for example, with large mandarin.

How to find edible chestnut

Please note that you should not confuse edible chestnut with horse chestnut. The last kind of chestnut should not be eaten. Distinguishing them is not so difficult. These chestnuts literally differ from each other in everything - both in the structures of inflorescences, and in the shape of the leaves, and in the way the nuts themselves look.

Remember that in edible chestnut leaves are elongated and have thorns at the ends. And inflorescences are similar to long and narrow female earrings. In contrast, horse chestnut blooms more luxuriantly, because it plays a more decorative role.

  edible chestnut photo

Edible chestnut is covered with brown shell, covered with many thorns. A horse chestnut has a bright green shell, which is more tuberous than prickly. And finally, the taste. Edible fruits - they are mealy-sweet. And inedible - with bitterness.

Composition of nuts

• Vitamins: A, B, C;
• Chemical elements: calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, fluorine, zinc;
• Other useful elements: proteins, tannins, fats, fiber, pectins, carbohydrates,

One hundred grams of raw chestnut nuts contains 165 kilocalories. And in fried - 16 calories more.

The benefits of chestnut for the human body

The main useful qualities of chestnut are its enriched composition. Nuts have the ability to relieve inflammation, fever, eliminate pain and soothe cough. These fruits are widely used to treat colds. Chestnut is able to rid the lungs of a debilitating cough in record time. Additionally, chestnuts also support digestion.

They can improve appetite and eliminate diarrhea. In addition, chestnut nuts can stabilize kidney activity. They are also used to lower pressure, strengthen the vascular walls. Chestnut will help to cope with varicose veins, stop the blood and heal small wounds. Fruits help recover faster after burns or getting cut wounds.

Chestnut use

The main use of chestnut, of course, is traditional medicine. Chestnuts help treat diseases related to digestion, breathing and nerves. These nuts will help in the fight against arthritis and radiculitis. In the process of treatment, whole nuts and compresses from ground mass are used.

And, of course, chestnuts are often used in culinary affairs. With their help they prepare first courses, second courses and even sweets! European cuisine is rich in dishes with chestnuts. For example, chestnuts in sweet syrup are simply adored there.

How to cook the fruits of chestnuts

There are two options for making chestnut nuts: you can either cook or fry them. The only thing that matters is that the chestnuts need to be peeled and film free. If this is not done, then the nuts will be bitter.

To well clean the fruits of chestnuts, you need to make incisions on them, and then boil in boiling water for literally five minutes. Then remove from the stove, cover and leave to stand for another fifteen minutes. Nuts will need to be cleaned before they have cooled. It will be more convenient and easier.

Bring the nuts to full readiness will help boiling at an average gas level for fifteen minutes. Or they can be fried in a skillet under a closed lid. You can also bake chestnuts in the oven. They need to be put on a baking sheet and sent to the oven for twenty minutes, a maximum of half an hour.

Chestnut will help to lose weight

The fat content in chestnut is quite low, because it is often used by nutritionists to help lose weight. Chestnuts even help get rid of cellulite, eliminate swelling and improve blood flow.

And chestnut oil often becomes an additive for creams and lotions for cellulite. Chestnut tinctures also effectively help get rid of excess.

Chestnut for children

Traditional medicine does not provide any advice on when to add chestnut nuts to a child’s diet. Pediatricians, for example, are not advised to give them before the child is five years old.

According to experts, before this age, chestnut can put a big strain on the digestion of crumbs. Which in turn can cause bloating and even constipation. Be that as it may, giving your child raw chestnuts is not worth it.

It is best to do this by boiling them and chopping them to a puree state. It will be best to add it to a mashed potato or soup.

Chestnut for future and young mothers

It's no secret that chestnuts help to overcome the sharp mood swings that women often experience during the period of bearing the baby. Chestnuts help to tidy up the pressure, stabilize sleep, strengthen the skeleton. There is a lot of fiber in chestnuts, which will only benefit the digestion of the future mother.

