Photo: Amarant at Dutch Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Dried · From Bladwijzer
Dried sweet chestnuts and chestnut flour
- Makes: ± 350 g dried chestnuts
- Time: 1 hr + 8–12 hrs drying
- From: Sweet chestnut
Ingredients
- 1 kg fresh, sound sweet chestnuts
- water for checking
Method
- Only use sweet chestnuts (spiny husk) and never horse chestnuts (conkers), which are poisonous. Put the chestnuts in a bowl of water and throw away any that float, have worm holes or are mouldy.
- Cut a cross in the shell of each chestnut and roast them for 15–20 minutes in the oven at 200 °C.
- Peel the chestnuts while still warm, removing both the shell and the brown skin. Dip stubborn skins briefly in boiling water.
- Break each chestnut into 2 or 3 pieces so they dry faster. Spread them on a rack or on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
- Dry for 8–12 hours in the oven at 60 °C with the door ajar (wedge a wooden spoon in it). Turn the pieces after 4 hours. They are ready when they are rock hard and have no damp centre when you break them.
- Leave to cool completely. If you like, grind them in a powerful blender or coffee grinder to make flour.
- Soak the dried pieces overnight in water and cook them for 30–40 minutes before using them in soup, stew or purée.
Storing: Dried pieces keep for 6–12 months in an airtight jar in a cool, dark place; the flour for 3 months, longer in the freezer. If you see damp patches or mould, or smell mustiness, throw everything away.