The fall and the hot chestnuts
Chestnuts contain lots of vitamins A and C, as well as most of the B vitamins. Moreover, they are rich in potassium, calcium, iron and phosphorus – the nutrients extremely important for health.
Chestnuts are reddish-brown in color, with a smooth surface. They are growing inside the “burs” with long, sharp spines that burst in the autumn when the chestnut fruit gets ripe. Chestnuts belong to family of nuts. However, they differ from their cousins – walnuts, almonds and hazelnuts, by a lower fat content and high content in starch, and are the only nuts containing vitamin C. They have a distinguishing texture and a sweet, mild flavor.
The best method to roast chestnuts
There is a number of recipes on this topic, but everyone agrees that one would need a wide, old, deep skillet or casserole. It is also important to make a long slit (about 1 cm wide) crosswise over the top of each chestnut.
To bake them in the oven, slit the chestnuts a little bit to peel them easier. Put them in a pot of cold water and heat to the boiling point. When the water boils, arrange the chestnuts in a casserole and bake at 220°C for 30-40 minutes. To make the peeling even simpler, pour the hot chestnuts into a plastic bag and wrap them in a newspaper. Then leave at room temperature for about 10 minutes. Now, you just need to peel and serve. Enjoy!
ANTRE
Homemade chestnut puree
Ingredients:
- 1 kg of peeled chestnuts
- 750 g sugar
- 1 vanilla sugar
- 1 cup of water
Preparation:
Slit the chestnuts and put them in the freezer for at least two hours. Put the frozen chestnuts in boiling water, and cook for about four minutes. Peel, then cook in a saucepan filled with water for 45 minutes. Spill out the water, but leave a little at the bottom and make a puree. Put the sugar and vanilla sugar in a copper pot. Add a cup of water and cook until the sugar is melted and caramelized. Mix the puree with sugar and cook over low heat for about 30 minutes. The mixture should not be too firm. Pour the puree into jars while still hot. Close the jars tightly, and turn them upside down to sterilize.
