In the Middle Ages, chestnuts were still a wholesome staple food, but today they are more of a snack or an addition to vegetable and meat dishes. If you have a special fondness for chestnuts and want to store larger quantities of the nuts at home, there are a few points to consider. Our post tells you everything you need to know.
Chestnuts can be kept in a basket for a short time
Basic requirements for storing chestnuts
When buying or harvesting, make sure that the chestnuts you choose are fresh. You can recognize this by the following characteristics:
- high strength
- rather heavy
- smooth, shiny shell
You should keep your hands off soft, light and shriveled chestnuts. They are probably no longer fresh.
Perishable fruits
Chestnuts spoil relatively quickly. They have a low water content. They also lose moisture quickly. So chestnuts dry out quickly and become absolutely inedible. In addition, the fruits are rich in carbohydrates (sugar and starch) and are therefore an ideal breeding ground for fungi.
The susceptibility to worms should also be considered. Infested fruits should be discarded. It is best to place suspicious chestnuts in a bowl of water. The nuts that float on the surface of the water are infested with worms and should therefore be thrown away quickly.
How to properly store chestnuts
- Place the fresh chestnuts in an air-permeable basket.
- Store the nut fruits like this in a dry, dark and cool room.
tips
The pantry, attic or basement are suitable places to store chestnuts. They stay there for up to three months.
Store chestnuts in the refrigerator
Alternatively, you can store your chestnuts in the refrigerator, where they usually only stay fresh for a few weeks. Place the chestnuts in a perforated plastic bag.
Store chestnuts at room temperature
If you are sure you can eat your chestnuts within a week, you also have the option of storing them at room temperature.
Put the chestnuts in a bucket with sand
Another option is to store the chestnuts in a bucket (or similar container) with dry sand. They keep their shape for several months.
Freeze chestnuts and keep them for a long time
If you want to extend the shelf life to half a year, you should first cut into your chestnuts, then blanch and peel them and finally fill them in suitable containers and put them in the freezer.
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