Michigan Chestnuts
Fresh from the Harvest
Fresh chestnuts grown in Southwest Michigan, available straight from the orchard during U-Pick season or shipped directly to your door.
Bring the harvest home.
Order fresh Michigan-grown chestnuts during harvest season and have them packed and shipped directly from the orchard.
Pick your own.
Spend a fall day among the trees and gather your own chestnuts during our annual U-Pick season.
A short season worth waiting for.
Chestnut harvest typically arrives in early fall, with online ordering and U-pick availability changing throughout the season.
AUGUST
GROWING
LATE SEPTEMBER
HARVEST BEGINS
EARLY OCTOBER
PEAK SEASON
LATE OCTOBER
FINAL HARVEST
This season’s chestnuts
Grown, harvested, packed, and shipped from Southwest Michigan. Choose your chestnut size and quantity, and we'll take it from there.
5 POUNDS
Approximately 1"–1.5" diameter
Fresh Michigan-grown chestnuts harvested from our Southwest Michigan orchard. Our Medium/Large chestnuts are selected for size and consistency and packed for shipping during the harvest season.
Perfect for roasting, cooking, holiday recipes, or simply enjoying fresh.
Walk the rows.
Bring home the harvest.
Each fall, Black River Orchards opens its chestnut grove for U-pick. Spend some time outside, explore the orchard, and take home chestnuts you gathered yourself.
Come for the chestnuts or make a day of it. Families return year after year to enjoy the orchard during one of the best times of year in Southwest Michigan.
OCTOBER 3-18
WEEKENDS
11:00AM - 5:00PM
Weekdays available by appointment
WE PROVIDE THE TOOLS
Nut Wizards, buckets, and everything you need
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What do chestnut sizes mean?
Chestnuts are sorted by diameter. Black River Orchards primarily offers Small and Medium/Large chestnuts, depending on the season’s harvest.
SMALL
Less than 1" in diameterMEDIUM
Approximately 1"–1.125" in diameterLARGE
Approximately 1.125"–1.25" in diameterLarger chestnuts may also be available depending on the season and crop.
Size affects the number of chestnuts you’ll receive per pound, but not the quality of the chestnut itself.
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How should I store my chestnuts?
Fresh chestnuts have a higher moisture content than most nuts and should be kept refrigerated after they arrive.
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How do I prepare fresh chestnuts?
Fresh chestnuts can be roasted, boiled, or incorporated into both sweet and savory recipes. Unlike many other nuts, chestnuts need to be cooked before they're enjoyed.
Before roasting, the shell should be scored to allow steam to escape during cooking.
Then I'd eventually give them a simple three-step preparation:
SCORE
Carefully cut an "X" through the shell.ROAST
25-35 minutes at 425 degrees FPEEL & ENJOY
Peel while still warm for easier removal of the shell and inner skin.
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What kind of chestnuts do you grow?
Our orchard is home to several Chinese chestnut varieties. These trees are known for their hardiness and disease resistance, while producing chestnuts with excellent taste and consistency.
With approximately 700 trees growing across 10 acres, the orchard includes trees planted across multiple generations—from some of the property's earliest plantings more than 30 years ago to newer additions planted in 2006 and 2021.
New to chestnuts?
Start here.
From our orchard to your door
Orders are packed for shipment and sent via UPS for fast delivery during the season.
1–3 DAYS
Typical transit time once shipped
UPS
3-day shipping
U.S. SHIPPING
We are unable to ship to CA, OR, WA, AK & HI.
Don’t miss the harvest
Chestnuts are available for a limited season each year. Join the orchard list for pre-sale announcements, U-Pick dates, harvest updates, and ordering availability.