Is it possible to eat chestnuts, and which ones cannot: differences between edible and unsuitable for food

Quite often people have a question, is it possible to eat chestnuts, and which fruits should not be eaten. Edible and inedible fruits grow on trees that belong to different families. The first variety belongs to the Beech family, and the second belongs to the Sapindov family. Visually, the plants are completely different, so they can be easily distinguished from each other.

What kinds can you eat

Today, there are several types of chestnuts that can be eaten. The most famous varieties include the following:

1. City - also called Japanese. This culture is distinguished by the largest fruits. At the same time, trees grow up to 15 meters. The nuts are 6 centimeters in diameter and weigh 80 grams.
2. Sowing - grows up to 35 meters. This plant is predominantly found in humid and warm climates. It predominates in the subtropics. Its reproduction is carried out by seed. The culture has powerful roots that perfectly hold the crown.
3. American - also called jagged. This crop is considered to be very resistant to frost. It can withstand prolonged temperature drops down to -35 degrees.
4. Chinese - also called the softest. The fruits of this chestnut have excellent taste, so they are often used in cooking. The wood of this plant is also valued. It is important to bear in mind that the culture does not tolerate drought well and needs frequent watering.
5. Short - the height does not exceed 15 meters. However, it is considered decorative.
6. Australian - is an evergreen crop that can reach 15-30 meters.
7. Segyu - this plant is resistant to pathogenic fungi that often affect chestnut trees.
8. Henry - widely used in the center and west of China. This tree can reach 25-30 meters.

Edible chestnuts contain a maximum of valuable elements by the time they ripen. After staining the peel of the fruit in brown, they can begin to be collected and harvested for the winter. It is acceptable to eat chestnuts ready and raw.

Expert opinionZarechny Maxim ValerievichAgronomist with 12 years of experience. Our best gardening expert.Ask a QuestionAfter heat treatment, the fruits resemble boiled beans in taste. Chestnuts are characterized by high energy and nutritional value. They also have a unique composition. At the same time, chestnuts are inferior to other nuts in terms of oil level.

As for calories, 100 grams of fried fruits contain 182 kilocalories. Raw nuts have 166 calories, while boiled nuts have 131.Steamed chestnuts are considered the lowest calorie. There are 56 kilocalories in 100 grams of fruit. Dishes made from chestnuts can be served as an appetizer, side dish or main course. Today, many recipes based on this product are known. All of them are accessible and simple.

The systematic use of chestnuts saturates the body with valuable substances. They are rich in vitamins and contain a lot of fiber. However, it is important to consider that this product can bring not only benefits, but also harm. This is usually observed with the uncontrolled use of fruits. A maximum of 40 grams of product is allowed per day.

And which ones can't

Horse varieties are widely used in parks and squares. This tree has many species and varieties. However, its fruits are strictly forbidden to be consumed. The most common types of this culture include the following:

1. California - resembles a small tree up to 10 meters in size. This culture has white-pink flowers that form inflorescences 20 centimeters in size. They have a very pleasant aroma.
2. Yellow - this crop is capable of reaching 30 meters. It has a fairly dense pyramidal crown. The tree is characterized by wedge-shaped serrated leaves, which have a yellow tint from below. The flowering of the culture comes later compared to other varieties. This variety is considered the most frost-resistant.
3. Pavia - is an ornamental shrub that grows up to 3-6 meters. It can also be a tree that reaches 12 meters. The culture is distinguished by bright red flowers and not too prickly fruits.
4. Small-flowered is a shrub whose height does not exceed 5 meters. The plant forms dense thickets. Its distinctive feature is white flowers with pink stamens.
5. Naked - reaches 25 meters. This tree has an attractive crown. It also has decorative foliage and fruits.
6. Japanese - a characteristic feature of the culture is the pear-shaped shape of the fruit. This type of chestnut has white and pink flowers.
7. Meat Red - has round fruits that are not too prickly. The plant is distinguished by red or pink flowers and bright green leaves. The culture is characterized by susceptibility to heat and dry weather.
8. Indian - this plant reaches 20 meters. This culture comes from Northern India. It is characterized by white flowers covered with yellow and red spots. They form large inflorescences. The plant also has fleshy and prickly fruits.

Horse chestnut fruit is forbidden to eat. They are poisonous and have a bitter taste. In addition, the composition of the fruit does not include protein, and they are of low nutritional value. This product is used exclusively in medicine. Various drugs are prepared from it.

How to tell apart edible chestnuts

Edible chestnuts need a warm and humid climate. At the same time, horse species can grow in any conditions. They are often planted in squares and parks. Eating horse chestnuts is prohibited, as this can cause dangerous consequences. Therefore, it is important to be able to distinguish edible varieties from inedible ones.

By height

Edible plants are taller than horse varieties. Such a tree reaches 35 meters - it all depends on the variety. Trees of different species are distinguished by a beautiful and spreading crown.

Wild chestnuts usually grow up to a maximum of 15 meters. However, sometimes their height can be 25 meters. In addition, horse chestnuts can grow in the form of bushes 1.5-3 meters in size. These cultures are also distinguished by their decorative and dense crown.

By foliage

Horse chestnut is characterized by palmate foliage forming beautiful fans on large petioles.The leaves grow up to 10-20 centimeters in length. Edible varieties are characterized by ordinary oval leaves on small petioles, which are arranged alternately on the branches. The length of the plate reaches 22 centimeters, and the width - 7.

Features of flowering

Horse chestnuts bloom in May and June. During this period, pyramidal brushes form on the trees. The flowers resemble bells and reach 2 centimeters in diameter. Edible varieties begin to bloom in June-July. At the same time, their inflorescences resemble thin spikelets up to 15 centimeters in size.

By fruit size

An important difference is the appearance of the core. Edible chestnuts are smaller than horse chestnuts. At the same time, inedible fruits are characterized by the presence of a minimum of thorns, which are easily removed. Edible nuts have a lot of thorns, so they are difficult to peel.

Expert opinionZarechny Maxim ValerievichAgronomist with 12 years of experience. Our best gardening expert.Ask a QuestionChestnut fruits are green boxes. Inedible varieties contain 1-2 seeds each. Noble trees have 3-7 seeds.

Growth area for edible species

Edible varieties are considered more demanding on growing conditions. They need a warm and humid climate. In addition, these trees require slightly acidic and well-moistened soil. They are most commonly found in the Mediterranean, USA, Asia Minor, and southeastern Europe. France, Italy and Spain are the most suitable areas in terms of climate.

When chestnuts ripen

It is also possible to distinguish different types of chestnuts by ripening time. The fruits of edible varieties are ripe from September to November. Fresh fruits are considered very demanding on storage conditions. If they are violated, mold quickly appears on the nuts.

Trees that produce edible fruits begin to bear fruit at 15 years of age. From now on, they bear fruit very abundantly. In this case, the nuts fall off within 2 weeks. As a rule, long poles are used to collect them. First, the site is cleaned of foliage and other contaminants. Large nuts are mainly eaten.

Horse chestnuts are characterized by an early ripening period, which falls on August-September. In spring, the trees are abundantly covered with fruits, but not all of them ripen. Therefore, some of the nuts fall off in the summer. By the end of September, exceptionally large and ripe fruits remain on the trees. Inedible varieties are often used in folk recipes. They are used for various ointments, decoctions and tinctures.

Chestnuts are divided into edible and inedible. That is why it is so important to be able to distinguish between these fruits. This can be done according to a number of signs - flowering, tree height, fruit size. There are also some differences in the periods of ripening of nuts.

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