Picking Sweet Chestnuts with the Kids

As autumn rolls in, our Nordic woods transform, showcasing a stunning array of colors and offering up nature’s bounty for us to explore and enjoy. Among the diverse range of trees, sweet chestnut trees have found their home here, a surprising but welcome addition to our local flora.

These trees have been part of our landscape for around 300 years, having traveled from warmer climates to take root in our Nordic soil. They’ve adapted well, but it takes a special kind of microclimate for them to truly thrive and bear fruit.

Our sweet chestnut trees do bear fruit, and while not every nut is perfect, enough of them mature to make foraging a worthwhile adventure. Our children know the signs of a ripe chestnut: the spiky green husks fallen on the ground, splitting open to reveal the glossy brown nut inside. When they find these treasures, they can’t wait to bring them home, their faces beaming with pride and anticipation.

“Can we roast them?” they ask, their bucket filled with the promise of a delicious treat. And how can we say no? Roasting sweet chestnuts is a simple pleasure, one that brings the family together and connects us with the natural world around us.

It's a fun and rewarding way to engage with nature, and it provides a tasty treat for the whole family to enjoy. As we savor the sweet, nutty flavor of the roasted chestnuts, we’re reminded of the beauty of nature and the joy that comes from exploring it with the ones we love.