Fresh chestnuts can be stored at ten degrees Celsius for around one to two weeks without drying out. They will keep in the fridge (packed in a perforated plastic bag) for a good month. If these deadlines are not enough for you, you can freeze your chestnuts - we will explain how to do it.

Chestnuts can also be frozen pre-roasted

Freeze chestnuts - these options are yours to choose from

There are several ways to freeze chestnuts:

  • raw or cooked
  • with or without shell
  • "pre-fried"
  • blanched

Freeze raw and shelled chestnuts

The easiest and quickest way to freeze chestnuts is to leave them raw and in shell and pop them in the freezer (in vacuum freezer bags) as is. If you want to use them later, roast the delicacies in the oven while they are still frozen or let them thaw for an hour and then process them as desired.

tips

In general (for every variant of this guide) it is advisable to cut (score) the chestnuts with a sharp knife before freezing. For this purpose, carve a small cross on the curved side of each chestnut. By cutting in, you will find it easier to peel the chestnuts later on.

Freeze chestnuts blanched and peeled

This method is useful if you later want to cook the chestnuts peeled. The slightly higher effort before freezing is balanced out afterwards when it comes to preparing and enjoying.

  1. Score the chestnuts.
  2. Blanch them for 10 to 20 minutes. The cooking or simmering time depends on the freshness of the chestnuts. The following applies: the fresher they are, the shorter this step takes (ten minutes for very fresh chestnuts, 20 minutes for older specimens). Alternatively, you can also bake your chestnuts in the oven for half an hour at 180 degrees Celsius.
  3. Let the chestnuts cool for a few minutes.
  4. Peel them. To do this, drive a small kitchen knife into the incised cross. Be sure to remove the brown skin underneath the peel as well (bitter taste).
  5. Place the peeled chestnuts on a grid. There they dry and cool further.
  6. Put the chestnuts in portions in freezer bags (or freezer cans). Don't put too many chestnuts in a bag - portion them so that each chestnut has some free space.
  7. Remove air from the bags - with a vacuum sealer or with your mouth.
  8. Seal the freezer bag tightly (airtight!).
  9. Put the bags in the freezer.

"Pre-roast" chestnuts before freezing

In order to have little work after freezing, the following variant is advisable:

  1. Cut in the chestnuts.
  2. Fry them almost done.
  3. Let the chestnuts cool.
  4. Put them in freezer bags (do not forget to vacuum).
  5. Now the bags can go in the freezer.
  6. If you fancy chestnuts, pull a batch out of the chest, let them thaw, peel them and roast them for about ten minutes. After that they are ready to eat.

Things worth knowing about freezing chestnuts

Special Fact: Based on their experience, some hobby cooks and experts are of the opinion that the chestnuts taste even better if they are frozen. Farmers once said that chestnuts needed a frosty night before they were collected from the ground.

Chestnuts can be stored in the freezer for up to twelve months.

The garden journal freshness ABC

How can fruit and vegetables be stored correctly so that they stay fresh for as long as possible?

The garden journal freshness ABC as a poster:

  • as a free PDF file to print out yourself

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Trees