Autumn has a lot to offer in culinary terms: Now we can finally enjoy roasted chestnuts again! Here you can find out how to prepare chestnuts.
Chestnuts: preparation and useful information
There are several ways of preparing chestnuts, the most common and aromatic being roasting in the oven. Important: chestnuts have one pointed side. This tip is used before the preparation incised crosswise, Otherwise the fruit may burst during roasting or cooking.
Prepare chestnuts in the oven
- The chestnuts are placed on a baking sheet with the incised side up and roasted in a preheated oven (electric stove: 200 ° C / convection 175 ° C) for about 15 to 20 minutes. It is best to put a fireproof bowl with water in the oven so that the chestnuts do not get too dry.
- The edible chestnuts are ready to serve as soon as the bowl is positioned in the incised areas.
- The chestnuts have to be peeled before eating. For this, not only the shell, but also the furry seed skin underneath is removed. This works best while the chestnuts are still hot.
Tip: Peeling the chestnuts is made easier if the fruit is left in cold water for an hour before scratching.
Prepare chestnuts in the pan
If you don't want to turn on the oven for a smaller amount of chestnuts, you can also use the chestnuts in one cast iron pan roast. You can find information about this in our article Roasting chestnuts.
Boil chestnuts in salted water
Alternatively, you can also use approx ten to fifteen minutes Boil chestnuts in salted water. Then they are poured off and peeled. However, the typically delicious roasted aroma is missing here. This type of preparation is therefore only recommended for soups or purees.
Preparing chestnuts: shopping tips and goods knowledge
- The skin of the chestnuts should be smooth. If it is also beautifully shiny, this is evidence of fresh goods. However, shriveled fruits are an indication of long storage.
- Chestnuts should be processed fresh and quickly, otherwise they will sprout. In contrast, they can be kept in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator for about one to two weeks. Just make a difference Sweet chestnuts dar: This is a type of chestnut that is picked by hand from mid-November to December. The sweet chestnuts can be kept in a cool, dry place for two to three months.
- It is also important that the skin of the chestnuts has no holes. This would be an indication of worm infestation.
- If you want to distinguish between good and bad chestnuts, you can use a water bowl to help. If the chestnuts sink, they are good. Anything floating above, however, should be thrown away.
Difference between horse chestnut and sweet chestnut
Horse chestnuts do not belong to the genus of sweet chestnuts. Even if the name and the fruits appear similar, the genera belong to different families.
The fruits of the horse chestnut are not edible and even slightly poisonous. The horse chestnut capsule is firm, green and has few spines. The fruits of the sweet chestnut, on the other hand, are known as sweet chestnuts. Two to three chestnuts sit in a brown-yellow shell, which is characterized by many long spines.
The real chestnuts are among the edible chestnuts. These are the fruits of the cultivated species with a red-brown, shiny skin and an egg or heart shape.
Prepare chestnuts – autumn fruit for connoisseurs
Edible chestnuts grow as fruits on sweet chestnuts. In southern Germany and Switzerland they are also under the name Chestnuts known. The yellow-white flesh lies under a woody peel that must be removed before consumption.
Roasted chestnuts taste nutty and slightly sweetwhich tastes delicious in both hearty and sweet dishes. The sweet note is created by heating, as the starch of the chestnuts is converted into sugar. Become chestnuts from the end of September harvested well into December. When the fruits are ripe, the skin bursts open and the chestnuts fall from the tree. The rest of the year chestnuts are also available in a can, vacuum-packed or in a jar.
Our best recipes with chestnuts
Pasta bake with chestnuts
This vegetarian casserole has a lot of delicious ingredients ready: chestnuts, provolone, pasta, red wine and parsley create a delicious dish for autumn. It will be a feast! To the recipe: Pasta bake with chestnuts
Wild boar ragout with chestnuts and calvados
An autumn dish with French charm: chestnuts, raisins and calvados make the wild boar ragout excellent. This Sunday meal takes a little longer to prepare, but it's definitely worth the effort! To the recipe: Wild boar ragout with chestnuts and calvados
Even more ideas for preparing chestnuts:
Here we have put together more chestnut recipes for you, in which you can prepare chestnuts deliciously.
Chestnuts – healthy and tasty
The edible chestnuts are a really healthy snack. They only have 2 g of fat per 100 g. In addition, they score with vitamins E and C, have B vitamins as well as potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium and a high fiber content. Reason enough to include them in the menu in autumn – roasted or with game, pasta & Co.!