General Description/History

• a large tree up to 40 m, chestnuts are members of the beech family
• a number of species and hybrids are used in nut production
• nuts are borne in a round, spiky capsule that are called ‘conkers’
• the nuts are large and heart-shaped with a flat light brown top, the rest of the nut is shiny dark brown with light brown streaks
• they have a sweet nutty flavour with a texture similar to a baked potato
• unlike other nuts they are low in fat, and high in carbohydrates
• used in cooking, or boiled or roasted as they cannot be eaten raw
• chestnut flour is also used in some cake recipes
• fresh nuts have a firm feel
• unlike many nuts chestnuts need to be eaten within a week or two of purchase
• can be stored for up to 3 weeks in the fridge in a perforated plastic bag
• Available: Processed is available all year round

Season: Autumn,Winter

Botanical Name: Castanea sp. eg C. sativa (sweet chestnut) (Fagaceae)

Alternative Names: 

Availablity: April,May,June,July

Growing Areas: 

Australian growing regions: 70 to 80 % of Australian production is located in the North East of Victoria. Other production areas are in Gippsland and the Macedon Ranges. Producers are also located in NSW (around Orange, Canberra, and the Northern Tablelands), Southern Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania.