Chestnut Cooking Instructions

Congratulations, You've found yourself in possession of some delicious local NJ chestnuts! 

All our nuts are harvested fresh and given a warm water bath immediately. They then rest in refrigerator until they find their way to our awesome customers. We highly recommend keeping chestnuts refrigerated to keep them from drying out or rotting. They can be stored as low as 33 degrees.  

Chestnuts can be used in all kinds of recipes- both sweet and savory. 

Most of our customers enjoy their chestnuts the simple, old-fashioned way- roasted!

Here are some tips on how to prepare and cook your chestnuts successfully. 

We'd love to hear what you make and what you think of the chestnuts once you've tried them.

Prepare your Chestnuts

With a chestnut tool or serrated knife, carefully score each nut by cutting a long slash or X mark across the flat side. 

Make sure to cut all the way through the shell and skin. 

Oven Roasting
Prepare your chestnuts (see above) Place the nuts in a single layer on a baking sheet with the slash facing up.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. You may cook for less time if you prefer a firmer texture. As chestnuts roast, the shell will begin to open making them easier to peel. Remove nuts from the pan and place in a heat safe container.  Peel as soon as chestnuts are cool enough to handle. As the shell cools, peeling becomes difficult.  Cover chestnuts with a cloth to keep large batches warm while peeling.  

Fire Roasting

Prepare your chestnuts (see above). Use a fireplace popcorn basket or a grill pan with a long handle. There are also tools made specifically for roasting chestnuts available. Leave plenty of space between the chestnuts and opt for multiple roasting batches rather many nuts on one pan. Make sure to hold the pan just above the flame, not in it. Shake the pan a bit while roasting, similar to shaking popcorn.  Depending on the temperature of your fire, roasting should take 10- 15 minutes. As soon as nuts are able to be peeled, carefully remove them from the fire with tongs and place them in a paper bag or heat safe bowl covered in cloth. 

Peel as soon as chestnuts are cool enough to handle. As the shell cools, peeling becomes difficult. 

This is our preferred method for fall gatherings since the bags can be shared around the fire pit. 

Boiling

This is our preferred method for when a recipe calls for whole chestnuts or when smoky flavor is not desired.

Prepare your chestnuts (see above). Bring water to boil in a pot large enough to hold 1-2 lbs of chestnuts. Once water is boiling, drop chestnuts into water. Simmer for 15-20 min and remove from water when shells begin to open. 

Peel as soon as chestnuts are cool enough to handle. As the shell cools, peeling becomes difficult. The shell is more pliable with this method but the skin tends to stick to the kernel more so those may have to be peeled off as well. 

Please note that these are simply cooking suggestions based on our own experiences. Be safe around heat and flame. Make necessary adjustments to these instructions to ensure the safety of yourself and those around you.