Here’s the result of our last resort baking method:
Yes, they’re inedible. But not because they’re bitter and poisonous. Just because the little suckers burned to a crisp. I kept waiting to hear them pop, since that’s when the instructions said they’d be done. No popping. Just smoking. Then utter ruin.
Followed by the scrapping of the rest of the chestnuts and all of my dreams. That’s right. We threw them all away. All three of those gallon bags filled to bursting with beautiful amber nuts, free and chock full of promise. No more.
See, we gave serious thought to the buckeye possibility. They look so similar, and we picked up chestnuts, or nuts at least, from so many different trees, in three different states — how were we going to distinguish the chestnut from the buckeye? In a different era, perhaps I would have made an effort. But life changes, meals get simpler, and foraged nuts go by the wayside. Or in this case, the curbside.
Magrilless 
The important thing is that you stuck it out to the “bitter” end.
u can't even compost those suckers…would take a few thousand years just to decompose that outer shell
yikes….what saga next?
Ahaa! As I predicted! Say it loud so I can hear “You were right Aunt Charlotte!” I promise to give you some nuts at Christmas that you can roast that will come out wonderfully. Don't know yet what they'll be, and there may only be four or five of them, but “Trust Me”, they'll be marvelous! Love you! Charlotte
OK, i'm fixated on this chestnut roasting thing. See site below for detailed roasting information but note the author compares her Whole Foods chestnuts to NYC by-the-vendor chestnuts. there is still a cooking mystery here.
http://startcooking.com/blog/299/How-to-Roast-Chestnuts