Chestnut season starts in October and ends around December, but if you want to beat the squirrels to the good chestnuts, you have to get out their early! This year, our three year old chestnut tree finally produced a good crop of chestnuts, so I wanted to try roasting them.
Chestnuts have a slightly sweet, starchy flavor, and are apparently great for baking recipes. And they smell so wonderful while they are in the oven! I hope you enjoy this recipe, and the experience of cooking and eating something from your backyard or nearby park.
Supplies and Ingredients:
20-30 Chestnuts (free of holes or other
defects)
Sharp serrated knife
Oven safe pot (or a rimmed baking dish)
Kitchen Shears
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- After chestnuts have been taken out of their spiky protective shell, wash with warm water and pat dry.
- Make a 1/8 inch deep incision into each chestnut in the shape of an X. This will allow the chestnut to roast and become soft, and it will make peeling the chestnuts easier. Be careful! This was easier said than done!
- Once all chestnuts have been slit, place them slit-side up in the pot or pan.
- Bake for 35 minutes.
- While still hot, start to peel the chestnuts. It is much easier to do while the nuts are still warm, as the thin, paper-like layer between the shell and nut is removed much easier when hot. (PS: We used a set of kitchen shears to assist in the more difficult nuts. By snipping the shell a little bit, it was easier to peel.)
After all the nuts are peeled,
discard the shells (and any nuts that are dark or discolored), and
enjoy the delicious roasted flavor of the chestnuts! (You can use
chestnuts in MANY recipes, too!)
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