boiled chestnuts

Here is an easy recipe on how to make boiled chestnuts. Only 5 steps to enjoy this fall favorite snack food. It&#x27;s also great as an ingredient in sweet or savory dishes. 

Boiled Chestnuts

chestnuts (with shell)

water

bay leaf (optional)

Fill a large pot with water.

Rinse the chestnuts.

Place one chestnut on a damp tea towel with the flat side down. Hold it firmly between your thumb and finger and score through the two layers. That is to say, the outer hard shell and the soft inner membrane. Take extra caution in cutting them.

Place the scored chestnuts in the pot of cold water. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to obtain a nice gentle simmer and place a cover, tilted slightly open. Simmer for approximately  30 minutes. The total boiling time will depend on their size and what you plan on making with them.

Test one chestnut to make sure it has reached your desired texture. Turn off the heat. Leave the chestnuts in the pot with the water to cool down. When cool enough to handle, work quickly with one chestnut at a time to remove the outer shell as it hardens quickly.With the tip of a knife, remove the outer shell and then peel off the inner skin. Repeat until there are no more nuts.

Learn how to boil chestnuts using my foolproof method. Plus, get all my tips on peeling chestnuts to use in recipes such as soups, purees and cakes or to serve it as a healthy snack.

Boiled Chestnuts Recipe

Water

Place chestnuts in a colander and rinse under cold running water. Drain.

Place the flat side of the chestnut down on a cutting board with the rounded side facing up. Hold the chestnut firmly and using a sharp knife (or a chestnut knife, if you have one) cut it horizontally across the rounded side to make a small incision (about ½ to 1 inch). Turn it 90 degrees and score once again, making an X. As you are cutting, make sure you are cutting through the inner skin without going too much into the yellow flesh. Continue with the rest of the chestnuts.

Fill a saucepan with water and bring it to a rolling boil. Place the scored chestnuts into the boiling water and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the scored section opens up and the inside of the chestnut is exposed.

To check doneness, carefully remove one chestnut and peel to check if the yellow nut inside is fully cooked. If it is not fully cooked, cook it for another 3-4 minutes, checking doneness during the boiling process once or twice.

Do not discard the hot water.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer boiled chestnuts into a bowl and let them cool for 10 minutes. When still hot, but somewhat cool enough to handle, peel chestnuts one by one first starting with the outer shell and then removing the inner skin. If you have a hard time removing the fuzzy skin, put them back in the hot water for a few more minutes or use a paring knife to remove it as much as you can.

Alternatively, if it is hard to peel, you can cut it in the middle and remove the flesh using a small spoon and collect the boiled chestnuts in a bowl. You will end up with broken pieces but it will still be delicious.

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Boiled Chestnuts

Boiled Chestnuts Recipe

Top 2 boiled chestnuts recipes from across the web

The most viewed boiled chestnuts recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Boiled Chestnuts

Boiled Chestnuts Recipe

The most viewed boiled chestnuts recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine