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"Marrone del Mugello" PGI (PGI=Protected Geographical Indication) is a quality trademark recognized by the European Community with regulation n. 1263/96 for fruits (fresh, dried or milled as flour) and obtained from European Chestnut Trees (Castanea sativa Mill.) growing in the Mugello area (Tuscany-Italy). The chestnut fruit has a particular chemical composition, very rich in carbohydrates and in starch, that decrease during the post harvest period. In the Mugello area (Tuscany-Italy) is diffused a traditional post-harvest methodology that belong to the past: the "water curing", that extends the preservation of these fruits up to four months. In fact "water curing" was known in the past as "novena" which means that fresh chestnut fruits were kept for nine days in the water to extend their shelf life. The objective of this method is to reduce the development of fungi during the storage processes and at the same time to promote the death of worms living in the chestnut fruits. This paper reports some preliminary results of some tests carried out during this treatment to verify its ability to preserve the nutritional values of chestnut fruits. Effects of "water curing" on the fungi development were observed.

European chestnut has been cultivated in the Mugello territory (Tuscany) since the period of the Roman Empire. Marrone del Mugello chestnut was awarded PGI recognition (Protected Geographical Indication) for its typical natural and biological characteristics with EC Regulation n.1263/96. This paper reports the main results obtained after four years of evaluation of several samples of Marrone del Mugello PGI collected in the area of the Protected Geographical Indication, by means of chemical and sensorial tests and taking into account the complexity of compounds. The analysed samples included fresh nuts, fresh cured nuts, dried nuts and flour. Curing is a preservation process that consists in pouring chestnuts in water for almost seven days. The drying process is done according to the traditional method in special drying-houses ("metati") and takes about 40 days by warming up to 35-40°C the chestnuts. The dried nut is separated mechanically from shell and episperm and it could then be marketed as whole dried nut or milled to obtain flour. Macronutrients, microelements, vitamins and antioxidants (especially biophenols and tocopherols) were chemically analysed to underline the nutritional qualities of the fruit. Chemical analysis reveals high nutritional value and healthy compounds, justifying Marrone del Mugello PGI as part of the Mediterranean diet. Sensory analysis, with a specific Panel Test by trained assessors, provides a qualitative and quantitative characterization of Marrone del Mugello PGI taste and flavour. A preliminary investigation of the aroma compounds of chestnut flour was also carried out using an HS-SPME/GC-MS method.