Nuts!!!

[number 1 suspect]

Hi everyone
Just a quick question. In my house we are all vegetarians and one of lifes little pleasures is a special meal done at xmas made with chestnuts. I have been given about 10lb of the things and rather than let them go to waste I was wondering if anybody knew how i could bottle/pickle/preserve them.

Had a quick look on the net but all i can find is ways to cook them

MAny thanks in advance

Martin

[Waffler]

Here's what I got:

1- Freezing chestnuts: wash the nuts, cover with water, bring to the boil Drain and peel. pack in rigid containers. Can be used to supplement raw chestnuts in recipes or can be cooked and frozen as puree for soups and sweets.

2- Chestnuts in syrup:
225g / 8oz granulated sugar
225g / 8oz glucose
180ml water
375g / 12oz whole chestnuts, peeled and skinned (weight after preparation) OR 1 x 439g can of chestnuts, drained (for everyone not so lucky as Martin)
a few drops of vanilla essence.

Put sugar, glucose and water in a pan and heat gently until sugars dissolve; bring to the boil.
Remove from heat, add chestnuts and bring to the boil again.
Remove from the heat, cover and leave overnight, preferably in a warm place.
On the second day, re-boil the chestnuts and syrup in the pan without the lid.
Remove from the heat, cover and again leave overnight.
oN THE THIRD DAY, ADD 6-9 drops of Vanilla essence and repeat the boiling process as above.Warm some 500g /1lb bottling jars in the oven. fill jars with chestnuts and cover with syrup. Seal the jars.

3- Candied chestnuts:

600g / 1lb 5oz fresh chestnuts, peeled
water to cover
225g / 8oz glucose
225g / 8oz sugar
a few drops of vanilla essence

Put the chestnuts in a large pan with enough water to cover. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 mins or until just tender. DO NOT OVERCOOK AS THEY WILL DISINTERGRATE DURING CANDYING PROCESS.
Drain well, reserving 150ml of cooking liquor. Pour this in to a pan, add glucose and sugar and stir over a gentle heat until dissolved.
Add chestnuts and bring to the boil, remove from heat, cover and leave somewhere warm (airing cupboard?) for 24hours.
Next day, uncover the pan and bring back to the boil. Remove from the heat and leave for another 24 hours. Repeat next day, adding vanillla essence before boiling, then remove pan from the heat.
Using a slotted spon, transfer the chestnuts to a wire rach placed over a tray. Leave to dry in a warm place for 2-3 days until the chestnuts are no longer sticky. Pack them in cardboard or wooden boxes between layers of waxed paper.

PHEW!

I suspect you were after savoury ways of preserving more so, but this is all I could find. Hopefully you have freezer space if this is the case. Unless anyone else comes up with something (I'm sure EarthBabe will!!)

[number 1 suspect]

Excellent.
Thanks for all that. will be trying a bit of everything on that list. Will give me something to do over the weekeknd :-)

Martin

[Earthbabe]

Love the sound of the candied chestnuts Waffler. Haven't got any but will have to look. They'd make a fab xmas pressie.

[Waffler]

Right! Earthbabe's just reminded me of Richard Mabey (under sweetchestnuts), so this is what he has to say on the matter:

Chestnut puree (doesn't mention preserving this, but I would hazard a guess that it can happily be frozen in it's pureed state.)

Shell and peel the chestnuts and boil them in a thin stock for about 40 mins. Strain off the liquid and then rub the nuts through a sieve or process them in a liquidiser. The resulting puree can be seasoned and used as substitue for potatoes, or form the basis of stuffings, soups and sweets, such as chestnut fool.

Chestnut flour.

Store in a warm, dry, well-ventilated room for a couple of months (!). they must be individually shelled and ground as finely as possible. The flour is fragrant and excellent in cakes and breads, but can be reluctatn to rise and is probably best mixed with an equal amount of ordinary wheat flour.

I guess you could also use them in a variety of dishes which could be frozen ahead, such as nut loaf, or brussels and chestnuts etc.

[eskymo]

the chestnuts I have collected are tiny - I could boil them but I don't think peeling them would result in anything as I've peeled a few raw and all i get is a bit of pithy stringy nonsense - should I chuck them in the bin?

[nick the grief]

Ah the old 20lb nut roast for Christmas dinner We have friends that are Vegetarian & it was always the standard joke that they would ask if we had a 20 pound turkey & we asked if they had a 20 pond nut roast ...... well. you have to over do it at Christmas

[number 1 suspect]

the thought of eating a 20lb nut roast is enough to make any vege commit the ultimate sin......... Use Quorn :-)

The chestnuts i have are huge and collected locally used with chives, red pepper, caerphilly cheese, mushrooms and a few other bits makes it a very special "nut roast". I feel sorry for all you carnivores. Nothing but Turkey whilst I have a rich and varied meal :-)

[nick the grief]

I don't like Turkey No1 S

I must post mrs Grief's Orange jelly & tomato tarlett recipe some time

[dexterdoglancashire]

Nick you have orange tartlet for your christmas dinner? LOL DDL

[Shortie]

Oh god.... I'm imagining that picture you post Nick of the 5 large blokes now!

[JazzDuke]

If you can make the perfect marron glacé then you can sell them for at least 40p a chestnut or have very grateful friends if you give them as presents.

[number 1 suspect]

orange, jelly and tomato?
Different. This could be an interesting mix. come on, spill the beans, hows it made?