Peeling chestnuts is not always easy. Here we show you a few tricks on how to quickly free the fruit of the sweet chestnut from its hard shell.
The chestnut is a further bred form of the chestnut and a little sweeter than this. Nevertheless, there is no difference in how you peel chestnuts or chestnuts. So you can use these tips for other sweet chestnuts as well.
Tip: Only use fresh chestnuts. You can recognize them by the fact that their shell is shiny and they feel heavy. If they seem hollow to you, they’ve already dried up. If you collect chestnuts, it is best to only use the largest fruits. Make sure they are intact.
Roast the chestnuts in the oven
You can prepare chestnuts in different ways. If you roast them in the oven, the typical chestnut flavor comes out particularly well. In addition, the sweet and nutty fruits are much easier to separate from their skin. How to prepare the chestnuts for peeling:
If you have enough time: Put the chestnuts in water for one to two hours, then the skin will give way more easily.
Score the chestnuts crosswise on one side. This is particularly easy with a serrated knife. Basically, it doesn’t matter which side you cut into. With a cut on the round side, however, you can arrange them better on a tray or grid.
Place an ovenproof bowl of water on the bottom of the oven, this will keep the chestnuts particularly juicy.
You don’t need to preheat the oven. Set it to 200 degrees top/bottom heat or 175 degrees convection and roast the chestnuts in it for about 20 minutes. How long they take depends on the variety and size. When they’ve all risen along the cut side and you can see the yellow flesh, they’re done.
Take the chestnuts out of the oven.
You should now be able to easily remove the fruit from the shell. The hotter they are, the easier it is to peel the chestnuts. In order not to burn yourself, you should still let them cool down briefly.
Tip: If the furry skin of the chestnuts doesn’t come off completely, rub it off with a clean kitchen towel.
Boil chestnuts before peeling
If you only boil chestnuts and don’t roast them, the flesh will remain soft. This makes it easier for you to puree them and, for example, to make homemade chestnut puree or chestnut soup. However, it is then also more difficult to separate the furry skin from the chestnuts.
Prepare the chestnuts as described in steps 1 and 2 above.
Put them in a pot of salted water and bring to the boil.
Boil the chestnuts in the water for 10 minutes, until all of the chestnuts have risen in the scored areas.
Drain them in a colander.
The same applies here: the hotter they are, the easier it is to peel the chestnuts. As you can see, the right tactic depends on how you want to consume or process the chestnuts later.
Also delicious raw
Although raw chestnuts are more difficult to peel than roasted or boiled ones, you can still eat sweet chestnuts raw. Soaking them for a few hours beforehand will help get them out of their shells and skin off.
Chestnuts and chestnuts are rich in protein, valuable vegetable oils and contain vitamins C, E and all B vitamins. They are gluten-free foods and offer a nutrient-dense alternative to grains for people with gluten intolerance.
