Cooking with Locally Grown North Carolina Chestnuts

If you’ve been cooking along with me this fall, you know I’ve already been playing with pumpkin spice, and revisiting recipe posts on cooking with pumpkin as well as two of my longtime seasonal favorites, fresh roselle or hibiscus flowers and baby ginger.

Now it’s time for one of fall’s quieter treasures: fresh chestnuts.

While it is far too early in the season for anything one might consider holiday music, for the past couple of weeks, “The Christmas Song,” originally subtitled “Merry Christmas to You” but often simply known as “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire,” has been on repeat in the back of my mind.

It started several weeks ago on one of my regular Saturday morning shopping trips to the Charlotte Regional Farmers Market. Of course, that always includes a stop in Building A to see my friends Sarah Jane and Jamie Davis of A Way of Life Farm.

And there, on their market table, was a basket of freshly harvested chestnuts.

As you may already know from reading my pumpkin spice post, fall and I have a somewhat complicated relationship. The season is far from winning me over, but seasonal bonuses like this certainly make it more tolerable.

The chestnuts I’m featuring here come from Sarah Jane and Jamie’s farm in Bostic, North Carolina. They grow Chinese chestnuts on their Rutherford County farm, and during the relatively short chestnut season, Sarah Jane and Jamie harvest them by hand every day.

Just knowing that makes them a little more special in my book. There is something wonderful about cooking with chestnuts, or any seasonal produce, that was locally grown and gathered by the same farmers who handed it to you at the market.

Fresh chestnuts are sweet and earthy, but they aren’t really like other nuts. They’re lower in fat, higher in starch and, once cooked, their texture is closer to a potato than a pecan or walnut.

They also come with a little learning curve.

So before we start roasting, let’s talk about the chestnut itself.

Chestnuts at A Way of Life Farm in North Carolina

I’ve been shopping with Sarah Jane and Jamie Davis for a long time, maybe since they first started selling at the Charlotte Regional Farmers Market. I’ve written about their pasture-raised pork, their sweet potatoes and their roselle or hibiscus flowers. Theirs is one of those farms I love introducing people to because buying something from them comes with a connection to where and how your food was grown.

Today, the farm has 80-90 Chinese chestnut trees. Chinese chestnuts are naturally resistant to the blight that devastated the American chestnut, which is one reason they have become important trees for chestnut growers in the United States.

During the harvest, Sarah Jane and Jamie are out gathering chestnuts by hand every day. 90 trees, every day. Gotta love our North Carolina farmers and all they put into bringing food to our table.

The nuts fall naturally from the trees as they ripen, tucked inside some of the prickliest packaging Mother Nature ever designed.

Jamie brought one of the burrs to the market from the farm for me to share in this article. Inside that formidable little ball of spines were three beautiful smooth hard-shelled chestnuts tightly tucked inside.

It’s a wonderful thing to see, if you’ve only ever encountered chestnuts already separated from the tree. And, actually seeing the burrs, gives you a whole new respect for all that goes into a chestnut harvest.

You can buy A Way of Life Farm chestnuts directly from the farm when available, and you’ll also find Sarah Jane and Jamie on Saturdays in Building A at the Charlotte Regional Farmers Market.

Chestnut season doesn’t last forever, so when you see them at the market, that’s your cue.

Buy the chestnuts.

Then, come back here to learn more about what to do with them next.

Are Chestnuts Really Nuts?

Before I get into oven-roasting chestnuts, the slightly more unconventional stovetop method and, of course, roasting them over an open fire, there is something important to know about fresh chestnuts.

They aren’t just another tree nut like our North Carolina pecans.

Think about three nuts we know and love here in North Carolina: pecans, chestnuts and peanuts. Turns out, they are three very different things.

Pecans are what we generally think of as a conventional tree nut. Once harvested and properly dried, they have a relatively low moisture content and can be stored in their shells until you’re ready to crack them open. In fact, in-shell pecans generally retain their quality longer than shelled pecans.

Fresh chestnuts are different. They contain much more moisture, which gives them that wonderful starchy texture when cooked but also makes them more perishable. Treat fresh chestnuts more like produce than a bag of dried nuts: keep them refrigerated in a bag that allows them to breathe ( aka not in an airtight container or a sealed plastic bag) and plan to use them while they’re fresh, soon after you have made your local purchase.

And peanuts? Despite the name, they aren’t nuts at all. They’re legumes, relatives of beans and peas, and their pods develop underground. North Carolina happens to be particularly well-known for the Virginia-type peanut.

But peanuts are a conversation for another day.

Or, if I’ve already made you hungry for them, here’s how I make homemade boiled peanuts.

Now, back to the local chestnuts. The best way to cook them is to roast them, but there are several methods to choose from. Oven roasting, stovetop roasting and yes, over an open fire (or on your backyard grill) works well too.

I would be remiss if I didn’t tell you right up front that roasting fresh chestnuts is a bit labor-intensive. It’s not hard, really, but the process does take some time and attention.

Do You Have to Score Chestnuts Before Roasting?