Chestnuts stimulate lactation during lactation. The fruits of this nut are rich in vitamins, which will only improve the quality of breast milk. But before you eat them, it will not be superfluous to consult a doctor.

Roasted chestnut

Roasted chestnuts are far from an exotic dish. Southerners are happy to cook nuts in this way using a simple recipe. However, untrained people should use roasted chestnut with caution. Nuts may be a product with signs of individual intolerance.

In addition, people who decide to lose weight a little fried chestnuts better to remove from the diet. High calorie content and a large amount of carbohydrates contained in nuts will lead to the opposite result.

Any product requires an individual approach, chestnut is no exception. Here are a few secrets to making a roast chestnut recipe:

1. The first rule. The main thing is not to overdo it and not overcook, otherwise the chestnuts will turn out to be dry, hard and not tasty.
2. We do not lubricate the pan with any oil.
3. Pour chestnuts into a frying pan and set on fire. The trick is that you need to cut the nuts with a sharp knife before frying, and choose a pan with a thick bottom.
4. It is necessary to remove the peel from the finished chestnuts, make it better than a rhinestone, otherwise it will be problematic to remove it from the cooled nuts.
5. We remove films and membranes.
6. Do not be greedy. Do not fry much. Unfinished cold chestnuts dry out become tasteless.

Chestnut jam

Chestnut jam is very popular in the culinary field. Not only in itself, but also as a filling for baking and other desserts. This sweetness can be stored up to six months. To increase the shelf life, jam must be rolled up in sterilized jars or frozen.

Components:

• Chestnut fruits - 0.5 kilograms;
• Sugar - 0.5 kilograms;
• Water - 0.3 liters;
• Rum - 1 tablespoon.

Powder the nuts of the chestnut through a sieve. Pour water into a saucepan, put on gas and pour sugar. Stir frequently until sugar is completely dissolved. Then add the chestnut crumbs to the syrup and cook for about half an hour, stirring occasionally so that they do not burn.

When the jam becomes thick and darkens to a rich brown color, pour in the rum and boil for a few more minutes. After that, you can pour jam into jars and roll up.

Chestnut honey useful properties and contraindications

Chestnut honey is no less healthy than flower or buckwheat. First of all, it is a very effective natural antibiotic. You can not only eat it. This honey can treat wounds and burns - chestnut honey relieves inflammation.

Often it is used in order to cure diseases associated with breathing or the genitourinary system. Chestnut honey can tidy up digestion. It will be especially useful in spring and autumn - it will strengthen the immune system and help withstand viruses.

Restrictions for use

This is undoubtedly a healthy product. But even he has his limitations. So, you should not eat chestnuts in any of their manifestations, if you have:

• Allergic reaction;
• Diabetes;
• Bleeding in the stomach;
• The cycle of menstruation is broken;
• Renal failure.

But even if everything is in order, do not exceed the daily intake of forty grams. If you overeat chestnuts, you can make a failure in the digestive system: bloating or even constipation.

How to grow a chestnut tree yourself

Chestnut is not so difficult to grow on your own site or even in an apartment. At the very beginning, of course, it is necessary to collect mature chestnuts in the fall. They should be whole.

It is easy to grow a nut on the plot. To do this, plant a few nuts at a depth of five centimeters and at a distance of approximately ten centimeters. In the spring you will see the first shoots.

To grow a chestnut at home, you need to leave the nuts on the balcony until the first frost. And then for the whole winter to remove on the lower shelf of the refrigerator. Toward the end of February, the nuts should be put in pots with soil and put on the windowsill. The first sprouts will appear in a month or two

From a botanical point of view, chestnuts are classified as nuts. Their fruits really look like large nuts, but when baked, they taste more like potatoes. The ancient Aesculapius knew about the beneficial properties of chestnut. The “vegetable” taste makes the product very satisfying. Due to the relative cheapness, they in the Middle Ages gained unprecedented popularity among European residents. At that time, baked chestnuts were sold in almost every street stall. By the way, the product was used for food long before it was brought to the Old World. With particular tenderness to the fruits of the tree are the French. A reverent love for the delicacy has survived to this day.

