There chestnut is a fruit from the chestnut tree. Its peak season is in October, although it can be found on shelves from September to December. Once out of its bug, the chestnut will keep for 4 to 5 days in the fruit and vegetable drawer of the refrigerator.
Distinguishing chestnuts from chestnuts
The terms are often used interchangeably brown and chestnut. However, the two fruits are not from the same tree. Worse, brown is poisonous ! If you eat it, it can cause nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and even irritate your throat. In case of confusion, it is imperative to contact the nearest poison control centre!
Fortunately, the two fruits can be easily distinguished, in particular thanks to the color and the shape of their bug (their famous protective envelope!).
- The brown one is green, rather thick and the peaks disseminated on its surface are spaced. This shell contains a single fruit.
- The chestnut bug, meanwhile, is brown in color. It is dotted with many peaks, much longer than those of chestnuts. It contains 2 to 3 chestnuts.
Another point of distinction: the brown is rather round, while the chestnut adopts a more triangular shape. In addition, one of its sides is often flattened.
However, there is little chance that you will find a chestnut tree during your walks in the undergrowth. This tree grows mostly in cities and along roadsides.
Cook the chestnuts
The chestnut is a fruit that is eaten cooked. Before starting to cook it, it is essential to carry out a sorting session, in order to remove all the rotten elements or elements dug by small worms. For this, you have to immerse the harvest in a basin filled with water. Those that are damaged will rise to the surface. It is then necessary to encourage the chestnuts along their white part, using a small knife. This process prevents the fruit from exploding during cooking.
It is possible to cook them plain, either by:
- THE boiling 15 to 20 min in water. This can be embellished with herbs and aromatics.
- THE grilling in the pan, in the oven or in the fireplace (the top!) for about twenty minutes. There are also pans with specific holes to carry out this cooking.
If you rather want to incorporate the chestnut into a preparation, it is best to first cook it for 5 minutes in boiling water. You can then peel it and add it to the preparation of your choice.
The chestnut accommodates both savory and sweet dishes. It goes particularly well with apples and pears, as well as seasonal vegetables such as pumpkin. It works wonders in the classic Christmas capon stuffing, and it also enhances sweet recipes such as cakes and pies.
To find out more about these autumnal fruits, this slideshow reveals 9 benefits of chestnuts.
