Raw chestnuts are harvested in spiny pods, shown above in the Campo di Fiori market in Rome.
They are roasted and sold by street vendors in Rome and around the world.
The soft buttery sweet meat is a fleeting seasonal treat. |
For a sinful treat, dip them in melted butter and sprinkle a little salt on them. Chestnuts also make great soups, stews, stuffings, candies and desserts.
Chestnuts are grown on trees, harvested in September and October, and they keep a few months if refrigerated. Problem is, most grocers do not refrigerate them. So they get moldy, especially in December and beyond. Problem is you usually cannot see the mold until you peel them. If you buy chestnuts in late December or January, you run the risk of 1/3 or more being inedible. If you can, toss them in a bucket of water before you buy. Good nuts will usually sink, and moldy ones will usually float. Problem is you can't very well do this in a store. One thing you can do is select those that are not cracked. Cracked nuts won't get moldy, but they will get hard as rocks.
If the nuts are very fresh, you need to only prepare exactly what you need. If they are getting a bit old, or if your grocer has not kept them chilled, prepare about 50% more knowing that several will be moldy. Do not eat moldy nuts.
The solution is to buy chestnuts early in the season and refrigerate them. Otherwise, buy them frozen or dried. If you buy them dried you need to rehydrate them by soaking in water.
Grilling chestnuts. Rinse and score the shells. Fire up your grill to medium-high. Put the nuts on the grates cut side down and close the lid. Roast until the shell peels back and begins to scorch and the meat starts to turn golden, perhaps 10 minutes.
Broiling chestnuts in an oven. This is the indoor method I use most often. Rinse and score the shells. Turn the oven on broil and put a rack on the highest level. Put the nuts in a pan cut side up on the top rack. Cook for about 10 minutes, depending on how close they are to the heat, until the shell curls and scorches and the meat begins to turn golden. Don't let the meat burn.
Roasting chestnuts in the oven. Rinse and score the shells. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Roast on a center shelf until the meats are tender and easily pierced by a knife or toothpick, about 25-30 minutes.
Boiling chestnuts. Rinse and score the shells. Start a pot of water boiling. Drop in the nuts and boil for about 15 minutes. Boiled chestnuts can be hard to peel.
Steaming chestnuts. Rinse and score the shells. Start the steamer, and after the water is boiling put the nuts in the steamer compartment. Steam for 15 minutes. They come out nice and soft and moist but they they are a bit harder to peel, and the flavor is not as rich as the dry heat methods.
Microwaving chestnuts. Rinse and score the shells. Set your microwave on 100 percent power, place them on a plate and nuke them for a measly 1 minute or until tender. The exact time may vary from microwave to microwave and depending on how many nuts you are cooking.
I like serving warm chestnuts with a hot drink, especially glögg, hot buttered rum or herb tea. They also go well with port, sherry and other fortified wines as well as a good brandy such as Cognac. How do you serve chestnuts?
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It was first time I tried them. It was real nice to try at least once.
Oh, never mind; figured it out... No copy editor.
You've provided great insight into the process and alternatives. Thanks, I did not know about the float/sink test. I've only experimented with oven roasting. I was told that the nut shells would soften and be easier to cut if soaked at least 20 minutes, so I haven't tried simply rinsing. I would add only one tip that I ran across that seemed to be just what was needed. Wrap or cover the hot, roasted nuts with a dish towel, then crush or squeeze them against one another with the towel -- they may actually crackle a little -- which serves to help separate the nut from the shell and the "papery cuticle", usually making them imminently more peelable. The towel also serves to hold the heat.
More than anything -- if anyone hasn't yet revived this old tradition of roasting and eating hot chestnuts, do try it. Thanks so much for writing about them.
Excellent source of nutrition, too.