How to boil and peel chestnuts

Chestnuts are quite expensive and the big ones are about 5 Euros a kilo and smaller ones around 3 Euros, so when last week I found a bargain at the farmers’ market of 1.50 Euros a kilo I bought 5 kilos!!! The chestnuts were quite big, sweet and I did not have to throw any away.

With the Christmas holidays now approaching I could think of a few recipes I wanted to use them in, so as during the holidays I didn’t want to spend lots of hours peeling them, I decided to do this time consuming and difficult job now.

How to peel chestnuts:

The first step is to place the nut on its flat side and then score it on the rounded side, either crosswise or just horizontally.

Second step is to either roast, grill or boil them.   See how to roast or grill them here.

In order to boil them, place them in a sauce pan, cover them with water bring to a boil and then simmer for 20 minutes if you want to get nuts which you can cook further or more if you want them to become soft inside, give them ten more minutes.

Last step is to peel them.  They should be warm in order to peel them as the shell and pellicle are removed easier.

Store in airtight containers in the refrigerator for a week or for many months in the deep freezer.

Tags: Chestnuts, How to.., Tips-cooking