By Trish Fries
In December, our Grounds Maintenance Worker II, Verland Wayns, would join the Friends of the Wissahickon for their Wreath Making Workshop to provide fresh roasted chestnuts over an open fire at the Valley Green Inn.
To celebrate this tradition and Roast Chestnuts Day, we would like to show you how simple it is to roast chestnuts at home in the oven, and share a recipe we found with our favorite ingredient- maple syrup.
The chestnuts we used for this presentation, and found in stores, are imported from Italy. The song with the lyrics, “Chestnuts roasting on an open fire…”, would have referred to American Chestnuts. We no longer have those chestnuts readily available to us since the chestnut blight hit in the early 20th century. The American Chestnut is smaller, about the size of an acorn, and sweeter than either the Italian or Chinese Chestnut which is also available.
Here are a few links to learn more about the ecological and economic impact of the blight, and the remarkable science involved in reviving the American Chestnut.
So how do you roast a chestnut?
Printable Recipe
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