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Chestnuts: preparation tips & recipes – [ESSEN UND TRINKEN]

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Chestnuts: preparation tips & recipes – [ESSEN UND TRINKEN]

Chestnuts: Easy to prepare & great recipes

Chestnuts – formerly the poor man’s bread, today sweet chestnuts and a popular winter snack. Here you will get tips on shopping, preparation and delicious chestnut recipes!

Chestnuts: Noble chestnut

When the chestnuts are ripe, the fruit cup opens and they fall from the tree

When the chestnuts are ripe, the fruit cup opens and they fall from the tree

© matin

Origin & cultivation
Chestnuts (Latin Castanea sativa), also known as Sweet or sweet chestnuts and chestnutsare among the oldest crops in the world.
On the up to 35 meter high chestnut trees There are small prickly shells in which one to three chestnuts grow. Each chestnut is surrounded by a brown, woody-soft shell, tapers slightly at the top and has a hairy spout. The yellow-white flesh, which is suitable for consumption, is hidden under the peel.

Chestnut season
Maroni, as they are called in southern Germany and Austria, reach between End of September and beginning of October their full maturity. Then the leathery, spiky coverings burst open and the fruits fall to the ground. Then they are picked up. However, you shouldn’t pick them.

Chestnut varieties

Varieties

taste

Look

Special features

Chestnuts

aromatic

Egg or heart-shaped, red-brown, shiny shell, easy to peel

Further breeding of the chestnut. Their aroma and starch content were optimized through crossbreeding

Chestnuts

less intense aroma

large and usually oval, they are difficult to peel

they only have a short shelf life

Permanent chestnuts

aromatic

rounded shape, flat on one side

They do not fall from the tree on their own, they are picked by hand at the end of November. Long-lasting chestnuts can be kept for several months

Most of all are commercially available Chestnuts and permanent chestnuts.

Incidentally, the edible sweet chestnut should not be compared to the one that is widespread in Germany buckeye be confused! Because the fruits of the horse chestnut are not edible. The green capsules in which chestnuts ripen are less prickly than those of chestnuts. The unripe fruits and green peels are slightly poisonous; children in particular should be warned about this.

Shopping and storing: This is how the sweet chestnuts stay fresh for a long time

When buying fresh chestnuts, there are a few features to consider.

In addition to fresh chestnuts, you can also get pre-cooked and already peeled versions. These are available vacuum packed or in cans.

Fresh chestnuts are doesn’t last very longas they begin to germinate quickly. Therefore, it is best to try to only buy chestnuts harvested in September and October as needed. Permanent chestnuts However, they can be stored in a cool, dry place Store for two to three months. An airy, dry cellar is the ideal storage location for chestnuts, but the refrigerator is not suitable.

That’s what’s inside: chestnut ingredients

Chestnuts can be added to the healthy snacks be counted. Roasted without fat and sweetened without sugar, they taste delicious and are delicious only 2g fat and scarce 200 calories per 100g chestnuts on. Chestnuts also contain a lot of vitamins and minerals: vitamin C, B vitamins, magnesium and potassium.

Nutritional values ​​of chestnuts per 100 g:

  • 192 kcal
  • 2g fat
  • 41g carbohydrates
  • 5g fiber

Roast or boil chestnuts

Before roasting, score the chestnuts crosswise at their sharpest point – this will prevent the shell from chipping off. You can then either roast the chestnuts in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes or cook them in boiling salted water and then use them to make savory or sweet dishes. Before consumption or further processing, the sweet chestnuts are removed from their shell and the seed skin underneath.

Prepare chestnuts

Chestnuts can be prepared in different ways. In winter, chestnuts are often offered at Christmas markets, then they are baked in large ovens roasted and sold hot to peel yourself. The chestnut only develops its slightly nutty-sweet aroma when it is cooked. The starch it contains caramelizes and gives a soft sweet note away. You can also roast chestnuts in the oven at home, eat them after peeling them or use them to make chestnut dishes such as a creamy puree. Sometimes you can find pre-cooked vacuum-sealed chestnuts, ready-made chestnut puree or even chestnut flour in supermarkets.

Roasted chestnuts are very popular plain or lightly seasoned with butter and salt. But they are also suitable for cakes and desserts. In sweet dishes, the chestnut aroma goes well with fruity components such as apple, blackcurrant jam or oranges. Strong spices such as cinnamon, vanilla or cloves can also be combined well with chestnuts. Glazed, processed into sweet mousse or ice cream, they make delicious desserts.

Cooked chestnuts taste great when prepared heartily Soup or chestnut puree. They are also popular as fillings for Christmas goose. Combined with Brussels sprouts or in a salad, the sweet chestnuts make a hearty and tasty side dish.

Chestnuts used to be a cheap substitute for flour; the peeled and dried chestnuts were ground for this purpose. Today we cook and bake with it again: the chestnut flour is suitable, for example, for baking bread or for making gnocchi, pasta and polenta.

By the way, chestnuts are processed in a particularly versatile way in Corsica. Numerous ones are created there Creams, cakes and even beer.

Chestnut recipes

Not to be confused with: chestnut mushrooms

The cap of the chestnut boletus is reminiscent of chestnuts

The cap of the chestnut boletus is reminiscent of chestnuts

© Valerii Zadorozhnyi

The color and shape of the cap of the chestnut boletus is reminiscent of the chestnut. It is also popularly known simply as chestnut or brown cap. The chestnut mushrooms are Edible mushrooms that grow in acidic coniferous forests. They are often offered at markets or in retail stores. In Germany, the chestnut mushroom is in season from mid-September to late autumn (November, before the first frost).

Chestnuts are very tasty and can be used in many different ways in the kitchen: fried, in ragouts or even dried. Raw consumption is not recommended.

Even more delicious fall recipes

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