chestnuts

Chestnuts! Forget the winter market—grab a basket, put on some sturdy shoes, and head to a Dutch chestnut farm for a proper outdoor adventure. There’s something wonderfully satisfying about stooping under a sprawling chestnut tree, kicking through the leaves, and spotting those glossy, mahogany-brown nuggets hiding in the spiky green husks. It’s like a treasure hunt where the prize is delicious, and you don’t even need a map.

The best part? You can make a whole day of it. Bring the kids, a couple of friends, or drag your most reluctant partner along—once they find that first perfect chestnut, they’ll be hooked. The season runs from September to November. You collect the nuts that have fallen to the ground: look for glossy, firm, brown ones from husks that have split open, and skip any that are shriveled, mouldy or have holes. Pro tip: wear gloves to avoid the prickly husks, and bring a small stool if you don’t fancy bending over for an hour. Make sure you pick sweet chestnuts, not horse chestnuts, which are toxic and sit in a smoother husk.

Once home, store your chestnuts in a cool, dry place for 1–2 weeks, or in the fridge for up to a month; wash them only just before use. Before cooking, score an X on the flat side of each chestnut with a sharp knife (this stops them from exploding in the oven like tiny nutty grenades). Chestnuts are eaten cooked, so you’re ready to roast, boil, or get creative.

How to Use Them at Home

Roasted chestnuts are the classic: pop them in a 200°C oven for 20 minutes, peel while warm, and eat as a snack. But there’s so much more to do with these nutty beauties.

Two Cooking Recipes

1. Chestnut and Mushroom Risotto
A creamy, earthy dish that tastes like a warm hug.
Sauté 200g chopped mushrooms in butter. Add 1 cup arborio rice, stir for a minute, then gradually add 4 cups warm vegetable broth, stirring often. When the rice is almost tender, stir in 200g cooked, peeled, and roughly chopped chestnuts. Finish with a splash of white wine, a handful of grated Parmesan, and some fresh thyme.

2. Chestnut and Apple Soup
Sweet, smooth, and perfect for a chilly evening.
Gently cook 1 chopped onion in butter until soft. Add 2 peeled, chopped apples and 300g cooked, peeled chestnuts. Pour in 4 cups of vegetable broth, bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes. Blend until velvety, season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg. Top with a curl of cream and some crispy bacon bits if you’re feeling cheeky.

Stadstuin Zuilen | Utrecht Natuurlijk

vegetables, fruit, herbs, flowers

utrecht

Stadstuin Zuilen is a city garden in Zuilen, Utrecht, run by Utrecht Natuurlijk. It has vegetable beds, a food forest and a flower-picking garden (bloemenpluktuin). You can harvest your own vegetables from the beds, pick flowers in the flower garden from June to October, and walk through the food forest. You can also help with sowing, planting and tending the plots as a volunteer. Entry to the garden is free.

Tres Jolie

berries, fruit, nuts

gelderland

Très Jolie in Achterveld is a pick-your-own fruit farm specialising in small berries and fruits. The farm grows blackcurrants, redcurrants, whitecurrants, gooseberries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, tayberries (a cross between blackberries and raspberries), Japanese wineberries, and jostaberries (a cross between blackcurrants and gooseberries). Later in the season, visitors can also pick apples, pears, quinces, and kiwi berries. The farm occasionally has hazelnuts, rosehips, elderberries, sloes, rowanberries, and plums. The picking season runs from late June to early October, with different fruits ripening at different times. Blackcurrants and gooseberries are usually ready first, followed by redcurrants, whitecurrants, and blueberries in July. Raspberries and blackberries ripen from mid-July, while tayberries and Japanese wineberries appear later in the summer. Apples and pears are typically ready from September, along with quinces and kiwi berries. The farm updates its website and social media with current availability.

Fruittuin van West

fruit, berries, nuts

noord-holland

Fruittuin van West in Amsterdam is a pick-your-own farm where visitors can harvest over 30 varieties of fruit from June to mid-October. The orchard grows apples, pears, cherries, plums, berries (blackcurrants, redcurrants, whitecurrants, gooseberries, blueberries, jostaberries and kiwi berries), raspberries, blackberries, tayberries, loganberries, Japanese wineberries, grapes, strawberries, peaches, nectarines, almonds, walnuts, chestnuts, pecans and hazelnuts. Each variety ripens at different times, extending the season. The farm also cultivates mushrooms and witloof (Belgian endive) year-round in its underground growing space, though these are not available for picking.

juuls landje voedselbos

fruit, vegetables, flowers, berries, nuts

zuid-holland

Juuls Landje in Boskoop is a small care nursery where visitors can pick their own produce from the food forest and kitchen garden. The farm grows edible trees, shrubs and perennials, including fruit such as cherries, plums and peaches, as well as nuts like walnuts, hazelnuts and sweet chestnuts. Seasonal crops include daslook (wild garlic) in spring, edible flowers like elderflower and nasturtium, and berries in summer. In autumn, visitors can gather nuts and fruits for syrups, juices and jams, which are also made on-site.

Plukbos Paardenspeelwei

fruit, vegetables, berries, nuts

gelderland

Plukbos Paardenspeelwei in Velp is a small public picking garden where children and adults can gather fruit, nuts and berries directly from the plants. The garden was created in 2021 on a corner of the Paardenspeelwei, a nature playground opened in 2012 for local families. The garden grows over 40 edible species, including strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, cherries, apples, pears, plums, hazelnuts, walnuts and quinces. There are also less common fruits such as pawpaws, persimmons (kaki), honeyberries and jostaberries. The plants are arranged in a way that encourages biodiversity and improves the soil, with nitrogen-fixing shrubs like the autumn olive (olijfwilg) mixed in.