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peeling chestnuts


hoverfrog
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what methods do people use to peel sweet chestnuts?

I've tried all the methods in the Larousse Gastronomique - and a few others as well, and haven't managed to find a simple and effective way.

I remember my mother boiling them, peeling them, boiling again then peeling again.... 'luckily' chestnuts were in short supply in Devon!

Here we have literally tons of the things and they are driving me nuts

hoverfrog
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I can't claim to have tried this myself, but according to Elizabeth David, you can either score the rounded sides of the chestnuts and bake them at 150°c or gas 3 for about 15 mins, or boil them in water for 8 mins, then squeeze them and according to her, the skins should come off easily with a small knife. Bon courage!
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well I tried the oven and that was a disaster. Boiling seems to work, although my timings are a bit out as I seem to get either a mush or can't get the inner skins off! Luckily the chickens are quite keen on all my culinary mistakes

I have made a traditional buche de Noel (my grandmother's recipe) and chestnut stuffing so far, both were delicious, and our trees are still raining down the biggest chestnuts I've ever seen!

Buy them in a tin??? Where's the fun in that It gives me something to do while watching cr*p french TV to improve my french!

hoverfrog
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One way is to peel chestnuts is to use a microwave. Cut a cross in the top of the chestnut and put in the microwave. Try three or four at once but go easy on the power/time or they will shatter. They peel relatively easily while they are still warm which is why I suggest only doing a few at once. Peel with a small paring knife, using finger nails gets bits wedged in them and is unconfortable. If you still have problems pop them back in the microwave for a few more seconds.

Graham

 

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These recipes all sound really good but can anyone please tell me how to get the little perishers out of their prickly overcoats before we get to the peeling stage? We have lots of them too, but do we wait until they split and drop like conkers do at home, or do we pick them (ouch) then cut them open or leave them to pop on a sunny wall?

There are an awful lot of them but they seem to fall to the ground still in their prickles. Or aren't these sweet chestnuts at all?

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I haven't noticed my fingers getting sore doing the chestnuts - unless you count when the prickly skins get you!

As a child I remember stamping on the green prickly bits to get the chestnuts out, but here they tend to fall out of their own accord. They are ready when they fall out of the tree - and quite often they land separate from their prickly bits.

It may be that the ones you are trying to get at simply aren't ready yet. We have two trees that are ready and the rest are not.

Does anyone know if you can store them and then use them in the same ways later in the year? I've read that the recommended way of storing them is drying, but can't imagine they'd be much good for anything but roasting whole afterwards. Talking of roasting, is it really necesary to have a special chestnut roasting 'saucepan' as it says in the Larrouse Gastronomique or can I use something else?

hoverfrog

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just another reason to await the installation of the Jotul in the next week then...

In the meantime I will have to try them in the oven as the neighbour suggested - a cut in the top and then 20 mins on high, cover with a tea-towel until cool enough to handle then squeeze to extract a cooked chestnut from its skins and eat. it sounds so easy - I just know I'm going to end up with a mess or bullets again!

hoverfrog
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