A rich culinary history and nostalgic memories are rekindled when chestnuts appear each fall.  Some can still remember holiday seasons with street vendors selling roasted chestnuts on the sidewalks of New York and Philadelphia. For just a few pennies people could buy a bag of hot chestnuts to eat as they strolled along the chilly streets.

Portland streets host a scattering of large old chestnut trees, many planted by European immigrants in the early 1900s.  However, these trees, being random seedlings, differ markedly from the commercially grown chestnut.  Nowadays most farmers grow rare, high-quality selections made from among many thousands of seedling trees.  Although farmers and nurserymen in other parts of the world have been selecting and grafting chestnut trees for centuries, it’s something very new to Oregon.

Botanically, chestnuts are the fruit of trees of the Castanea genus in the family Fagaceae (related to oak and beech trees).  The American chestnut (an endangered species since the early 20th century) is Castanea dentata.  The most predominant variety here in the Northwest is the European or Castanea sativa and its hybrids.

Buying and Storing Tips:

Fresh chestnuts usually begin appearing in produce sections in October and are traditionally cooked and added to Thanksgiving stuffing in some regions of the country.

Because of their storage needs, chestnuts do not travel well, so buying locally is always a good idea.  Look for firm, heavy chestnuts with dark shells.  Although some recommendations call for choosing nuts with “shiny” shells, this can be misleading.

“Unless they are displayed in a refrigerated state, the shells will lose their shine in only a couple of days,” says Chris Foster of Cascadia Chestnuts. “When perfectly cured and ready to eat, the shells are actually quite dull, rather than shiny.”

Fresh (meaning uncured), unpeeled chestnuts can be stored in a cool, dry place for one week or can be refrigerated for up to a month.

“Buying chestnuts in the store is a bit like buying a pear,” Chris says. “They may, or may not, be quite ready to eat yet.  The squeeze test (slightly softened or a little rubbery to the touch) is the only way to know for sure if a chestnut is ready to eat”.

If you buy chestnuts in the store that are not quite yet ready to eat, they may need curing.  Curing chestnuts means drying them.  Curing time will depend upon how long the nuts were displayed in the store and the temperature of the room in which they will dry. If you find that your chestnuts do not pass the squeeze test, lay them out on a table at room temperature, until the kernel begins to soften a bit. Curing a fresh chestnut can take from no time at all (as in ready to eat) to as much as seven days.  Once they are cured or semi-dry they need to be eaten soon, as they are more susceptible to mold.

Both the shell and the thin brown skin of the chestnut need to be removed before eating.  For roasting or cooking, pierce the shell of the chestnut with a sharp knife, making an “X.”  Using a serrated knife in a sawing motion, try to just cut the shell, rather than into the kernel.

Roasting:

Be sure to score the chestnuts with an “X,” so that the shell does not burst during roasting.

Fireplace Roasting:

Use a long-handled pan for roasting chestnuts (a fireplace popcorn basket can also be used).  Do not overcrowd the chestnuts since you want all sides to touch the pan.  Shake the pan, like you would when popping popcorn, and hold it above the flame, not in it.  Fireplace roasting takes about 15 minutes and chestnuts are done when the shell turns black.  Remove the nuts from the pan and allowing them to cool to the touch.  Peel and enjoy.  Roasted chestnuts will be almost creamy inside.

Oven Roasting:

Lay the nuts in an oven-proof dish and roast at 400 degrees F for about 20 minutes.  Let cool, peel, eat and enjoy.

Stove Top Roasting:

You can roast medium or small chestnuts in a heavy, dry pan (cast iron is preferred), making sure not crowd the chestnuts.  Cook over moderate heat, shaking the pan or stirring the chestnuts around in the pan for about 15 minutes.  Remove the chestnuts from the pan, place them in a bowl and cover the bowl with a kitchen towel. The chestnuts will continue cooking and slowly begin to cool.  Stovetop cooking will blacken the shells, much like roasting on an open fire.

Boiling Chestnuts:

After scoring, put the nuts in slightly salted water and bring to a boil.  Take the chestnuts out at once and peel while warm.

