Boiled Chestnuts
To prepare the chestnuts, thoroughly rinse themand then score the rounded side in an X pattern. Your cuts should go about halfway through the nut.
Once you’ve scored them, you can see the fleshy interior. Throw out any nuts that aredark brown or black on the inside. Ideally, the flesh should bea light tan.
A healthy chestnut has light colored flesh like the one shown here.
Boil the Chestnuts for 1/2 hour.
While they are boiling, preheat the oven to 425°F.
When they are finished boiling,strain the water and place the chestnuts scored-side up on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake at 425°F for about 5 minutes. The flesh should still be moist.
You want to peel them when they are still warm from the oven so it helps to use a towel to protect your hands. Peel the outer, leathery layer off as well as in the inner skin. It’s the meaty middle that you’re after!
To keep the nuts moist, store them in a jar with a lid and keep them in the fridge.
Pressure Cooked Chestnuts
You can achieve the super soft consistency of boiled chestnuts in a pressure cooker fairly quickly. You just need enough water to cover the scored nuts inside the cooker. Bring to pressure, and cook for 8 minutes. Then strain the water and peel the nuts with a towel while they are still warm. Pressure cookingcreates the creamiest texture.
1 serving = 5 chestnuts
Calories: 70
Carbohydrate: 15 g
Protein: 1 g
Fat: 1 g