There are several varieties of wood, the fruits of which can be eaten. Edible chestnut or noble has a high shelf life.

Medicinal properties and application

Perhaps the most well-known beneficial property of chestnut nuts is a vasoconstrictor. Thanks to this ability, fruits are used to treat a range of diseases.

They are used for:

• Arterial dilatation;
• Resorption of blood clots;
• Strengthening the walls of blood vessels;
• Increased vein tone;
• Acceleration of blood flow;
• Reducing blood coagulation.

You will learn all the details about the healing properties of chestnut from the video:

Upper respiratory tract treatment

The anti-inflammatory healing property of chestnut helps with a simple cold, from sinusitis and with diseases of the upper respiratory tract. For these purposes, prepare a decoction of the fruits and leaves of the tree. It is advisable to collect the raw materials for the decoction in the "juice itself" when the fruits have just begun to ripen, and the leaves have not yet turned yellow. In such periods (early October), the concentration of nutrients is at its “peak”. Nuts and leaves are thoroughly washed and chopped. Then they are dried in the sun.

To prepare a decoction you will need:

• 500 g of water;
• 25-30 gr nuts;
• 25-30 g of leaves.

The raw material is poured with water and brought to a boil. Insist chestnut "elixir" for about 2-4 hours. It is filtered before use. Drink with inflammatory processes in the nasopharynx or respiratory system 2-3 times a day before eating 1 tbsp. spoon. A concentrated medicine from chestnut for sinusitis is instilled into the nose. The dosage for an adult is approximately 0.5 teaspoon in each nostril.

From hemorrhoids

For the treatment of hemorrhoids, a decoction of fruits and tree bark is used.
  For cooking, you need to take:

• 10-20 g of a mixture of dried bark and nuts;
• 400 g boiling water.

The raw material is poured with boiling water and insisted for about an hour. Then the broth is decanted, and the reduced volume is replaced with boiled water. Take the national drug three times a day for 1 tbsp. spoon.

Chestnut for rheumatism

Chestnut also benefits the human body with rheumatism. The fruits are picked and dried, and then they are crushed into powder, which is added to antirheumatic ointments. The product increases the effectiveness of the drug.

You may be wondering that with rheumatism you can also improve the condition with lentils. Read all the details

How to cook?

From nuts, as you know, you can cook not only medicines. The most “delicious” recipe is considered to be the classic culinary method. Chestnuts before the process must be incised, so that there is no big "explosion" during heating. You really run the risk of decorating the oven or the area adjacent to the fire with pieces of pulp.

It is best to cook a dish on the street on charcoal. They are simply "buried" in burnt wood and baked like potatoes. The internal heat of the coals and the light aroma of the haze make the delicacy incredibly delicious.

If there is no possibility to make a fire on the street, then you can bake the dish on a baking sheet or a frying pan in the oven. The temperature must be set to 180 degrees. Cooking time will be 15-20 minutes depending on the size of the chestnuts. Ready nuts are peeled and served with butter or.

You will learn all the details of cooking chestnuts in the oven from the video:

The benefits of baked chestnuts for the body are invaluable: a person receives a "dose" of vitamins and minerals. Such a dish is ideal for weight loss: it is low-calorie and tasty. You can pamper yourself with chestnut pulp almost every day. It is not necessary to bake them. Peeled young nuts are eaten raw or cut into salads. Boiled fruits of the marron variety are used as a full-fledged dish, a side dish for red meat or an ingredient in soups.

The healing properties of tree flowers

Chestnut flowers help with varicose veins. Of them make baths and compresses for the legs - the most problematic area in this disease. The main indication for the bath can be not only varicose veins, but also chronic leg fatigue, and contraindication is hypotension or an allergy to the product. These procedures are ideal for people who spend all day on their feet. The tool in combination with warm water will help tone the veins with blood vessels and relax muscles.

Baths with nuts are also suitable for those who suffer from eczema, fungus, cracks in the feet or chronic corns. Any non-healing wounds can be healed with a compress or a bathtub with chestnut flowers.

