Did You Know Chestnuts Come in Different Varieties?
Everyone knows about all the different apple, wine, citrus and potato varieties – each one has its own special qualities.
A potato that is fantastic for mashing, often doesn’t make the very best roast potato, likewise we all have our favourite wine and if you are looking for a sweet, crisp apple, we know it’s not going to be a Granny Smith!
Many people don’t realise that Chestnuts also have varieties. But what does that mean?
On the ground, in the orchard, it means the chestnut tree has been grafted with a particular chestnut. Each variety of chestnut has pronounced characteristics.
Just as a Pink Lady apple is different to a Granny Smith apple, the de Coppi Marone chestnut is different to the vast majority of other chestnut varieties. The de Coppi Marone chestnut has been selected for grafting in Europe over the centuries because it has a moist texture, sweet flavour and is easy to peel.
‘Easy to peel’ is a characteristic, not a specific variety. Only some varieties have the easy to peel characteristic.
‘Easy to peel’ describes the characteristic of the chestnut’s pellicle, or inner skin, separating easily from the flesh of the nut. It has nothing to do with the outer shell coming off!
Here at The Garden in the Forest, we have selected our favourite variety ‘de coppi marone‘ because of it’s versatility, it’s ‘easy to peel’ characteristic and it lovely sweet flavour. We are certain you will agree, that this is a wonderful variety of chestnut. Once you have purchased your Chestnuts it’s vital that you know how to store them correctly so that you get the maximum value from your precious chestnuts.
Chestnut Season for our ‘de coppi marone‘ variety is from April to June (while stocks last), you can order them online for delivery to your door.