For those who still have some chestnuts in the refrigerator---they will be drier than when picked, so be sure to cut down the roasting time. If you want to save them for recipes later on, we recommend that you go ahead and roast, peel, then freeze. They are great to add to minestrone soup, or stuffing, or a stir fry or making a bisque or braised chestnuts or a thousand other ways. Enjoy!
Want a great deal for roasting? Customers often ask about the difference in the sizes of the chestnuts. The smaller nuts "cure" (dry down) a bit faster, so they are sweeter earlier. They also tend to be more evenly sized so they roast more evenly. If your intention is to roast and eat out of hand for you or for guests, I recommend the medium size. Remember though, if you store the nuts for a period of time, you need to cut down the roasting time. They dry over time and will turn hard if roasted too long.
Our "value added" product Our chestnut fed pigs left the orchard a couple of weeks ago. It was a great adventure and a great "win" for the orchard and those who enjoy the pork. We won by getting any stray nuts picked up to avoid weevil contamination (the pigs really were good at running around and finding anything left on the ground) and the eaters are assured that they are enjoying meat that was sustainably fed on a permaculture crop.
Our goal remains to make every chestnut customer a really,
really happy chestnut enthusiast!!
We are SOLD OUT. Thanks to all who ordered and we hope to see you next year. If you wish to be contacted when the nuts are available next year, fill in the e-mail contact below. We promise not to spam you or allow others to see your e-mail contact.
We don't have a retail store at the orchard but we welcome visitors by appointment. Call or e-mail us.
To quote Corby Kummer, the author of The
Pleasures of Slow food;
Other than in stuffing, [chestnuts] best-known use
is as the sugar to make the medicine of Brussels sprouts go down.If chestnuts can make Brussels sprouts taste
good, imagine what they can do for vegetables people actually enjoy.
Well, now you can test that theory. There are a couple of classic chestnuts and brussels sprouts recipes on the recipe page.
Contact us if you wish to receive an e-mail when chestnuts are available.
GREEN BEGINNINGS
We started planting chestnuts, pecans and Christmas
trees in 1995 on old farm ground north of Lawrence, Kansas. Following
organic practices since the beginning, the plantation has been
certified organic annually since 1998.
Growing up around wild black walnut trees in eastern Kansas, and being inspired by the visionary J. Russell Smith, author of Tree Crops, a Permanent Agriculture, I have always been driven to plant trees that produce food. Since cancer rates began to increase in the 1950s and '60's,
and pesticides and other synthetic farm chemicals showed up in ground
water and were implicated in the the poor health of farmers, it has
been my bedrock conviction that we would farm organically or not at
all. The more I learn about modern petrochemical-based agriculture,
the more convinced am I that tree crops offer a lifesaving, sustainable
path to the future.
certified organic by ICO
We are proud members of the Chestnut Growers of America
