Pumpkin Center, Kern County, California. This article is about the unincorporated community in Kern County. For the unincorporated community in Lassen County, see Pumpkin Center, Lassen County, California.
Harvesting Chestnut Trees. After the chestnuts fall from the tree, watch for the spiny burs to split. Donât harvest chestnuts if the burs are still green and closed because the nuts inside will be unripe. Harvest the nuts every couple of days.
Wait for the chestnuts to fall to the ground. Gather up all of the nuts with open burrs. (You'll definitely want gloves for this job.) Remove the nuts from the burrs. Discard any with worm holes or other signs of damage. Promptly store the chestnuts in air-tight containers and refrigerate or freeze.