The Australian chestnut season is well underway, with Easter seeing the first of this year's local harvest devoured.

Chestnut growers are reporting strong early quality and steady supply as the season gathers momentum, with the North East growing areas around Myrtleford, Bright, Beechworth and Stanley again expected to deliver approximately 75 per cent of Australia’s chestnut crop.

Myrtleford grower Stef Antonello said the season is looking really promising.

"While the dry, cool weather delayed harvest, nut quality is looking good and we had been working hard to ensure chestnuts were ready to be roasted over the Easter long weekend," he said.

The North East region’s altitude and cool winters continues to underpin consistent supply to Melbourne, Sydney and interstate markets.

The remaining crops are grown in key production areas including Batlow, Orange, Tenterfield, Southern Tablelands in NSW, the Adelaide hills, South West Western Australia and Northern Tasmania.

Chestnuts are harvested once they fall naturally from the tree, making post-harvest handing critical throughout the season.

To retain freshness and minimise moisture loss, nuts must be cooled quickly and kept refrigerated throughout the supply chain.

Unlike traditional dry nuts, chestnuts are considered a fresh product.

Chestnuts Australia president, Brian Casey, said maintaining an unbroken cold chain from orchard through to retail is essential for protecting quality, shelf life and consumer confidence.

“With early quality looking strong and volumes building, the focus is on good management throughout the supply chain to make sure chestnuts arrive in market in peak condition,” he said.

“If we get the handling right from the orchard to the retailer, we should be set up for a successful season.”

Long valued in many food cultures, chestnuts hold a particularly strong place in Italian communities, where they are closely tied to family cooking, shared meals and local celebration.

That tradition will be on display in locally at both the Wandi Nut Festival this month, and Myrtleford's La Fiera Italian festival celebrating food, culture and chestnuts in mid-May.

For more information, including recipes, storage advice and cooking tips, visit the Chestnuts Australia website: https://www.chestnutsaustraliainc.com.au/.