By the way, fragrant chestnut "baskets" need to be collected in late May or early June. It was during this period that the floral "pyramids" of the tree were revealed. The beneficial properties of the flowers of edible chestnut are doubled if used in combination with leaves, bark and nuts. The action of such a mixture will be versatile, and you can kill several ailments at once with one shot.

Benefit and harm for men

The fruits of the tree benefit the male body with a minimum of harm. The tool has become popular for the treatment of "male" diseases relatively recently. The ability to restore blood circulation plays in this case the most important role. Erectile dysfunction is quite often caused precisely by problems with blood circulation.

An effective decoction of nut fruits is not only for the treatment of impotence, but also as a preventive measure. Especially recommended to use traditional medicine for men at risk: after 40-45 years. Saponin, which is found in fruits, helps increase hormone production, and testosterone is no exception. In addition, chestnuts, together with leaves and bark, treat diseases of the prostate gland.

Afterword

The useful properties and contraindications of chestnut can be found in any manual on traditional medicine. In our country, unfortunately, edible chestnuts are quite difficult to find. Noble varieties are grown only in private gardens, and the product is not as popular as in Europe and Asia. There are outlets where you can get quality fruits.

According to statistics over the past ten years, about 40% of the total amount of chestnuts consumed in food was eaten by the Chinese. Moreover, in China they are not just eaten, but also fed to livestock. The meat of animals fed on chestnuts is unusually soft to the taste. But in France, a Christmas table is decorated with a traditional dish - candied nuts. Unusual dessert becomes one of the main dishes, which are treated to guests and households.

Edible chestnut is able to benefit a person, and harm from it can be easily eliminated if you get acquainted with contraindications ahead of time. An incredibly tasty remedy will make the treatment pleasant, which in itself is a rarity. Before the course of "self-therapy" it is recommended to consult with your doctor.

Related Content

More recently, this fruit, which in some places replaced the locals with potatoes and corn, was completely alien to us. Today we are increasingly looking at chestnuts- not only on European trips, but also on the menu of restaurants, in shops and in their own kitchens.

What are chestnuts

In the courtyard of my childhood, as in many other old Moscow courtyards, luxurious chestnut grew. It can be said an exemplary chestnut: it reached the sixth floor in height, regularly bloomed with elegant candles in May, and dropped the weighty shishaki out of place in the sunny October. Solid greenish pebbles were used for a variety of children's games, but if someone had told us that they were fried, cooked and made out of them cakes with chocolate, we would laugh in his face. By the way, they would have done it right, because that chestnut was obviously horse- its leaves looked like curly star-shaped paws (they are oblong at a tree with edible fruits and are attached to the branch cuttings one by one).

Edible chestnuts do not grow in our latitudes. The closest place on the map is the Caucasus, Armenia and Azerbaijan, but even there they for some reason come out as small as walnuts, while in Europe they are about the size of a good tangerine. However, especially large ones are valued almost like truffles and are not even exported. You can meet them in southern France, in Spain and, of course, in Italy, where, of course, solid delicacies will be born.

The best ones are in Sicily, just the best ones are in the north of the country. In Piedmont, in Lombardy, on the streets you can see signs warning of the seasonal fall of nuts (chestnuts are nuts). During this very fall, passers-by, without any hesitation, pick up a crop, lay them out, satisfied, according to their cases and bags from Furla - you should, because you don’t have to pay three euros per kilo, like in a supermarket!

Extremely rare for Europe preserved in northern Italy wild chestnut forests, where in September-October, whole companies go with baskets. And mothers of families remember dozens of recipes for the preparation of this autumn gift of nature. You need to hurry: chestnuts are poorly stored - after a couple of days they begin to dry out and deteriorate. True, if you freeze them baked or boiled, then you can use the whole season, and the taste will not suffer.

