Fresh chestnuts are available in stores from autumn and sometimes a nearby chestnut tree invites you to collect them. When the bag is full, the only question that remains is: how are they stored until they are used?

Chestnuts should be stored as dry as possible

Identify fresh chestnuts

Fruit falling from the tree is naturally fresh unless it has been on the ground for a very long time. Unfortunately, the markets often sell chestnuts that are past their best. How to tell if the fruit on offer is fresh:

  • the fruits are plump and heavy
  • don't give in under pressure
  • the shell is shiny and has not dried up
  • they don't smell musty
  • there are no cracks or small holes to be seen
  • there are no mold spores to be seen

Only absolutely fresh and flawless fruit should be bought, both for immediate consumption and for longer storage.

Brief storage at room temperature

Really fresh fruit can be stored for many days. However, to ensure that they remain fresh and tasty, they require special storage conditions.

Don't just keep chestnuts in a fruit bowl in the kitchen or living room. At normal room temperature, they quickly lose their taste and even begin to sprout. This type of storage is acceptable only if all the fruit is consumed within a week.

The refrigerator is the best storage place

The cool temperatures in the refrigerator are ideal for storing chestnuts for a longer period of time because they protect the fruit from drying out and prevent heat-induced germination.

Before they go into the vegetable compartment, chestnuts should be packed in a plastic bag. This must never be closed tightly, otherwise mold will quickly form. The plastic bag must allow air exchange, so several holes are pierced in it beforehand.

You can keep the chestnuts in the fridge for a month. Check from time to time whether all the chestnuts are still in perfect condition.

Store chestnuts in the freezer

Another storage option is freezing. Chestnuts can be put into the freezer raw without any problems, but they can also be boiled for about 10 minutes beforehand. The cooked fruits are then peeled and frozen after cooling.

Chestnuts can be stored in the freezer for six 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

Category:

Trees