Elizabeth Bailey
Yay, autumn is chestnut time! You can roast the edible chestnuts in the oven or cook them in a pot with their wonderfully nutty-sweet aroma. Here you can find out how to properly prepare chestnuts.
Freshly roasted chestnuts from a stand at the weekly market or Christmas market are a small delicacy, but unfortunately quite expensive. If you look in the forest or in the nearby park, you are guaranteed to find chestnuts there. You can recognize chestnuts by their skin, which is studded with many fine, long thorns. A nice shiny skin is a sign that the fruit of the chestnut is fresh. Of course, you can also buy chestnuts in the supermarket or at the market.
Roast the chestnuts in the oven
Chestnuts taste particularly delicious when they are roasted in the oven. Then their sweet and nutty taste unfolds optimally – and the edible chestnuts taste like fresh from the Christmas market.
Using a sharp knife, cut a cross into the pointed side of the chestnut skin. This will prevent cracking. The cut should be about an inch and a half, reaching the pulp.
Now the chestnuts are allowed to roast in the oven at 175 degrees. Place the chestnuts cut side up on the baking sheet.
After about 20 minutes, the chestnuts are completely roasted. You can tell that it’s time for a little taste by the fact that the shell has turned dark and the indentations have opened slightly.
Peel the chestnuts and enjoy them while they are still warm.
Tips for roasting chestnuts:
If you put a fireproof bowl with water in the oven, the chestnuts will not dry out.
You can soak the chestnuts in water for an hour before roasting them in the oven. Then they’ll be easier to peel later.
If you don’t want to heat up the oven, you can also prepare chestnuts in the pan. Again, score the fruit before toasting it over low heat. The chestnuts do not need any fat. Don’t forget to turn them regularly, otherwise the chestnuts will burn.
Prepare chestnuts as a side dish in the pot
Chestnuts are rich in starch, which makes them a valuable and healthy side dish that can replace good old potatoes in autumn.
How to cook chestnuts in a pot:
Score the chestnuts crosswise.
Boil the chestnuts in lightly salted water for about 15 minutes. The chestnuts should be completely covered with water.
When the chestnuts have cooled, you can remove the peel.
Preparing chestnuts: Good to know
Chestnut season is from the end of September to December.
Chestnuts are a real power food: They contain a lot of protein, potassium, calcium, magnesium, as well as vitamins E, C and B vitamins. The edible chestnuts contain only two grams of fat per 100 grams.
You can recognize fresh chestnuts by their smooth skin. The shell should not be damaged. If you want to be sure that the chestnuts are fresh, you can do the water test: put the chestnuts in a bowl of water. You can safely sort out the fruit that floats on top, they are no longer good.
You can store fresh chestnuts in the refrigerator for one to two weeks.
Chestnuts can be used in many ways in the kitchen: They taste wonderful as a snack, but also as an accompaniment to poultry and game dishes, as a filling for a festive roast, in a simple pasta dish, as chestnut soup or as a sweet chestnut spread.