However, where only chestnuts do not throw nature. One of the varieties is fragrant chestnuts tamba  - grows on the Japanese island of Honshu. In the Land of the Rising Sun, chestnuts are very respected - among the poetic Japanese people they are considered the same symbol of autumn, like blooming sakura - a symbol of spring. Tamba's fresh chestnuts are so sweet that they don’t even add sugar to them when they cook rice balls of karimoti, an amaguri beer snack or a filling for waffles sold at noisy crossroads of old cities.

How to eat chestnuts

We also gradually got acquainted with chestnuts. Sooner or later, each of us went to Europe for Christmas and was fascinated by its magic. Winter may have been warm and almost snowless - such that I wanted to walk and walk. In the old city around the cathedral, a festive market was noisy and offered all kinds of sparkling and singing treasures. Aromatic corrugations were baked everywhere, punch and mulled wine were poured, warming interest in life. And, of course, chestnut sellers who theatrically controlled in the dropping dusk with their antediluvian braziers were an integral part of this whole tale. Brown chestnuts bounced on the iron sheets, crackling, and glowed to a noble golden hue. Bursting balls were poured into a paper bag - then they opened easily, showering the skin, and pleasantly burned. The taste resembled hazelnuts and at the same time boiled sweet potatoes that are baked on the streets of Asian cities. But it happened in Paris, or Rome, or Strasbourg, Cologne, Vienna ...

In general, our memories of the day when we first tried chestnuts are not without sentimentality. However, dropping sentiment, you can to cook  exotic nuts procured in the ordinary market or in expensive gastrobutics, and in your own kitchen. The easiest recipe is fry  them in the same primitive way: make an incision (otherwise they will explode) on the flat side, put on a frying pan (not on a Teflon one, of course), cover it and listen to how they jump there, ready to burst and show the world a gentle crumbly inside. However, the most delicious chestnuts are not those that have already burst, but those that are about to burst, "on the verge" ... But to define this "just about" is already practically an art. Only professionals own it. For example, the Japanese, who roast their Tamba chestnuts in drums with hot river sand, without leaving the temperature controller unattended.

Chestnuts are delicious exceptionally hot, just from a roasting pan or frying pan. If you are aimed not at a fleeting connection (students' dinner: chestnuts and young wine), but at a serious relationship, this stage of roasting can be the beginning of what is called a wonderful friendship. Using a spoon, carefully remove the warm flesh from the cracked skin and cook in one of dozens of ways.

How to cook chestnuts

Say chestnuts can be served as garnish for roast  - instead of the usual potatoes. Or add to pilaf. Or, as in the Caucasus, pour them with a lot of onions into the dishes, where meat is being prepared, and leave it for ten to fifteen minutes: chestnuts will have a completely different flavor. And they will need to be served separately, generously sprinkled with pomegranate seeds.

A dinner near Moscow is good combination with applesand: first, pour water, bring the chestnuts to a pleasant softness, then drain the water, add chopped apples and butter and simmer until the fruit is soft. Piquancy will bring prunes and nuts to the dish.

Chestnuts are baked, fried, boiled, they also stuff the bird: in America - for Thanksgiving, in Europe - for Christmas. We are not bound by centuries-old traditions and can start a rooster or turkey right now. By the way, a capon stuffed with chestnuts and Armagnac in gastronomic boutiques is sold for incredible amounts.

Chestnut is generally a favorite of masters of haute cuisine. And those who like to make unusual flavor combinations. By the way, in such combinations, it is perfect as a souvenir: I’ve just been brought jam from Paris, called "chestnuts and Chinese smoked tea." It’s almost savory, you don’t eat it with cookies or pancakes - it's just an artifact.

Friends interested in gastronomy will appreciate the beauty of the game if you cook for them chestnut soup. It does not require special knowledge or efforts: to a meat broth seasoned with onions, garlic, celery and parsley, after chestnuts you need to add a spoonful of butter, a glass of cream and a little alcohol like brandy.

