Sweet chestnuts

[2madcollies]

Anyone got any recipes for using sweet chestnuts? My local park where I walk my mutts has a sweet chestnut tree & all the nuts are just lying about. Temptation is too great.......

I would think that the prickly cases would be good slug deterrants, too!

[carlseawolf]

There's a choclate and chestnut cake on the river cottage website and it's realy tasty !

[momol]

Roast the chestnut, peel the shell and eat it just like that... yummy.

Momol

[Birdie Wife]

I've a recipe for marrons glace somewhere, do you want me to have a rummage? They are quite a delicacy in France, but a bit of a faff to achieve at home. Sweet chestnut puree is also a good base for stuffings and there's a lovely recipe for a cake and a dessert to but I usually use the tinned stuff from the Merchant Gourmet and I really don't know how they process it from the natural ingredient.

[2madcollies]

Thanks gang!

Birdie, thanks for the offer but If it's a "bit of a faff" then I'll give it a miss - I like plain straightforward stuff personally! Just a bit lazy I guess....

[Birdie Wife]

Same here...

[mrs potato head]

Roast them. peel and serve with spouts and loads of butter.Mmmmmmmmmmmmm

[chrissie the chippy]

We had loads last year, most ended up just being roasted though

Does anyone know if there is a way to store them? Maybe without cooking them? I tried last year in boxes, but didn't take them down to the shed, think my underfloor heating finished them off

Wanted to be able to store some to save for Christmas

I personally don't like them! Love going for walks with the family though and collecting them. They all love them though, great seeing my daughter asking my mum to open them for her to eat fresh while we're out

[vegnut]

I suppose, just do what the squirrels do. Keep them in a frost free place and hope for the best.

[Headfry]

I only ever seem to find really small sweet chestnuts -
How big are the ones that you have found?
You are very very lucky, I love chestnuts toasted on my open fire, just peel and dip in a little salt! perfect

[Two_Sheds]

I'm scared of chestnuts, after buying a load to roast, tucking in and then finding them contaminated with big fat maggots. Gross

[rustylady]

My absolute favourite is roasted chestnuts (preferably done under an open fire in the ash collector) - somehow they don't taste the same done in the oven. You could try chestnut puree if you want to cook with them (personally I think it's too much of a faff). To store them I suppose it would be similar to storing onions, somewhere cool and dry and away from meeces and other beasties who would like to eat your store.

[2madcollies]

After all my collecting efforts the nuts turned out to be really weeny & the shells full of air! Ah well, the dogs were amused watching me scrabbling around on the ground trying to pick up VERY prickly casings (is that what they're called?).

Thanks to all who replied to this thread, I'll keep looking.....

[Polly Fouracre]

I have, for years,shelled and dried sweet chestnuts,they keep for years.
Firstly,cut a cross in the pointy end of the nut,then drop,a few at a time, into boiling water.Leave for about a minute then take out with a slotted spoon and peel.Ouch,ouch I know,but both outer and inner skin should come away.
Dry in the oven(at the lowest temp.)or in a dehydrator until absolutely dry,then store in a perfectly dry glass jar.
Can also be "roasted"in a microwave,if you have one.As before,make a cross before putting in.We don't have a microwave so you would have to experiment a bit.
I have,somewhere,a recipe for chestnut jam,I will find it and send it on.

[scarey55]

I was searching another forum and I found this recipe for Chestnut burgers. I haven't tried it myself yet but it looked quite good and has the added bonus of using a courgette


200g cooked and chopped chestnuts
125g couscous
Chopped chilli/chillies to taste
150ml vegetable stock
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 finely chopped medium onion
150g grated carrot
1 medium courgette, diced
1 large egg, beaten
3 tablespoons chopped chives
salt and pepper

Pour the hot stock over the couscous and chilli, leave to stand until soaked in.
Meanwhile fry the onion until soft, add carrot and courgette and cook for 5 minutes.
Cool slightly then add the couscous, (fluffed up with a fork) egg, chives and seasoning and mix well.
Divide into 8 and shape into burgers.
Chill until ready to serve then brush with oil and grill for about 15 mins.
Can be frozen