Chestnuts started showing up at the farmers' market last week and I am happy! I love these rare treats and eat them whenever I can in Creamy Chestnut Risotto, or raviolis, or simply out of hand like other nuts. Today I learned a lot about how to avoid some of the challenges I've experienced with this precious foodstuff.
Before I get started though, take a look at this picture with some of the nuts still in the protective armor they wear while still on the tree. You have to wonder how hungry the first chestnut-eater must have been to even think about eating one of these. Notice the resemblance to the handful of baby porcupines? Ouch!
Last week I saw the first chestnuts at the Amber Oaks Raspberries stall, run by Timothy Boughton. Timothy and his wife, Rhonda, grow all kinds of interesting produce on their farm including berries, fruits, and nuts. You can also find "happy" cheese and handmade tortillas at their stall, with Timothy enthusiastically and professionally passing out tons of information about how his stuff is grown and used. He's been farming for twelve years but has been a farmer in his heart all his life, hybridizing his first raspberry when he was eight years old. Today it dawned on me...Ah ha! This is the guy to ask about my ongoing chestnut challenges.
Chestnuts are deliciously creamy, nutty, and slightly sweet but it can take a bit of work to get to the good stuff. Timothy tells me he can shell about a pound of nuts per minute -- here's his technique. Take a sharp knife and cut off the light-colored broad end of the shell; boil the nuts in water for two minutes then put them in the oven to roast at about 425 degrees until the shells are practically black. After they've cooled squeeze the nuts from the pointed end and the meat will pop right out, leaving that pesky papery skin behind and your fingernails intact.
Most of my experiences with eating chestnuts at home have been disappointing. I'd put significant time into getting the nuts ready to peel while daydreaming about the yummy dish we'd soon be eating, only to finally get the shells open to find the meat had gone moldy...yuck! Today I learned why this happens. Even though chestnuts seem to want to be stored like a nut they should actually be stored like a fruit, that is, kept moist and cool in the refrigerator. Chestnuts that are not kept at sufficiently cool temperatures will quickly develop mold. If you want to store them for a couple of months put them in a plastic bag along with a paper towel and put it in the refrigerator. If you want to keep them for a really long time put them in a ziplock bag, cover the nuts with water, close up the bag and put it in the freeze. When it's time just defrost them and roast as usual. The next time you see a pile of chestnuts and are tempted to buy them ask yourself how likely it is they were picked yesterday, or if it is likely they were picked a few weeks ago and stored properly. If you have doubts, move along. It's not worth it.
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