Edible chestnuts are one of the crops grown on the Puymule ridge and this is the harvest season. Marie France, Michel and Madame Moulene invited us over for roasted chestnuts one evening. Although they look alike, these are not the common horse chestnuts. Horse chestnuts come from the ubiquitous chestnut trees with the leaves in fan shaped groups of five. Some of the leaves from the edible chestnut trees are shown here. The shiny brown nuts are enclosed in prickly pods which can easily be broken open - if you are wearing gloves.

Next you make a nick in the hard covering of the nut. Chestnuts have a hard brown shell. Before roasting you use a sharp knife to nick the shell through to the meat to prevent the shell from exploding in the heat. At the same time you can eliminate the rotten or buggy chestnuts. Those shells feel slightly soft when squeezed. Also the nick may reveal a discolored nut meat or even a little grub worm.

Then roast the hell out of them. Michel roasted the chestnuts in a sort of closed metal can attached to a wooden handle. He shook them frequently and taste tested them every 5 to 10 minutes. Seemed like the chestnuts took 30 to 40 minutes to reach the proper state. Marie France said the roasting would go quicker if the can had some small holes. She said that she was going to get a new roaster. I didn't ask where one could buy something like that. I would guess an antique shop.

This is the fireplace in Madame Moulene's house. The fireplace opening is very broad and tall, enough to enclose a couple of people seated on either side of the actual fire, which is relatively small. Meat can be smoked by hanging it within the fireplace but away from the fire.

The andirons have basket-like fixtures at their tops. These were used to hold bowls or cups for warming.

They are absolutely delicious. I have had roasted chestnuts before, but they always tasted terrible. These were great, like candy. Note the piles of broken chestnut shells. After the nuts have been roasted you can easily remove the shells with your fingernails. They were delicious; almost like candy. Much better than any roasted chestnuts I have ever tasted before. Now I know what they should taste like.