When there is no time to mess with roasting and peeling nuts, you can use canned chestnut puree. It forms the basis for dozens of interesting and easy-to-perform dishes. Mostly, of course, sweet. The simplest cake that you don’t even need to bake: stir a couple of glasses of mashed potatoes with 175 grams of butter, 300 grams of dark chocolate and a few tablespoons of rum thoroughly, put into a mold and stand overnight in the refrigerator. Or just whip the mashed potatoes with cream.

Of chestnut flour  aromatic cookies  (um, with pine nuts and raisins), but probably most of us, especially children, like whole chestnuts: bite nut as big as an egg, besides with such an unusual taste - who doesn't like it? Manufacturers Indulge Our Weakness First marron glaces  - glazed chestnuts, which can be found in any French, Spanish or Italian supermarket.

Chestnuts, aged in sugar syrup and hidden in a shell made of thick chocolate or white glaze, are easy to make on their own. Even easier - "Drunk" chestnuts: Pour a hundred grams of sugar into a glass of red wine, put boiled chestnuts and simmer for a while over medium heat until a syrup forms. Then, while still hot, lay whipped cream on the feather bed, sprinkle with vanilla and garnish with mint and candied fruit.

Edible chestnuts come on sale in three types: fresh, unpeeled, fresh-frozen, peeled and pickled. The latter is a ready-made product, without additional processing they can be added to the salad, for example, in combination with orange or with smoked duck breast fillet. Freshly frozen chestnuts must first be fried and then used, say, in a soup with porcini mushrooms. And fresh unpeeled nuts need to be cut, covered with foil and baked in the oven for about 20 minutes, then salt and eat just like eating seeds or corn.
Another unusual “chestnut” product, directly to nuts, though not related, is honey. It is pleasantly liquid (it does not crystallize until spring, or maybe longer, it just didn’t stay longer with us), dark brown - it’s chestnut! - colors with a light aroma and amazing bitter taste. It is useful for kidney and stomach diseases, it kills microbes. There is absolutely no chestnut honey - it would be too bitter, bees collect pollen from other plants. And the more distinctly the bitterness is felt in honey, the more chestnut itself is in it.

We all know what the chestnut tree looks like, we admire the fragrant candles of inflorescences in the spring, and in autumn the children collect the fruits of the chestnuts and their spiky shells, so similar to little hedgehogs, for their crafts. But we will not talk about horse chestnut, whose trees grow in abundance in parks in the streets, decorating the city with its luxurious crown, but about an edible chestnut.

Edible chestnut is also called noble, sowing, and even once, it was called the Aegean nuts, since the island of Euboea became the center of its breeding. The birthplace of edible chestnut is Asia and the Caucasus. In the distant past, the mountainous peoples of these territories have never tasted bread, they have been completely replaced by chestnuts. But after the chestnuts began to be imported into Europe, they began to grow in France, Italy and Portugal. This culture especially appealed to the Corsicans. It is impossible to imagine Crete without olives, so it is impossible to imagine Corsica without an edible chestnut.

Health Benefits of Chestnuts

Edible chestnut is a nut, and, like all nuts, it is very nutritious and healthy. Chestnuts are rich in fiber and carbohydrates, and therefore are good for health. And since it contains sugars, fats and minerals, starch, it has become an integral part of a vegetarian diet. This nut contains both C and B vitamins. The peculiarity of edible chestnut is its low fat content compared to other nuts. This fact, along with other useful components, determines the exceptional benefits of edible chestnut for diet.

But not only the fruits of edible chestnut benefit. Chestnut wood is highly regarded. And the bark of this tree has healing properties. From the seeds make a decoction, which is used for internal bleeding. Bark and seeds are used in the treatment of kidney disease. Dry fruits and leaves of edible chestnut are useful for tonsillitis. An extract from fruits and leaves has an anti-inflammatory effect, therefore it is widely used in cosmetology for the manufacture of creams. The strengthening properties of this extract are also used for the production of shampoos.