Microwaving Chestnuts:

After scoring chestnuts with an “X,” place them around the outer edge of a paper plate. Cook chestnuts on high, checking at 15 second increments to see if peel comes off easily.

The Joy of Cooking Method:

Use the tip of a sharp knife to cut an “X” on the flat side of each nut.  Drop into a pot of boiling water, let the water return to a boil, and boil for 5 minutes.  Turn off the heat.  Remove a few nuts at a time and peel off the outer shell and inner papery layers.  If some resist peeling, return them to the pot to soak longer.  Reboil if necessary.  Now the chestnuts are ready to cook.

Tips:

After cooking, chestnuts can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days.  They can be used in desserts or as a savory accompaniment to an entree. Chestnuts can also be used to make Mont Blanc, a meringue dessert topped with chestnut puree and whipped cream, canned in a sugar syrup for marrons glaces or ground into flour and used for baking.

Chestnuts have a long history in American cooking. They were a dietary staple of Native Americans, who taught early European immigrants to gather and cook chestnuts in stews, or grind them into flour for bread.

Most recipes utilizing chestnuts suggest cooking them first by using one of the above methods, but eating them alone as a snack, appetizer or dessert is just as wonderful. Chestnuts are also a fine accompaniment to a glass of red wine.

Nutrition:

The chestnuts, which despite its name is a fruit rather than a nut, is known for its starchiness and high concentration of vitamin C. Once ounce of dried chestnuts contains 16.6 mg. of vitamin C, as well as vitamin B6, potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium and zinc.

Nutritional Highlights:
Chestnuts (European, roasted), 10 kernels (84 grams)
Calories:  206
Protein:  2.67 grams
Carbohydrate:  44.5 grams
Total Fat:  1.8 grams
Fiber:  4.3 grams

Recipe:

With their smooth creamy texture and rich earthy taste, chestnuts traditionally have been served in vegetable dishes. However, their characteristic sweetness has them popping up in dessert recipes after the fall harvest. A handful of cooked, whole chestnuts can be added to braised winter greens and are a classic ingredient in stuffing. One pound chestnuts yield a little more than 8 ounces peeled, or 2 cups.

Chestnut Soup

From Bon Appetit/November, 1989

8 Tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter 
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
4 cups whole roasted chestnuts, peeled
1 parsnip, peeled and sliced
1 cup chopped, peeled celery root
7 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup Madeira wine
2 fresh parsley sprigs
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg  
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Sour cream
Cayenne pepper

Melt 4 Tablespoons butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat.  Add chestnuts and sauté until heated through, about 5 minutes.  Set aside.  Melt remaining 4 Tablespoons butter in heavy large pot over medium heat.  Add carrot, parsnip and celery root and sauté until soft, about 7 minutes.  Add stock and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low.  Add chestnuts, Madeira wine, parsley, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Simmer 15 minutes.  Puree soup in batches in processor (can be prepared 2 days ahead; cover and refrigerate).  Transfer soup to heavy large saucepan.  Bring to simmer, stirring frequently.  Adjust seasonings.  Ladle into bowls.  Top each with a dollop of sour cream; sprinkle with cayenne.  Serves six.  This soup is lovely paired with a Washington Merlot. Enjoy!

Chestnut Puree

From The All New All Purpose Joy of Cooking

Small portions of this rich puree, which can be extended with 1/2 cup or more mashed potatoes, are ample.  Remove the shells and skins from:

1 1/2 pounds chestnuts

Place in a pot along with:

Enough water or stock to cover

Simmer uncovered, until softened, about 30 – 40 minutes.  Drain, reserving the liquid.  Mash the chestnuts with a fork until smooth, or pass through a food mill.  Stir in:

2 tablespoons butter
Pinch of freshly grated or ground nutmeg
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Light or heavy cream to taste (optional)

Keep warm in the top of a double boiler until ready to serve.  Stir in the reserved cooking liquid or cream if necessary to thin puree.

Sources:
Chris Foster of Cascadia Chestnuts
Healthnotes, Inc. at www.healthnotes.com
Nancy Petitt at www.delmarvelouschestnuts.com
The All New All Purpose Joy of Cooking by Irma S. Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker and Ethan Becker
Vegetarians in Paradise at www.vegparadise.com