Do chestnuts take forever to peel

[Toadflax]

I just finished peeling a load of sweet chestnuts (for the first time) and it took FOREVER. I slit them, simmered them for 10 minutes then rinsed in cold water, the outer skins came off well but the inners took forever because their are so many folds. Is this normal? Does it matter much if you leave bits of the inner skin?

There were also quite a few nuts that had 'residents' living in them. Maybe a quarter of the total that I peeled.


Geoff

 

[sharp88]

you can simmer them? are they better simmered than baked/roasted? there so damn dry though roasted.

 

[Paganwolf]

AYe simmering makes them easier to peel, were they French Chestnuts buddy as the french onesare larger mostly and tend to have live stock protien living in them, id not worry about any little bits in the folds mate. Ive got some to go in a game stew this weekend should be nice.

 

[Ogri the trog]

I put mine over the gas ring or play a blow torch over them for a few minutes. That seems to make them easier to peel, both outer and inner skins. Then simmer them with the sprouts - heaven.

ATB

Ogri the trog

 

[Toadflax]

you can simmer them? are they better simmered than baked/roasted? there so damn dry though roasted.

I'm simmering them simply so I can get the skins off so that I can freeze them for Christmas. After my session today, if I'm going to roast any for immediate eating then I'll make the people who eat them peel them! I've hung the remainder of the unpeeled ones in a net bag from the garage roof and hope that they will last. I suppose the other way to make it quicker to peel them is to get the whole family on the task, not just me.

Then simmer them with the sprouts - heaven.

We par boil the sprouts, then cut them in half, fry up some chopped smoked bacon all nice and crispy, then add the sprouts and chestnuts and fry them a bit more to go with our Christmas Dinner. We've always bought ready peeled chestnuts but, as I discovered an avenue of them near home, I'm not going to pay for them any more.


Geoff

 

[scanker]

We roasted some over a fire at the weekend and the skins came off very easily in a couple of pieces.

 

[andy_e]

I usually bake/roast then, though last time i left the Chestnuts in too long so half of them exploded all over the inside of the oven - ooops!

I think it sometimes takes ages to peel them whichever way you cook them.

The recipe you have there, Geoff, is fantastic is my favourite way to have sprouts.

 

[Toddy]

When you have the outer skin off pour boiling water over them and the inner brown skin ought to slough off more easily, a bit like blanching almonds.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[Toadflax]

When you have the outer skin off pour boiling water over them and the inner brown skin ought to slough off more easily, a bit like blanching almonds.

cheers,
Toddy

Thanks - I'll try that. And see if I can get someone else to help me.

And the idea of sitting round a wood fire at the bottom of the garden, toasting chestnuts seems much more appealing than listening to some foul-mouthed chef berating his staff on a TV program. So I wonder how I persuade the family to come and join me there...too cold and dark for their liking!


Geoff

 

[Mikey P]

Yep, they are a total pain in the **** to peel. I have to say, I'm not that keen on them roasted (pretty dry) but it's a real battle to peel them after simmering too. I did it last year and my fingers were hurting for days afterwards. I've come to the conclusion that I know what to do if I ever need to do it but, in the meantime, I'll buy the ready-shelled ones or the paste you can get over here.

BTW, I actually quite enjoy watching Gordon Ramsay berating a kitchen full of overconfident ne'erdowells. Makes my day, that.

Mind you, I'm glad I don't work for him...

 

[Toadflax]

To answer my original question - not when they have dried out. After roasting some of the ones I collected in the Autumn, I left the basket with the rest of them in the house for a couple of weeks, but when I came to roast some more I found that they had all dried out. Now they are dead easy to peel - just crush the shells between my fingers and the shells almost fall off.

I've seen a few mentions of dried chestnuts on the internet but I'm wondering what to do with these dried ones now: storage (airtight container or freeze?); usage (soak and use as normal); crush to flour?


Geoff

 

[Nagual]

I wish there were more sweet chestnuts around this way, that and I wish they actually ripened. Last year they didn't at all.. Don't think I've ever actually had the operchancity to eat one. Well I tried one out of a tin but it was boggin to say the least, and I fully believe it was because it was tinned not that they are like that normally.

 

[andy_e]

To answer my original question - not when they have dried out. After roasting some of the ones I collected in the Autumn, I left the basket with the rest of them in the house for a couple of weeks, but when I came to roast some more I found that they had all dried out. Now they are dead easy to peel - just crush the shells between my fingers and the shells almost fall off.

I've seen a few mentions of dried chestnuts on the internet but I'm wondering what to do with these dried ones now: storage (airtight container or freeze?); usage (soak and use as normal); crush to flour?


Geoff

I think if they're fully dried you'd be better making flour out of them - not sure how well they'd reconstitute by soaking, I'd expect them to be difficult to rehydrate. Someone else may know better though.

I wouldn't expect the flour to keep as well as the dried nuts, so I'd keep them in an air-tight container until needed and make small batches of flour.