How to cook chestnuts (2024)

FAQs

Is it better to boil or roast chestnuts? ›

Oven-roasting chestnuts is the best way to bring out the fullest flavour (if you want to eat them straight away or chop them into your stuffing mix). Boiling them will give a smooth texture for cooking in soups or purées.

Roasting chestnuts can give them a tender texture while bringing out their natural sweetness. You don't necessarily need to soak them before roasting them, but it can go a long way in helping you to remove the shells after they're done cooking.

It's important to cut the chestnuts before boiling, this allows the water to penetrate the shell, and soften the chestnuts. If you see that the shell is difficult to remove, continue to boil for a few more minutes.

Boiled chestnuts are convenient when you want to use them as an ingredient in sweet and savory dishes such as soups, purees, cookies, and cakes. Here we cover everything you need to know about how to boil chestnuts on the stove top and how to peel the nuts from their shells after they have finished cooking.

You don't have to soak your chestnuts before roasting, but it does help a lot with peeling them and cutting them. Soak them in water for about an hour before you cut them and put in the oven, they will be easier to peel and moist inside.

When cooked, the shells will burst open, and the chestnut will be golden brown. Roast until the shells begin to peel back where you cut into them. “Keep a careful watch to ensure they are not overcooked or undercooked,” Patton says. “Either will result in hard chestnuts and the inner skin will be difficult to remove.”

These nuts are a good source of fiber, which helps keep you regular and supports the growth of healthy bacteria in your gut. Chestnuts are also gluten-free, which makes them a healthy choice for people with celiac disease. The fiber in chestnuts can also help balance your blood sugar.

Cooking them before you eat them, though not required, is strongly recommended, says Applegate. “It makes the starch more digestible.” The best cooking method depends on how you plan to use them, Kamp says. For snacks and salads, you want to keep the chestnuts dry, so roasting is her pick.

How Much Should You Eat? Aim for a healthy handful (30g) of chestnuts per day.

Preparing Chestnuts

Begin by rinsing the chestnuts thoroughly with cool water. Afterward, it's essential to score the chestnuts to prevent them from bursting during the cooking process. For effective scoring and better control, we recommend using a specialized chestnut knife.

Is it better to steam or boil chestnuts? ›

The boiling method is best if you want to turn them into a purée or sweet paste. The roasting method produces a drier nut and is better for soups, stews, stuffing mixtures, cakes and biscuits. Take a look at our recipe to make candied chestnuts, also called marrons glacés, here.

Chestnuts are commonly associated with the holiday season, but are a delicious treat to enjoy all year round. It's possible to eat them raw, though they are more common roasted. Regardless of how you prepare them, chestnuts are sure to be a welcome addition to your family's table.

If you over-cook OR under-cook them, they will get hard and the inner skin will be very difficult to remove. Now comes the hard part: peeling them! You need to peel them while they are still warm. Let them cool just enough so that you can touch them, then start peeling.

Chestnuts are a good source of many vitamins and minerals, such as copper, manganese, vitamin B6, vitamin C, thiamine, folate, riboflavin, and potassium. They are also a good source of fiber, with 15% of your daily needs in 10 roasted chestnuts.

If they cool off too much, that is, if you find that they become trickier to peel as you go, you can pop them back in the oven or the steamer for a few minutes to re-warm them.