Want to cook with chestnuts but don’t know where to start? Here’s a rundown on everything you need to know, including how to select, cook, and peel whole chestnuts and how to incorporate the sweet, tender treats to your favorite recipes.
What Are Chestnuts?
Chestnuts are shiny, round tree nuts related to acorns and beechnuts. They grow and mature inside spiny hulls, called burrs. In the fall, the burrs burst open to release one or two large, reddish-brown nuts that are rounded on one side. Beneath their thick, glossy skins, the nuts are encased in a thin inner pellicle, which needs to be removed before eating.
Chestnuts are native to Asia, Europe, and North America, though North American chestnuts have all but disappeared following a blight in the early 20th century. Nowadays, most of the chestnuts and chestnut products you’ll find in the U.S. are imported from Europe and Asia.