Can water chestnuts be boiled with their skin

Water chestnuts can be boiled with their skin, but it is recommended to eat them without skin for safety. Water chestnut peel may contain residual soil or microorganisms, and peeling can reduce digestive burden and pollution risk. Although water chestnut skin contains a small amount of dietary fiber and antioxidants, its texture is hard and may adsorb environmental pollutants. When cooking with skin, although high temperature can kill some bacteria, it cannot completely remove pesticides or heavy metals remaining on the skin surface. If you choose to cook with skin on, you need to thoroughly clean the surface grooves with a hard bristled brush. After cooking, peel and eat, avoiding direct chewing of the skin. The oxalic acid content in water chestnut skin is relatively high, and long-term intake may increase the risk of urinary system stones. People with weak digestive function or children who consume water chestnuts with skin on them are prone to bloating, and people with allergies who come into contact with the skin may experience skin itching. In traditional Tonic Diet, the use of water chestnut skin is occasionally reserved, but it needs to be combined with ginger and other ingredients to neutralize the cold, and it needs to be cooked for a long time until the skin and meat are soft.

For daily consumption of water chestnuts, it is recommended to soak them in water and remove the purple black outer skin, while retaining the light yellow inner skin to balance nutrition and safety. When cooking, it can be used with rock sugar and snow pear to enhance the lung moistening effect. For those with gastrointestinal sensitivity, it is better to cook it and eat it when it is warm. When storing, keep it dry and ventilated. Water chestnuts that have sprouted or become moldy must be discarded as a whole, and only the spoiled parts should be removed. Special populations should consult a physician before consumption to avoid taking cold medications together.