The first step before roasting is to score the shell of the raw nut. There is a gadget for this, reminiscent of a cherry pitter; but honestly I think its just as easy with a good paring knife.

I have also read recipes that recommend cutting the chestnuts with scissors. At first, I thought this method might have promise, but I found it to be harder and went back to my paring knife.

The idea is that the shell of the chestnut needs to be scored, so it will easily open up during the roasting process to reveal the soft sweet nut inside.

If you don’t score, pressure builds inside each nut as they heat up and, take it from my past experiences, they will “blow up” and explode in your oven. The scoring gives the steam buildup inside the nut a place to release. And makes peeling the warm roasted chestnuts easier.

How to Roast NC Chestnuts

How to Roast Chestnuts in the Oven

Let’s start with the simplist of all the ways to cook fresh chestnuts: oven roasting.

Rinse the nuts first. You don’t need to pat them dry. The moisture on the outside of the nuts will create steam in the oven and help the shells to soften and open more for easier peeling. Then, carefully score the side or the bottom of each nut with a paring knife. You can make one long cut across the nut or cut an X. Then, place the scored nuts onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake in a preheated 375-400 degree oven for 20-25 mins.

How to Roast Chestnuts on the Stovetop

Stovetop roasting is more of a process, but it’s not hard and it works quite well.

After rinsing and scoring the chestnuts, put them in a mixing boil and cover with boiling water. Allow them to sit for 5 minutes. Drain; then place the chestnuts in a large saute pan or Dutch oven. Add enough fresh water to come about a third of the way up the side of the nuts in the pan. The exact amount of water will depend on the size of your pan and the quantity of chestnuts you are cooking. Cover and cook over medium high heat for 10 minutes, stirring the nuts every 2-3 minutes. Once the water is gone, toss in a couple fo tablespoons of butter; cover and let sit off heat for 5 minutes or so.

How to Roast Chestnuts Over an Open Fire

Fire roasting is much the same as oven roasting only nix the parchment paper. Place the rinsed and scored chestnuts on a baking sheet and place inside a hot gas or charcoal grill for 15-20 minutes or so. You can also roast them in a tight mesh metal basket over an open fire. The exact cooking time will just depend on how hot your fire is.

How to Peel Roasted Chestnuts

However you cook them, know that chestnuts will peel much easier when they are still warm. Transfer the hot chestnuts to a shallow bowl and allow them to cool just a bit. Peel back the now soft shells to expose the whole soft sweet nuts. For extra goodness, dip or toss in melted butter, add a bit of sea salt and enjoy!

You could stop right there.

A warm roasted chestnut with a little local salt and butter is one of life’s simplest pleasures.

If the chestnuts cool completely, or you refrigerate them in their shells after roasting, they’ll be harder to peel. not impossible, just harder.

As a last resort, cut them in half and scoop out the roasted chestnut. It may crumble, but don’t toss it. Those pieces will still be delicious in soups, stuffings, vegetable dishes and other recipes where you don’t need a whole chestnut.

What Can You Make with Roasted Chestnuts?

As delicious as they are on their own, chestnuts are also wonderful ingredients to take a step further. Their mild sweetness works particularly well with savory flavors like rosemary, sage, brown butter, pork and roasted vegetables. Chop them for a holiday dressing, toss them with Brussels sprouts, limas or root vegetables, purée them into soup, or braise peeled chestnuts gently in butter and herbs.

And that brings me right back to A Way of Life Farm.

Along with the chestnuts, be sure to bring home some of Sarah Jane and Jamie’s bone-in pasture-raised pork chops.If you would like, you may place your order from advance for market pick up here.

Then, put the two together: grilled A Way of Life Farm pork chops napped with butter-and-rosemary-braised chestnuts. Yes, please!

Two of the stars of this plate, sourced from one North Carolina farm, for one very fall dinner.

Where to Find all the Local NC Ingredients You’ll need for this Recipe

The butter in the recipe came from my friend Zack Gadberry at Uno Alla Volta Farms. You’ll find Zack and Victoria Gadberry every Saturday morning at the Matthews Farmers Market. They don’t ship but you can order in advance from them for Saturday market pick-up here.

The rosemary in the recipe was handpicked and came from my backyard herb garden. The salt and finising salt came from Sea Love Sea Salt in Burgaw NC. You’ll find Sea Love owners Jeanette Philips and Jason Zombron on Saturday mornings at the Tidal Creek Co-op Market in Wilmington NC; but you can also order from them online here. And the blend of peppercorns and coriander seeds that I grind as needed in my go-to pepper mix came from Spicewalla in Asheville NC. Shop Local online with Spicewalla here.

Any leftover butter and rosemary braised chestnuts here will keep in the fridge for about a week; or in the freezer for up to 4-5 months.

If you’d like to use the chestnut braise with a veggie, it is delicious tossed with fresh steamed limas and rice or sweetened with a bit of maple syrup ( my go-to is Gebhardt Farms Maple Syrup … the syrup is from the family farm in Wisconsin, but the Gebhardt’s live in North Carolina) and tossed with oven-baked Brussels Sprouts.

