Easy Roasted Chestnuts | A Fall Gem
We have 2 large Chestnut trees above our home and every year we gather the chestnuts as they start to fall in late September. I look so forward to roasted chestnuts every year!
When the chestnuts start falling we know summer is quickly winding down.
If you have never had roasted chestnuts, they have a sweet nutty flavor and pair perfectly with fall soups and roasted butternut squash.
Chestnuts have a prickly outer shell. My husband always wears leather gloves when gathering. The sting from a chestnut won’t soon be forgotten! He hulls them and puts the hulls in our compost pile.
We usually start gathering the chestnuts in September. In a usual year, we will end up with a few gallon bags of these guys!
One of my favorite things to do is peel the chestnuts. It is so rewarding pulling the little gem out of the shell. I usually sneak a few for a snack:)
Jump to RecipeWe gather so many, that we freeze most of them for preservation until we are ready to roast them.
If you have access to these gems, I highly recommend gathering a few and roasting them!
They have a flavor all their own and compliment almost any Fall meal we make.
Roasted chestnuts are particularly tasty as a topping for soup!
Simply preheat an oven to 425 degrees F.
Place the chestnuts, flat side down, on a baking sheet.
Using a small paring knife, carefully score the nuts up and down as well as side to side. This pierces the skin allowing it to pull away from the nut during roasting.
You can pierce them only one way and it will still work just fine.
Place in preheated oven. In my oven, it takes around 20-22 minutes. You will smell them when they are ready and see the outer peel loosen and peel back.
Allow them to cool a bit so you can handle them.
Peel the skins off (they come off super easy).
Storage Tips
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
Alternatively, store cooled peeled chestnuts in a freezer bag in the freezer for up to a year.
For a fall soup recipe that pairs perfectly with chestnuts, click here: https://therosehomestead.com/butternut-squash-soup/
Roasted Chestnuts
Equipment
- 1 Baking Sheet
- 1 Paring Knife
Ingredients
- 3-4 cups Fresh Chestnuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place chestnuts, flat side down, on the baking sheet.
- Score the chestnuts up and down, as well as, side to side. This pierces the skin to allow it to pull away from the nut inside.
- Roast for 20-22 minutes.
- Allow to cool until you can handle them.
- Peel the skins off the nuts.
- Store in airtight container in fridge for up to a week.
