How to Eat a Chestnut

Whether roasted over an open fire or puréed into potatoes, versatile chestnuts are a nutritious, palate-pleasing choice.

Chestnut Types

The fruits of the chestnut tree are spiky burrs that contain several brown, smooth-skinned nuts each. Inside each nut is a cream-colored sweet flesh that has a potato-like texture. Most of the chestnuts available in the U.S. are the European variety (Castanea sativa), also known as the sweet chestnut or Spanish chestnut. (Due to blight in the early 1900s, the American chestnuts were almost wiped out.) Chestnuts are not related to water chestnuts, which are a type of aquatic vegetable commonly used in Asian cooking. 

Like other true nuts (dry fruits that have a hard shell, a single seed, and a protective husk), chestnuts provide mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids, dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and protein. Chestnuts are higher in carbohydrates and lower in protein, fat, and calories than most other nuts and have a higher water content (40 to 60 percent vs. about five percent in most other nuts). They are the only nut that contains a significant amount of vitamin C. One serving (about ten nuts) contains more than a third of the daily value of vitamin C. 

Take Charge!

Get to know chestnuts with these tips:

• Know Your Options. Chestnuts are available fresh, pre-peeled, or ready-to-eat (whole or puréed) in packages, cans, and jars. They are most common in Fall and Winter.
• Eat Them Cooked. Chestnuts taste better cooked, which turns raw nuts from bitter to mildly sweet and smooth textured.
• Be Sure to Score. Cut a shallow cross into the flat side of chestnuts before cooking to prevent them from bursting.
  Experiment.
• Try chestnuts whole, halved, chopped, and puréed to experience them in a variety of dishes from a simple snack to soups and baked goods.

Choosing Chestnuts

This cool-season crop arrives in markets in October and is available through the holiday months and sometimes into March. Fresh chestnuts should be smooth and firm, have no cracks or mold, and should feel heavy for their size. Fresh chestnuts store best in the refrigerator, unpeeled and whole, where they will stay fresh for several months. Peeled, ready-to-use chestnuts and chestnut purées are available in resealable shelf-stable packages, cans, and jars. Frozen peeled chestnuts may also be available. 

How to Prepare

You can eat chestnuts raw, but they contain tannins, which make uncooked chestnuts taste bitter and can cause nausea. Roasting or cooking breaks down the tannins and caramelizes the natural sugars in chestnuts, sweetening and improving the flavor, and creating a soft, smooth, potato-like texture. Baked, boiled, or roasted, chestnuts can enhance a variety of savory and sweet dishes. 

Begin by cutting a shallow cross into the flat side of chestnut skins. Scoring prevents them from overheating and bursting while cooking. 

• To roast or grill, preheat oven or barbecue to about 400° F. Place scored chestnuts on a tray in a single layer. Cook, turning every few minutes, until the skins split open and the flesh is tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat, cover with a dish towel or seal in a paper bag, and let them steam to help loosen the skins, about five minutes. While still warm, remove skins.
• To boil, cover scored nuts with water in a pan and simmer 15 to 20 minutes, until the scored section of skin opens and the flesh is tender.
• To microwave, place scored chestnuts on a microwave-safe plate and cook on high two to three minutes, or until the flesh is tender. 

Cooked chestnuts can be enjoyed whole, chopped, or puréed in most any dish. 

Enjoy peeled whole, roasted chestnuts as a snack just as they are, or toss in a plant oil, such as olive or canola oil, with sweet (cinnamon, maple syrup, nutmeg) or savory (garlic, onion powder, black pepper, herbs, paprika, chili flakes) seasonings while still warm.

Add cooked and peeled halved or chopped chestnuts to Waldorf, green, and pasta salads. Mix them into stuffing with dried cranberries and apples or into a pilaf or risotto. Sauté with vegetables, like Brussels sprouts and green beans. 

Prepared chestnut purée can be purchased sweetened or unsweetened in cans or jars. To make your own, bring an equal measure of peeled chestnuts and water or milk to a boil and simmer until the chestnuts have softened, then blend into a purée. Use it as a spread for bread, topping for pancakes, or a mix-in for yogurt, smoothies, oatmeal, mashed potatoes, and soup. 

However you try them, don’t be surprised if the mildly sweet flavor and smooth texture of chestnuts turn this nutritious nut into a seasonal favorite. 

This article originally appeared in the Tufts Health & Nutrition Letter, published each month by the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy.