2006-11-12 23:20:49 · 16 answers · asked by Anonymous in Home & Garden ➔ Other - Home & Garden
In the middle ages Horse chestnut was ground down to make flour and used to make bread. It is not advisable to eat them as you will end up with one almighty stomach pain.
Sweet chestnuts not grown in prolification in the UK can be eaten. And can be identified by an outerskin which is more prickly but softer than it's counterpart the horse chestnut which incased in a much firmer but less prickly outerskin.
Most of the sweet chestnuts eaten in the UK are imported from places like Portugal where they are grown for commercial puposes.
So err on the side of caution and only eat those chestnuts bought from your local supermarket or greengrocery store.
Happy roasting! '
Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Jack frost nipping at my toes, Yuletide carols being sung by the choir and folk dressed up as Eskimos' Soon be roasting time!
2006-11-12 23:35:20 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
No its not safe. Conkers are horse chestnuts. They're poisonous.
You are thinking of Sweet Chestnuts; they are edible but a totally different tree.
Sweet chestnut shells have a dense coat of fine spines.
Horse chestnuts (conkers) have fewer, stronger spines.
But you'd have to have two together to compare them to see the difference. Try googling for images.
2006-11-12 23:31:04 · answer #2 · answered by sarah c 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Don't.
The nuts are poisonous, containing the alkaloid saponin, but some mammals, notably deer, are able to break down the toxins and eat them safely. They are reputed to be good for horses with wind, but this is unproven and feeding them to horses is not advisable. The saponin aescin, however, has been used for health purposes (such as varicose veins, edema, sprains) and is available in food supplements.
2006-11-12 23:23:54 · answer #3 · answered by Me 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Eat them and tell us what happens. im very very interested as i would also like to eat conkers. Maybe ask a squirrel?
2006-11-13 00:18:00 · answer #4 · answered by mikadoo_86 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No thses are probably Horse chestnuts and are poison. They're not the same as sweet chestnuts
2006-11-12 23:23:23 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You can't eat conkers (horse chestnuts) you can eat chestnuts though!
2006-11-12 23:22:57 · answer #6 · answered by Lupee 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
They are NOT edible and somewhat poisonous, don't even try to eat them,or you might have a serious tummy ache.
2006-11-16 03:46:18 · answer #7 · answered by alex winefly 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Don't eat them.My sister in laws new puppy ate one a couple of weeks ago and was really poorly and nearly died.
2006-11-12 23:45:00 · answer #8 · answered by kerrie h 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not safe to eat.
2006-11-12 23:24:35 · answer #9 · answered by I'm Sparticus 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
no, horsechestnuts will give you a stomach ache. You can eat sweetchestnuts though, these should be roasted.
2006-11-13 00:46:01 · answer #10 · answered by Michael H 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