Chestnut Storage & Cooking

What are Edible Sweet Chestnuts:

Chestnuts are a starchy, slightly sweet, fall treat, enjoyed throughout Europe, the Mediterranean, and Asia. Most native chestnut trees in American succumbed to chestnut blight around the early 1900’s, but we still sing that classic song... “Chestnuts roasting on an open fire”. We are helping to bring back the chestnut tradition to the United States with European hybrid trees grown near Rogers City.

Storage:

Chestnuts are best kept in the refrigerator. If you want to save some for the holiday season (did someone, say chestnut stuffing for the Thanksgiving turkey?), put them in a zip-lock style bag with holes punched in it and keep them in the refrigerator. Chestnuts get sweeter and a little easier to peel as they age in cold storage.

Cooking:

♦ VERY IMPORTANT! Score the nuts prior to cooking. Use a knife or kitchen scissors to make a slit through the shell. This allows steam to escape and prevent chestnut explosions.

♦ Method 1: Score 5-8 nuts, put them in a microwavable safe container and wrap them with a damp paper towel. Microwave for 1.5 -2 minutes. Peel and enjoy!

♦ Method 2: Score nuts, Place on a baking sheet and roast at 425F for 25 min

♦ Method 3: Score nuts and boil in water for 20min

♦ Method 4: Score nuts and cook on the stove top in Dutch Oven or cast-iron pan. Roast nuts until done, moving them around in pan to prevent burning. Outsides will be toasted and pulling away from the score line when done.

♦ Find a wealth of other ideas on how to cook or cook with chestnuts on the Internet!