Roasted Chestnuts from the Oven 🍂

Getting Started!

Around October, the indoor season begins again. We seek warmth and coziness together around the table or by the fireplace. To create that cozy autumn atmosphere and enjoy a healthy snack, make roasted chestnuts from the oven! You can buy chestnuts at the supermarket, but it's much more fun to search for sweet chestnuts in the forest. The smoky scent that fills your home when roasting chestnuts is an unparalleled symbol of autumn's coziness.

How to make it:

1. Buy sweet chestnuts at the supermarket or go foraging in the forest yourself. When searching, pay attention to the following: the chestnut must have a beautiful shiny and undamaged shell. You should not hear the nut rattle when you shake it; the chestnut must feel firm and heavy. Older chestnuts are dry and not tasty, so try to find them as fresh as possible. Have you found good chestnuts? Then check again to see if there is no small round hole in the shell. If there is a hole, discard the chestnut. This hole is made by a small worm that also fancies chestnuts... and this worm was there before you, so back in line!
2. Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F).
3. Meanwhile, clean the chestnuts a little with a slightly damp cloth.
4. On the convex side of the chestnut, make an incision in the shape of a cross. If you don't do this, the chestnut can pop like popcorn. Chestnuts are larger and harder than popcorn, and you don't want these nuts to pop in your oven!
5. Place the chestnuts on a baking sheet with baking paper or a silicone baking mat and roast them for 20 minutes in the oven. When the inside is soft, they are done.
6. Remove the chestnuts from the oven and let them cool briefly on a kitchen towel. Some moisture may drip out, which will be absorbed by the towel.
7. When the chestnuts are still lukewarm, you can start peeling them. With a fresh chestnut, the peel comes off easily; with an older chestnut, it will be more difficult. Remove both the harder outer shell and the thinner (bitter) skin. For peeling, it's best to use a sharp potato peeler.
8. Serve the chestnuts at the table, for example, in a cast-iron skillet, or snuggle under a blanket and eat the roasted chestnuts as a healthy snack! 🦦

Tip

Also add the roasted chestnuts as a side dish to a stew or game dish.