Roasting fresh chestnuts in the oven is the modern equivalent of “chestnuts roasting on an open fire…”, the iconic lyrics to one of the most quotable American Christmas songs in the canon.
Every year when winter comes around, securing a bag of locally-grown chestnuts and roasting them in the oven is a local food lovers’ dream– especially if you live in North America, where the once-imperiled American chestnut tree slowly makes an inspiring comeback.
Below, we explain how to roast fresh chestnuts in the oven to make seasonal winter treats. It’s an easy cold-weather tradition to look forward to when the short harvest season rolls around (usually in October-early December in North America).
Enjoy!
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Foolproof Living has a great straightforward post on how to roast chestnuts in the oven— we follow their technique of soaking scored chestnuts in water for one hour, then roasting for 25-30 minutes at 425 degrees F– with some slight modifications below to ensure an extra-toasty, fragrant finish.
The chestnut shells will peel back as steam releases in the oven, and they become super easy to de-shell by hand. And your kitchen will smell divine!
How To Roast Fresh Chestnuts in the Oven
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (200 degrees C). Cut an “X” on the flat side of each chestnut with a strong serrated knife or chef’s knife. If desired, use padded kitchen gloves as chestnut shells are hard and slippery, and can sometimes slip out of your grip under pressure.
- Soak the scored chestnuts in water for one hour. Then, arrange them in a single layer on a rimmed cookie sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes on the oven’s middle rack. Check on them during the last 5 minutes to make sure they aren’t getting too dark. The chestnut meat should be golden-brown, toasted, and fragrant when done. (It’s okay if the shells blacken a little, but the nut meat inside shouldn’t get any darker than dark brown, or it will taste burnt.)
- Remove fresh-roasted chestnuts from the oven and wrap them in a dishcloth for 15-20 minutes to steam them further. (Place the wrapped bundle on a cutting board to “cure” and protect your countertop from the heat.)
- Open up the dish towel and let the chestnuts cool for 5 more minutes. Remove the shells and papery inner skin (if any) and enjoy!
FAQ
Fresh chestnuts can be eaten right out of the shell, or ground into flours and pastes to make various chestnut-based desserts like chestnut crepes, Mont Blanc, or chestnut cake.
We personally love using fresh-roasted chesnuts to make chestnut milk, which is an awesome dairy-free nut milk option that can be sweetened with dates to make a cozy local food alternative to hot chocolate. Follow our recipe here.
Store fresh-roasted chestnuts in the fridge for 2-3 weeks or up to 6 months in the freezer. (Be sure to remove the shells before freezing fresh-roasted chestnuts.) Once thawed, if the nut meat smells off or moldy– or if you see any overtly moldy spots, throw them all away. Fresh-roasted chestnuts are still very moist compared to other tree nuts, so you don’t want to keep them for too long or they will spoil.
To read more about the ongoing plight of the American chestnut tree, go here. If you’re an environmentalist or a local food lover, it’s an intriguing story that continues to unfold.
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Related: At This Charming Paw Paw Festival in Maryland, America’s “Secret Fruit” Shines.
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