EcoPunk's Autumn Chestnuts

EcoPunk's Autumn Chestnuts

You've seen them in the store, and most people have exactly NO CLUE what they are, how to cook them, how to eat them, or what to serve them with. Chestnuts are one of America's perplexing foods, and apparently only the street vendors of New York and the residents of Redwall Abbey  know the secrets of cooking these little beauties.


No More! Let everyone know the wonder of the Chestnut!

How to pick the good ones:
December is the prime month for fresh chestnuts. Chestnuts are normally presented in the grocery store in a huge bin, and each customer is expected to pick the ones they like, much like green beans or fresh corn. This is how to pick the good ones:
1- Make sure the shell is intact, no bug holes or cracks.
2- Select nuts of a similar size, so that when you cook them they will all cook at the same rate.
3- Depending on how you plan to cook them, you may need to select nuts with a flat side (for roasting in the oven).
4- Always get them fresh, they don't store very well after you get them home. Treat them as you would fresh fruit.  You won't know if they are bad until you cook them. Don't try to eat them raw, they won't be very tasty, and nearly impossible to peel! On the other hand, eating raw chestnuts is not harmful, they just taste bad raw.

EcoPunk's Easy Steamed Chestnuts (very easy, good for dry climates where roasting them can sometimes dry them out too much to eat)

Select about 6-10 nuts per person.
Using a paring knife, cut a slit in each shell to prevent them from exploding.
Using a steaming pot, add a very generous amount of water in the bottom, place all nuts in the steaming tray, and boil briskly for about half an hour. Make sure you don't run out of water!

Test if they are done: Carefully scoop one nut out of the steam and cut it in half. Use a small spoon to scoop out the meat, if you can scoop it then it is done. If it is still too hard to scoop, steam longer.

Serving suggestion: Cut each nut in half and wrap them in a kitchen towel to keep them warm. To eat, scoop out the inside meat with a spoon. You can try peeling them, but I'm telling you it's a waste of time when you steam them!


Roast'Em!

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire... Yep, I just sang for you!
If you slit the shells first to prevent exploding nuts, you can roast chestnuts over a fire. This requires a chestnut pan, which is basically a very large deep pan with holes drilled in it. Like this:
 Source: http://www.lionsdeal.com/pwc-a4172128.html?utm_source=googlepla&utm_medium=cpc&adtype=pla&gclid=CKzXk-zohrsCFSRk7Aodp3EAJw

To roast chestnuts, you need to keep moving them almost constantly, and check them often. When they are done , the shells will start to peel back from the slits a little, the meat will be soft, and they will smell really great, a bit like sweet fresh baked bread. A well roasted chestnut can be peeled with your fingers. There will be a smooth outer peel, and then a fuzzy inner peel that sticks to the nut. Take the time to peel off both layers before you eat it, trust me on this one!

Tip: In dry places like New Mexico, it helps to steam them first, then roast them. This makes the meat more moist, which is good. If you roast them until they dry out, they will be rock hard and impossible to eat.