John Myers
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Autumn is also the chestnut season, but before you can enjoy it, you have to peel the chestnuts. In this article, we will tell you how you can peel the chestnuts without too much effort.
Chestnuts to peel in the oven
In order to free the chestnuts from the hard shell, you first have to do a little preparatory work.
- First, carve a cross on the rounded side of the chestnuts.
- Then spread the chestnuts on a baking tray and moisten them.
- Also, place a small bowl of water on the baking sheet.
- Set your oven to around 200 degrees and, if possible, circulate air.
- After about half an hour, the shells of the chestnuts will usually have cracked open enough for you to take them out of the oven. To remove the skin, all you have to do is gently press on the chestnut. Otherwise, go under the cross with a sharp knife.
- Be sure to remove the brown skin underneath the shell as well. Otherwise, it will produce a bitter aftertaste.
- Note: Do not let the chestnuts cool down, but peel the fruits while they are still warm.
Cook chestnuts
- Another way to remove the skin from the chestnut is with hot water. Here, too, the chestnuts are first scratched in a cross shape on the curved side.
- Then put the chestnuts in a pot of hot water and let them cook for about 20 minutes. How long the chestnuts have to cook depends on the freshness of the chestnuts.
- The fresher the chestnuts are, the shorter the cooking time. You usually only have to cook freshly harvested chestnuts for just under ten minutes.
- After taking the chestnuts out of the water, you can peel them by going under the incision with a sharp knife.
- Note: Do not let the chestnuts cool down, but peel the nuts while they are still warm.
Prepare the chestnuts in the microwave for peeling
- You can also microwave the chestnuts after scoring them.
- It is important that you place the chestnuts in a closed container in the microwave.
- After about 30 seconds you can take the chestnuts out of the microwave.
- If most of the skins have not cracked off, put the chestnuts in the microwave again for a few seconds.
- Tip: It’s also fun to roast the chestnuts in a relaxed atmosphere on the grill or on an open fire.
