When do chestnuts ripen, and what are their benefits?
Chestnut, long known as the “king of dried fruits,” originated in China and is distributed in Vietnam, Taiwan, China, and mainland China. Many people love eating chestnuts, and they have high nutritional value. So when do chestnuts ripen? What are their benefits? Let's find out together below:
When do chestnuts ripen?
Chestnuts ripen between September and October.
In early May, as the weather warms up, chestnuts begin to sprout; from late May to early June, chestnuts begin to bloom; between September and October, the chestnuts slowly split open, and the chestnuts awaited for a year are finally about to ripen.
After chestnuts ripen, some fall naturally once mature, while others require standing under the chestnut tree and striking the branches with a bamboo pole, causing the chestnuts to fall. Sometimes some fall together with the spiky outer husk still attached, and getting pricked by the spines is commonplace, but looking at the harvest makes it all worthwhile.
There is a Chinese folk saying: “Hawthorns in the eighth month, chestnuts laughing heartily in the tenth month.” October is the season when the fragrance of chestnuts fills the air.
Benefits of chestnuts
1. Rich in unsaturated fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals
They can help prevent and treat high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, arteriosclerosis, osteoporosis, and other diseases. They are an excellent nourishing food for anti-aging and longevity, long known as the “king of dried fruits,” and together with dates and persimmons are called “iron-sturdy crops” and “woody grain”;
2. Contains riboflavin
Regular consumption of chestnuts is beneficial for mouth and tongue sores in children that are slow to heal and for oral ulcers in adults;
3. High in carbohydrates
They can supply the body with more heat energy and help with fat metabolism, with effects of tonifying qi and strengthening the spleen, and nourishing and reinforcing the stomach and intestines;
4. Rich in vitamin C
It can maintain the normal function of teeth, bones, blood vessels, and muscles, and can prevent and treat osteoporosis, soreness and weakness of the lower back and legs, muscle and bone pain, fatigue, and so on, delaying human aging. It is an ideal health fruit for the elderly.