I am eating nice tasty little chestnuts that I just nuked. A friend
of mine has given me a bag full for the last couple years. A problem.
This year I solved the problem.
They were always a pain in the neck to use. I followed methods from
here and the Internet and advice from friends and it was always a
pain, and not worth the bother. Cut an X in the bottom, try to figure
out which end _is_ the bottom, boil, open first, open after cooking,
bake, microwave, do big batches at a time, and on and on.
Geeeeese, what a mess! We always wound up throwing a good fraction
out, after they spoiled. I did a big batch several different ways
last year and threw them out after a week or two..... they don't
fridge well.
This year when my friend brought me 5 or 6 dozen I almost said
"Thanks but no, Roy. I have given up cooking chestnuts." But being a
wishy washy person I said "Gee, thanks Roy. But I can't take all
these....I don't want to short you." He said "Well that's all for
now. I'll bring you some more in a week or two."
Turned out to be a good thing. Later I took 5 of them and cut an X in
the top [to me that's the part opposite the light tan, tough looking
end] and popped them in the micro for two minutes.... I couldn't
remember the "recipe" for doing it so I just guessed. The four pieces
where it was cut peeled back a little in the micro. Like little
handles. I peeled them all the way as soon as they came out of the
'wave. Hot, but handled quickly they didn't burn me. They tasted hard
and undone. So I did 5 more for 2 minutes plus. Harder! Could cut
diamonds with them. Then I did a batch at 1 minute and 20 or 39
seconds. They were medium soft. I buttered them and salted them and
they were marvelous!
In a week or so, when the nuts were gone, I had to call Roy and tell
him how good they were, and how I did them..... and ask if I could
have a few more. Roy was thrilled to find someone who _really_ liked
them. He said the wind had blown down a bunch and he would drop some
more off on his way to town. He brought me a BIG bag of them.
Now I just cut one slit lengthwise instead of an X. That works even
better as the halves curl back and you just peel aways 2 pieces
instead of four.