The benefits and harms of roasted chestnuts

Many people, when it comes to edible chestnuts, have associations with sellers of these roasted nuts on the streets of Paris. In the autumn, the season of gathering chestnuts begins, and in the countries of Southern Europe, whole families go out into the countryside in order to cook their favorite treat on an open fire. In France, this smell reminds us that Christmas is coming soon. In the works of French classics, one can see with what special warmth the inhabitants of this country belong to this tasty and fragrant custom. not only very tasty, but healthy and nutritious dish. According to these criteria, it can be equated with rice, or even potatoes. Chestnuts are delicious with both sugar and salt. The only moment that can overshadow the meal for gourmets who are watching their figure is the high calorie content of the fried version.

However, chestnuts can not only be roasted. Very useful edible chestnut flour. It is widely used in confectionery and baking bread. Chestnut flour in its qualities is not inferior to wheat, and in some cases even surpasses it. You can also bake chestnuts, cook, cook soups with them, and stuff the bird with this nut.

As you can see, edible chestnut is an extremely tasty and healthy product. The range of application of its nutritional and medicinal properties is very wide. Nature has invested so much benefit in it that we simply cannot help but take advantage of such a gift.

Chestnuts are not as popular with us as they are in Western Europe, Japan, or East Asian countries, however, it is time to correct this omission. Healing and nutritious nuts grow in the subtropical zone; therefore, they are not included in the menu of our traditional cuisine. But avocados, and “New Year's fruit” - tangerines, and many other products that often appear on our table are also imported from the southern latitudes.

We think, having learned how chestnuts are useful, our housewives will certainly begin to prepare them for their home. Moreover, the fruits do not require special culinary skills and are delicious just fried or baked.

Nuts that are suitable for eating do not grow in our country and can only be purchased at supermarkets.

Nutritional Information of Chestnuts

Despite the outward resemblance to hazelnuts, the product resembles little of its composition. Chestnuts contain:

• about 60% starch
• 15% sugar
• 6% protein
• 2% fat

The percentage may vary, depending on the variety of fruits. Nevertheless, in its effect on the human body, chestnuts are more reminiscent of rice and potatoes than nuts, in which the proportion of proteins and fats is high.

A carbohydrate-rich product is recommended for athletes and people in need of enhanced nutrition to restore energy. After hearty chestnuts, you don’t feel hungry for a long time, therefore they are often included in weight loss diets, with one caveat: in small quantities.

Vegetarians also appreciate the product as an additional source of vegetable protein.

Also in chestnuts contains:

• cellulose
• tannins
• vitamins A, C, K and group B
• trace elements: potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, sodium, silicon, selenium, copper, zinc
• folic acid
• pectins
• glycosides

The fact that chestnuts are an important ingredient in Mediterranean cuisine, recognized as one of the most wholesome in the world, says a lot. With the regular use of fruits, the metabolism improves, the intestines begin to function more actively, toxins are more quickly eliminated and enzymes necessary for digestion are produced.

Immunity is strengthened, malfunctions in the cardiovascular system are eliminated, blood composition is normalized and the general tone of the body increases. Italians, French and other residents of southern Europe knowingly love chestnuts, because they can protect us from stress and improve our mood during the period of seasonal autumn depression. Despite the high content of carbohydrates and sugars, the fruits can and should be eaten by people who are struggling with excess weight, since in this case fat deposits do not form and the load on the liver is reduced.

Historical reference

The first seedlings of the chestnut sowing (or noble) was brought from Asian campaigns by Alexander the Great. He noted that by consuming the fruits of this tree, warriors become more alert and suffer less from stomach problems caused by unusual food.

Magic nuts of youth and beauty

Chestnuts are able to turn back the clock and bring us back the charm of youth. They contribute to the production of elastin and collagen - proteins involved in the renewal of cells and tissues.

The trace elements that make up the healing nuts have beneficial effects on the skin, hair and nails, improving their condition and appearance. And zinc and phosphorus, in addition, strengthen teeth and gums.

The cure for many diseases

In the pharmaceutical industry, horse chestnuts, which are usual for us, are used more often, decorating the streets with fragrant "candles" of inflorescences in the spring, and in the autumn they are thrown with fruits in a spiny shell that are so well suited for crafts.

