Roasting Chestnuts

Warm up on those cold winter nights with some traditionally toasty chestnuts. A roasted chestnut is tender and sweet. Add a pinch of salt for a different taste.

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Place a chestnut on a "deep" dish towel that is lying flat on a cutting board or countertop. This will allow the chestnut to "sink" into the dish towel and keeps it from rolling while you make the cuts in the next step.
3. Use a sharp knife to cut an X into one side of the chestnut to allow the steam caused by roasting to escape, otherwise, the chestnut will explode.
4. Place each chestnut with the cuts facing up onto the cookie sheet.
5. Roast 20 to 30 minutes or until chestnuts are tender, easy to peel, golden brown in color, and the shells are beginning to open.
6. Peel nuts when they are cool enough to handle, and serve with salt if desired.
7. Enjoy!

Tips

• Start checking the chestnuts after twenty minutes for shells that are open and the insides look "golden".
• Use an oven mitt to remove the chestnuts from the cookie sheet.
• Use dry, firm chestnuts; very soft and very hard chestnuts might be rotted.
• An overcooked chestnut is dried out and hard.
• Hot chestnuts peel easier than cold ones.
• Cover the chestnuts with a towel to keep them warm while serving.
• Try a little salt on your chestnuts.
• If the inner skins do not come off easily, the chestnut is either undercooked or overcooked.

Warnings

Preparing Chestnuts

To peel fresh chestnuts, first cut them in half or cut a slit in the shell with a knife, then heat them for 5 minutes in boiling water or in a hot oven (400 degrees F), and remove the shells while the chestnuts are still warm. The inner skin, called the pellicle, can be eaten or removed. Chestnuts require 30-60 minutes cooking time, depending on desired softness. Cooked chestnuts can be pureed in a food processor.

Dried chestnuts must be rehydrated by simmering them in water for 30 minutes before they can be used.

Source: Empire Chestnut Company, (http://www.empirechestnut.com/prep.htm)

Storing Chestnuts

At harvest time, chestnuts have a bland, starchy flavor and a crisp, carrot-like texture (they are about 50% water). As they dry, in a process called "curing", they become softer and some of the starch converts to sugar. At about 30% moisture, they are sweet, soft, and at the best stage to eat. Unfortunately, such cured chestnuts are very susceptible to mold, and should be promptly consumed. Fresh chestnuts should always be refrigerated in order to delay molding. Chestnuts will keep longer in the crispy, high-moisture condition than if they are stored in a cured condition. Another method for long-term storage is to quickly dry the chestnuts down to 15% or less moisture. Dried chestnuts can be stored at room temperature until used.

In a crispy, fresh condition, chestnuts will keep for two months or more in the refrigerator; for long-term storage they should be stored in a thin plastic bag (grocery bag works fine). Before they are at their best for eating, though, they need to dry slightly - either for a few days at room temperature or for a week or so in a mesh bag in the refrigerator.

Source: Empire Chestnut Company, (http://www.empirechestnut.com/prep.htm)

Why is the skin sticking to the chestnut?

Could you tell me how to roast chestnuts so that the meat [of the nut] does not stick to the [inner] skin? - Jake, Wednesday, February 27, 2002 11:27 AM

The pellicle protects the nut, and roasting causes this inner skin to dry and flake. The inner skin, called the pellicle, can be eaten or removed. When removing, the pellicle should peel easily with the shell after roasting. Rub your thumb against the skin to remove any stubborn inner skin left after shelling. In addition, you should be able to pull out any skin that gets stuck in the nut's folds.

In my experience, if the inner skin is sticking to the nut then the chestnut:

• is not completely roasted,
• it is over-roasted, or
• it has gotten too cold after roasting.

Under-roasting does not break the bond between the nut, pellicle, and shell. This allows the pellicle to stick to the nut when shelling. Over-roasting causes the skin to dry and "fuse" to the surface of the nut. Making it difficult to remove the inner skin from the nut. In addition, the skin of a cooled chestnut is difficult to remove.

If the nut is hard or dry then it is roasted too much. A properly roasted chestnuts is soft and will crumble or mash if pinched with your fingers. Both over- and under-roasted chestnuts are still quite hard when pinched.

Thursday, February 28, 2002 5:33 PM

More Information

Purchased bulk chestnuts for $3.99 per pound at Albertsons on 24 Nov 2004..

Bulk chestnuts for $5.99 per pound at Ralph's on 1 Dec 2004, which had mold stains, and the nuts were very hard and deep brown in color. Yuk! The same nuts were on sale a week later for $3.99.

• Chestnuts Roasting by Ron Ottobre, Executive Chef, Mudd’s Restaurant
• eHow to Roast Chestnuts in the Oven
• New Hope for the American Chestnut