Chestnuts for the Holidays

Title:
Chestnuts for the Holidays

Yield:
1 Servings

Categories:
Holidays
&,
Information,
Tips




Ingredients:





          ****






 Chestnuts For The Holidays Roasting chestnuts is often a tradition during


 the holidays. Storage conditions have to be just right, not too dry and not


 too damp. In dry air, they dry out and lose quality. In warm, damp air,


 they mold. Store fresh chestnuts in the refrigerator in a plastic bag with


 a few ventilation holes punched in it. Chestnuts can be cooked by roasting,


 boiling or steaming. To roast over an open fire, use a long handled popcorn


 popper or chestnut roaster. To roast in an oven, try a temperature of 300


 degrees Fahrenheit for about


      15    minutes. Before roasting, puncture each nut once or twice with


 an icepick or a knife. If you fail to do this, pressure from steam building


 up inside the shells will cause the nuts to explode, either before or after


 they come out of the oven or roaster. To boil chestnuts, place them in a


 shallow pan with water that just covers them. Bring to a boil, reduce the


 heat and boil gently for 15 to


      20    minutes. Drain and partially cool, then remove the kernels using


 a sharp tine of a table fork. The longer the nuts cook, the mealier the


 kernels become and tend to crumble when removed from the shells. For


 especially dry chestnuts, soak them overnight in water before boiling in


 fresh water. For steaming, carefully cut fresh, moist chestnuts in half and


 cook them in a vegetable steamer over boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes.


 Most kernels should fall out of the shells during cooking. Steamed or


 boiled nuts can be dipped in melted butter and salted, if desired, or used


 in other recipes. Store cooked chestnuts in tightly sealed jars in the


 refrigerator for a month or two or in the freezer for up to a year. (MJM)


 Recipe By     : USDA Extension Service (Becky Myton)


 


 Posted to MC-Recipe Digest V1 #244


 


 Date: Tue, 15 Oct 1996 08:30:54 -0400


 


 From: "Sharon L. Nardo"