Every Murphys Open House Jan fires up the grill and roasts chestnuts over the open fire to gift our community.  We still hear the “I’ve never had a roasted chestnut before!” exclamations.  As well as the surprise response about how they do not taste like nuts at all.  In fact chestnuts are similar to boiled potatoes in texture and taste.  However these starchy nuts pack in a surprising dose of fiber, vitamin C, and important minerals like copper and potassium.

Serving Size: 1 ounce, roasted

• 70 calories
• 6 g total fat
• 15 g carbohydrates
• 4 g dietary fiber (5%)
• 3 g sugar
• 9 g protein
• vitamin C 12% DV
• vitamin B-6 5% DV
• copper 7% DV
• manganese 17% DV
• potassium 4% DV
• magnesium 2% DV

Preparation: 

Place the chestnuts flat side down on a cutting board. Use a small paring knife to score an X through the skin on the rounded side of each chestnut.

Place the chestnuts in a bowl of hot water for 1 minute. This will help them steam in the oven. Drain and pat the chestnuts dry.

At this point you can add herbs or flavorings. Toss the chestnuts in a bowl with a combo of melted butter, rosemary, sea salt, or other spices and herb combinations.  *See recipes below.

Wrap chestnuts in single layer in aluminum foil.  Foil packets may be stacked on baking sheet.

Bake at 350°F until the edges of the chestnut shells really curl up, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and working one parcel at a time, peel off the shell and the skin which sometimes can be bitter

Since the shells are harder to peel when cold, keep packet warm until open. Eat the chestnuts right away or store them in the fridge for up to three days for soup, pasta and snacking.

                              *Spice Blends for Chestnuts