How to cook chestnuts that are delicious and simple

Chestnuts can be boiled or steamed, and a simple operation can preserve their sweet and fragrant taste. The key steps include selecting plump fruits, cutting to prevent bursting, controlling the heat time, pairing seasonings, and peeling after refrigeration.

1. Select the fruit

Choose chestnuts with a shiny brown red outer shell and no empty shaking sound. Chestnuts with plump fruit have higher sugar content. Remove inferior fruits with insect eyes or mold spots on the surface, and evenly sized chestnuts will be more uniformly heated. Fresh chestnuts have obvious fuzz at the tip, while aged fruits are prone to shedding fuzz. It is recommended to purchase chestnuts with shells and store them refrigerated for no more than three days.

2. Preprocessing

Use a knife to make a cross cut on the curved surface of the chestnut, deeply penetrating the hard shell. The incision can effectively prevent steam accumulation and shell explosion during heating, while also facilitating subsequent peeling. The processed chestnuts need to be soaked for ten minutes, and the infiltration of water into the incision can shorten the cooking time. If you pursue ultimate convenience, you can purchase pre cut frozen chestnuts.

3. Boiling technique

Soak chestnuts in cold water and add a little salt to enhance sweetness. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium low heat and simmer slowly for 20 minutes. Use chopsticks to easily penetrate and cook until fully cooked. Cinnamon or star anise can be added to water to enhance flavor, but the amount of spices should not be too much to avoid masking the chestnut flavor. The cooking process requires occasional flipping to ensure even heating.

4. Steaming Plan

After steaming in a steamer, lay gauze on top and add chestnuts. Steam over medium heat for 25 minutes. Steam heating can better lock in the sugar produced by starch conversion, and the taste is more powdery than boiling water. When steaming, the cutting edge should be placed upwards, and condensed water will seep into the cutting edge to accelerate maturation. After turning off the heat, let it simmer for five minutes to fully mature the interior using the remaining heat.

5. Tips for Peeling

Put the cooked chestnuts in a sealed box while they are hot, refrigerate for ten minutes, and then take them out. The principle of thermal expansion and contraction separates the shell and flesh, and the intact nuts can be easily peeled off along the incision. If there is partial adhesion of the inner membrane, it can be removed by wrapping and rubbing with coarse cloth. The peeled chestnuts can be frozen and stored, and after reheating, the taste is close to fresh cooking. Chestnuts are rich in B vitamins and dietary fiber, and it is recommended to consume no more than ten per day. People with indigestion can use orange peel water to help digestion. People with diabetes should reduce consumption. The remaining chestnut kernels can be used to make chestnut braised chicken or chestnut paste cake to avoid repeated heating and nutrient loss. When choosing, pay attention to distinguishing between edible chestnuts and ornamental chestnuts, the latter containing toxic substances and not edible.