chestnuts

[ketchup]

TCM says they strengthen the kidneys. A friend told me he heard a TCM doc say one a day eaten raw is good for the lungs. They're funny nuts, aren't they? What other nut goes bad in 5 days once shelled, even if regridgerated? And why are they almost always eaten cooked, instead of raw, unlike other nuts? Also, when purchased in-shell, it's always so difficult and painful to get the shell off, even if cooked. How do you do it?

[woliveri]

To peel a chestnut you score one side of the nut (the flat side) with an X. Then toss them in the oven. The shell will peel open at the score. If a nut is too "green" it will not come away from the shell well I've found. We used to use them every year at Christmas in the bakery I used to work. I've peeled millions it seems.

[vikinggoddess]

are chestnuts the same as horse chestnuts? i read somewhere that smoking horse chestnuts will give you some kind of high, but i've never tried.

[ketchup]

I think horse chestnuts are inedible, if they're the ones with the spiky outside. Woliveri- when you say 'score' with a knife- how deeply do you mean? It seems like it'd be difficult to cut the uncooked shell.

[woliveri]

Actually, if the nut is ripe, it should be somewhat pliable. Easy to cut like cutting soft plastic. Easier than cutting a plastic water bottle. You'll have to play around and try different depths for best results. I know we had "bushels" to just stand and cut and we just cut at different depths. As long as there's a place for the stress to release it will work.

This nut is moist inside and creates steam and pressure to open at the score. If the score is deep into the nut it doesn't matter, the skin will still peel back at the X. Once the nut is toasted the sheath comes off easily (as long as it's ripe). If it's too green it takes a bit more work to get it off.

It's been well over 5 year since I messed with these things and before that only once a year around the holidays but I still remember doing these things.

[ketchup]

Thanks for your response. Do you happen to remember how long you would bake them and at what temperature? As we speak I am boiling some with red dates and gojiji- making soup-yum!

[woliveri]

I would say 400 degrees F. Try it and see how it goes. Just keep an eye on them and you'll know when they're done. Maybe 10 to 20 minutes. Within that range.

[ketchup]

thank you