Where to Buy Local North Carolina Chestnuts

While I’ve featured Chestnuts from A Way of Life Farm in these recipes, there are three other local North Carolina sources for chestnuts that I want to put on your radar. I can’t wait to go and visit them all.

High Rock Farm, Gibsonville. This gorgeous historic farm along the Haw River near Greensboro is now under new ownership. The owners tell me they spent their first year learning the rhythms of the farm. This year brought a great crop of blueberries and blackberries in the spring, and they’re expecting good crops of both chestnuts and pecans this fall. For more info on the 2026 harvest as well as how and where to buy info; email at highrockfarm1807@gmail.com

Mountain Grown Chestnuts in Burnsville, NC. I’ve written about lots in and around Burnsville Nc before, but I am just learning about this farm and I can’t wait to go up and visit. Chestnuts are available here online by the bag or in gift baskets; or you can pick up at the farm by appointment. Phone and email info is on their website. Contact them in person to order and get more info

Long Branch Environmental Education Center, in Leicester, NC. Long Branch is open to the public daily from sunrise to 5pm. A suggested donation of $10/person or $15/family can be made at the welcome kiosk. Visitors come to hike the trails, bird watch, and for special programs. They are growing and working to preserve the once nearly extinct American Chestnut trees here as well. Call or email for more information.

The One Minute Read on Local NC Chestnuts

Are chestnuts nuts?
Yes. Chestnuts are tree nuts, but unlike pecans and many other familiar nuts, fresh chestnuts have a much higher moisture content. That means they need to be refrigerated and handled more like fresh produce.

Do fresh chestnuts need to be refrigerated?
Yes. Treat fresh chestnuts more like produce and, once you get them home, keep them refrigerated in a mesh or perforated bag that allows for some air circulation.

Do you have to score chestnuts before roasting?
Definitely. It’s one of the most important prep steps when cooking fresh chestnuts. Use a good paring knife to score an X through the shell on the flat side of each chestnut. This allows steam to escape as the chestnuts roast and makes them easier to peel.

How do you know when roasted chestnuts are done?
Look for the scored shells to begin opening and curling back from the chestnut inside. In my experience, this takes about 20–25 minutes in the oven and about 30 minutes using my stovetop method. Roasting over a hot fire may be a little faster, so keep an eye on them. The chestnut inside should be tender when it’s done.

Why are my roasted chestnuts hard to peel?
For the easiest peeling, work with roasted chestnuts while they’re still warm. If the shells didn’t open very far during roasting, chances are they weren’t scored deeply enough. You can use a paring knife to help remove a stubborn shell while the chestnut is still warm.

How to Make Heidi’s Pepper Blend

Heidi’s Hot Pepper Blend

You will see this called for in the recipe above, and if you have cooked with me before you know it turns up in just about everything I make. It is a blend I came up with years ago, and it packs a wonderful, aromatic punch that a plain pepper mill just cannot touch.

• Lampong peppercorns
• Tellicherry peppercorns
• White peppercorns
• Pink peppercorns
• Whole coriander seeds

Use equal amounts of each. I get my peppercorns and corinder seeds from Spicewalla, the terrific Asheville, NC spice company. Why coriander? It gives the blend a bit of a citrusy edge. Combine everything and grind to your liking, fine or coarse, in a coffee or spice grinder. It is the essential oils released from the freshly ground peppercorns that make all the difference, so grind in small batches as you need them.

One important note: skip the handheld pepper mill for this one. The pink peppercorns are too soft and will gum it up, so a coffee or spice grinder is the way to go. When you are done, grind a tablespoon or two of coffee beans and toss them out. They act as a filter and clear the pepper taste from the grinder, so it is ready for your coffee come morning.

More About Heidi Billotto

I’m Heidi Billotto, a Charlotte, NC-based food and travel writer, cooking instructor and the Executive Producer of the NCRLA Chef Showdown. Much of what I do comes back to the same thing: connecting people through food.

Over the years, I’ve built wonderful relationships with small family farmers, chefs, independent producers and makers across North Carolina and beyond. I love sharing their stories, introducing you to the people behind the food we eat, and showing you how to bring local ingredients home to your own table.

I write about food and food-focused travel, teach cooking classes, appear on television and radio, and spend a lot of time at farmers markets. Curiosity usually leads the way. I want to know who grew it, who made it, where it came from and, of course, what we can cook with it.

I love what I do, and I love sharing the people, places and food I discover along the way with all of you.

And whenever you see those five little words, #TellThemHeidiSentYou, know that they are my personal seal of approval. It means I have been there, I believe in the folks behind it, and I am sending you their way with my whole heart.

So go on… Visit A Way of Life Farm for local NC chestnuts, pork chops and more; and shop with the other farmers and producers mentioned in this article as well. Shop local farmers markets and farm stores whereever you live and Shop and support local businesses, too. And, when you do, be sure to…

#TellThemHeidiSentYou