chesnuts storing

[ken c]

how do you store chesnuts?? I have read conflicting advice,some say dry out in the sun some say bag and put in fridge. The trees are full at the moment and such a shame to see going to waste.
anyone with the knowledge please

[ken c]

yes its sweet chesnuts, I would like to know how you can get them to store till Xmas.if I can stop eating them

[drchasuble]

What you need to do is peel and freeze.
Score the non pointy end of the chestnut with a sharp knife - making sure you cut through the shell - much like you would a sprout. Place in a saucepan, cover with boiling water and simmer for 5-10 minutes. This will soften the shell and makes it easier to peel off. There is an inner skin that needs to come off too. If the peeling gets difficult just return to the hot water. When they're naked and shelled just pop in the freezer. Allow them 24h defrosting time.

[ken c]

Thanks drchasuble
sounds easy will have a go at that,
but how do you think the shops store them so as they are on sale at Xmas in there jackets? anyone??

[Cali]

I'm interested in this too...

Went out yesterday and picked close to 2.5 kilos but I want to store them for about 4 weeks so they are still edible and we can roast them on bonfire night.

I've already seperated out any with holes in as I know from bitter experience that these will contain those nasty maggot things...

So as an experiment I've put 2 boxes in the fridge and a bag in the freezer to see what happens. Hopefully I'll still have some edible ones in a month!

I'd also read that they keep well in a 'pail of earth' - on the one hand this sounds feasible as presumably squirrels keep them in the ground(?) but it also sounds a bit risky from the damp point of view.

[Figi]

Just leave them spread out on a tray in a cool-ish, dark-ish place e.g. a garage or shed. They'll still be fine at Christmas.

[ken c]

many thanks for all your postings will try all methods and see which is the best.