However, Castánea satíva nuts have healing properties. They are shown with:

1. dysentery;
2. hemorrhoids;
3. cystitis;
4. painful menstruation and menopause;
5. mastopathy;
6. edema of different origin;
7. circulatory disorders and thrombosis, since they thin the blood;
8. spasms of blood vessels;
9. atherosclerosis;
10. neuralgia;
11. respiratory diseases;
12. rheumatism.

Externally chopped edible chestnut pulp can be used as a hemostatic, wound healing and disinfectant. Effectively help fruits and burns, accelerating the process of tissue regeneration.

Calorie content

As can be seen from this table, boiled or baked fruits will bring the greatest benefit, but fried and pickled fruits need to be eaten a little (no more than 40 g at a time).

If you follow a diet, it is better to use chestnuts in the first half of the day, then the energy with which they charge the body will be completely consumed. But for dinner you can allow yourself only 2-3 nuts.

Who should not eat chestnuts

A carbohydrate-rich product, for all its usefulness, is a junk food. Therefore, it is undesirable to give it to children older than five to six years of age. The fragile body of babies is unlikely to be able to fully digest chestnuts, which threatens indigestion, flatulence and colic.

It is better to boil healthy nuts in the children's diet in boiled form, making soup puree. If the product caused discomfort in the child, it is advisable to postpone the “acquaintance” with it for some more time and consult a doctor.

Nursing mothers will also have to give up chestnuts so as not to cause excessive gas formation or an allergic reaction in the baby.


  Fruits are contraindicated in the following diseases:

• diabetes
• kidney stones and bladder
• hypotension
• hepatic and renal failure
• inflammatory processes of the gastrointestinal tract

Attention!

Healthy people need to eat chestnuts, but in moderation, so as not to gain excess weight and not provoke the pancreas.

Raw nuts are recognized as the most difficult for digestion.  They can only be consumed in a ripe form, then we will improve our health and treat ourselves to a delicious product without side effects.

How to choose chestnuts

We found that nuts that have reached full maturity are most beneficial. But how to choose just such fruits in the store or in the market?

1. You need to buy fresh chestnuts in season - from September to February. Nuts deteriorate quickly, so it is not possible to feast on them the rest of the year. If you could not buy fresh fruits, you should pay attention to frozen or pickled fruits - they are, moreover, easier to prepare, because they do not need to be peeled.
2. The nutshell must be hard, smooth, without stains and damage, with a uniform, dark color and glossy shine.
3. Ripe, high-quality chestnuts - heavy and large, about the same size.
4. Round-shaped nuts are tastier than their more flattened "congeners."
5. The freshness of the fruit is determined by clicking on them with a finger. If the shell is soft, the shelf life has clearly been prolonged.

Attention!

The greenish layer between the kernel and the walnut shell is an indicator of insufficient ripeness. Such chestnuts are better to boil, stew or fry, but do not eat raw.

Storage rules

Fresh chestnuts are a capricious and perishable product. At room temperature in a dry, preferably dark place, they can lie for no more than 5 days, after which they dry out and wrinkle.


  If you put the fruits in the refrigerator, with other vegetables and fruits, they will "last" 2 weeks, provided that they are wrapped in a plastic bag with holes for ventilation. Otherwise, nuts will quickly mold.

If you want to eat fresh or roasted chestnuts out of season, it is better to freeze them. The product will not lose its qualities within six months.

Attention!

During freezing, fresh chestnuts should be placed in a vacuum container or wrapped with foil, but in no case should you use a plastic bag, otherwise they will deteriorate. This warning does not apply to fried fruits.

Another option: storing raw, unpeeled nuts in sand poured into wooden crates or barrels. Tanks are installed in the cellar and kept at a temperature of 2 - 5ºС until spring.

Instead of sand, you can take dry chestnut leaves.

Chestnuts belong to those products, once you try which, you no longer want to give them up. Yes, and why limit yourself to such a healthy treat?

Well, buy and start cooking.

Useful video

A small reference material about chestnuts: