Free food!

@Fleura (32873)
United Kingdom
October 5, 2025 4:27am CST
I can never resist free food, especially when I know that if I don’t take it, it will go to waste, which just offends my sensibilities! Just a bit further along our road there is a sweet chestnut tree at the bottom of someone’s garden, overhanging the road (which is actually a narrow lane, wide enough for one car). It’s quite a young tree, and I have seen it grow up over the last few years from a youngster to a mature ‘adult’ (if trees can be considered adult). Two years ago we found a few chestnuts fallen in the road, and picked up a handful on the walks to and from the school bus (there’s no path, so we have to walk in the road anyway). It was a shame to see the fallen chestnuts smooshed into mush by cars if we were not early enough to find the ones that had fallen overnight. Last year there were a few more, but this year – whether it’s because the tree is more mature or the weather was more suitable I don’t know – there are lots, and good sized ones too. And we’ve had some blustery weather which is bringing them down all over the place! Even more conveniently, most of them fall out of their cases which avoids the tedious chore of prising them out of the spiky shells What I find strange (although lucky for me I guess!) is that no-one else bothers to pick any up, even now that 'foraging' has become trendy. Some people just walk past, giving me funny looks; most people drive over them, leaving a mushy mess all over the road. I wonder how many of those same people buy expensive chestnuts from the shops? All rights reserved. © Text and image copyright Fleur 2025.
10 people like this
11 responses
@LadyDuck (485019)
• Italy
5 Oct
I love chestnuts, this is the right season to pick them up, we can also find walnuts, figs and with a bit of luck mushrooms. I learnt in Switzerland to prepare "vermicelles" (also called Mont Blacn) with boiled mashed chestnuts, sugar and whipped cream.
3 people like this
@LadyDuck (485019)
• Italy
5 Oct
@Fleura I love marons glacés, but they are so expensive.
1 person likes this
@Fleura (32873)
• United Kingdom
6 Oct
@LadyDuck I think I will try making some, they would make nice Christmas gifts for a couple of friends.
1 person likes this
@Fleura (32873)
• United Kingdom
5 Oct
That sounds interesting, I have never tried that. I have eaten other chestnut desserts before, and I love marons glaces as well.
1 person likes this
@Juliaacv (54791)
• Canada
5 Oct
It is a shame that people no longer use the food that grows on trees such as chestnuts. The health value of those nuts is amazing, and they are delicious. I haven't had any in years.
2 people like this
@Fleura (32873)
• United Kingdom
5 Oct
People have lost touch with nature. They would rather drive past an apple tree and buy apples from the supermarket in a plastic bag.
1 person likes this
@Juliaacv (54791)
• Canada
5 Oct
@Fleura I love your analogy, we went to an apple orchard yesterday as a family. Our little 3-year old granddaughters know full well where the apples in the store come from, and what a freshly picked apple off of the tree tastes like.
1 person likes this
@Fleura (32873)
• United Kingdom
5 Oct
@Juliaacv I'm just reading 'We' by Yevgeny Zamyatin, a futuristic story in which the entire human population lives in a metropolis cut off from all the rest of nature by 'the green wall'. Sometimes I feel as if we are heading that way
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_(novel)
1 person likes this
@rakski (149227)
• Philippines
6 Oct
Free food is good!!!
1 person likes this
@Fleura (32873)
• United Kingdom
6 Oct
Absolutely, and these are quite a treat!
1 person likes this
@rakski (149227)
• Philippines
6 Oct
@Fleura that is true!
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (364136)
• Rockingham, Australia
6 Oct
I hate seeing food going to waste too. We foraged for quandongs the other day then found out the trees are protected. So I guess we won't be picking any more.
1 person likes this
@Fleura (32873)
• United Kingdom
6 Oct
Whoops! But you didn't harm the trees so that should be OK.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (364136)
• Rockingham, Australia
6 Oct
@Fleura We haven't seen a ranger the whole time we've been away so I think we're pretty safe.
1 person likes this
@Ronrybs (21026)
• London, England
5 Oct
I don't think I've seen a sweet chestnut out in the wild. Actually, not too sure that I've eaten a chestnut
1 person likes this
@Fleura (32873)
• United Kingdom
5 Oct
What never?
1 person likes this
@Fleura (32873)
• United Kingdom
6 Oct
@Ronrybs Yes I think so, we were picking the best ones in July!
1 person likes this
@Ronrybs (21026)
• London, England
6 Oct
@Fleura I don't think so, I should get around to it one day. Meanwhile, I am wondering if I've left it too late to go blackberry picking?
1 person likes this
@Nevena83 (65559)
• Serbia
6 Oct
I love chestnuts, they remind me of my childhood.
1 person likes this
@Fleura (32873)
• United Kingdom
6 Oct
Did you go gathering them in the woods?
1 person likes this
@Nevena83 (65559)
• Serbia
6 Oct
@Fleura As a child, while I lived in Slovenia, I collected them, I haven't seen them here in Serbia, but they can be bought when autumn arrives.
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (104238)
• United States
5 Oct
It’s such a good idea. I don’t eat chestnuts, but plenty of people sure do.
1 person likes this
@Fleura (32873)
• United Kingdom
5 Oct
We eat them quite a lot because the rest of my family don't like mushrooms, and chestnuts make quite a good substitute in things like breads and stews. We like the traditional roasted chestnuts too, and last year I discovered a recipe for chestnut roulade, which was really yummy!
2 people like this
@AmbiePam (104238)
• United States
5 Oct
@Fleura That looks delicious!
1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (123634)
• Marion, Ohio
5 Oct
I pick available food wherever I can
1 person likes this
@Fleura (32873)
• United Kingdom
5 Oct
I am the gatherer part of our hunter-gatherer heritage for sure
1 person likes this
@JESSY3236 (21153)
• United States
7 Oct
cool. I never had one.
1 person likes this
@Traceyjayne (5821)
• United Kingdom
7 Oct
I wish we had one of those trees near us ….we only have conkers
@LindaOHio (203385)
• United States
5 Oct
I haven't had chestnuts since I lived at home with my parents. They used to roast them in the bottom of the oven. Yum! I'm glad you were able to find a bunch on the ground.
1 person likes this
@Fleura (32873)
• United Kingdom
5 Oct
We just roasted sine now, they are good.
1 person likes this