Edible chestnuts: how to prepare chestnuts at home

It is not necessary to confuse different kinds of chestnuts - it is a horse chestnut grown in Russian parks and a real chestnut, also called edible or noble.

In Russia, with the exception of the Black Sea coast,do not grow edible chestnuts. Such chestnuts grow in Europe, Asia and North America. Of course, everyone can buy these unusual fruits in our country, but here their price often provokes indignation.

Healing properties of chestnuts

There are many varieties of edible chestnuts. "Sweet chestnuts" are popular. These fruits, like nuts, have a high calorie content. But, in comparison with hazelnuts, walnuts, peanuts and almonds, chestnuts contain very little fat. These fruits are great for a vegetarian diet. In their composition - 3% of useful minerals, about 2.5-3.5% of fiber, as well as vitamins A, B and C.

In chestnut seeds, up to 62% of starch may be present, up to17% of sugar and up to 6% of proteins. Especially a lot of vitamins are found in unripe fruits. Here, scientists found up to 1500 mg of vitamin C and up to 0.18 mg of vitamin B.

In folk medicine, medicalproperties of both edible and horse chestnut. Many diseases can be cured by taking a specially prepared decoction from different parts of the chestnut. Healing is not only fruits, but also flowers, bark and leaves of the tree.

Edible chestnuts: how to cook healthy fruits at home

The most popular way of preparing these fruits- baking on charcoal. This is the most simple and effective way, suitable for everyone who, resting at the cottage, decided to offer his numerous guests chestnuts.

How to cook great fruits in your homeconditions? Firstly, chestnuts can be baked in the oven. After you have removed the remaining dirt, just cut off the tip of each fruit and put the chestnuts in the oven for about 15 minutes. Cutting the tips of hard fruit is not easy, but if you do not, your chestnuts can explode.

Secondly, you can just fry the chestnut nutsin a skillet. How to fry chestnuts? As in the previous method, make a small cut, place the fruit on a hot frying pan and cook under the closed lid for about 20 minutes. Some chestnut lovers remove the frying pan from the plate after the first shot of these fruits. It is believed that the most delicious fried chestnuts are those that are ready to explode.

Third, you can weld chestnuts. How to cook boiled chestnuts? First you need to clean the fruit from the skin. To do this, chestnuts are dropped for several minutes into boiling water, and then they remove all the skin, all membranes and films. Purified fruits are immersed in cold water and boiled until soft. Normally, the preparation of chestnuts ends 20 minutes after the water has boiled. Then it is recommended to drain the water and hold the cooked fruit for 5 minutes in an empty saucepan under the lid.

Quite often chestnuts are added to other dishes. Of these fruits in many countries make sauces. The simplest chestnut sauce is served with meat. Boiled chestnuts knead with a fork, turning into mashed potatoes. Add butter, nutmeg, cream and salt. This sauce perfectly fits the duck, chicken and rabbit.

You can make an exquisite dessert sauce,using boiled chestnuts. How to prepare such an unusual seasoning for the main course? Simply cook the peeled fruits in the sweetened milk, turn the chestnuts in puree and serve on the table.

Chestnuts give each hostess a hugespace for culinary creativity. A chestnut dessert is popular in some countries. Boiled fruits are mixed with sherry and brandy, add whipped cream and bise, and top with chocolate.

You can use chestnuts as a condiment to your favorite dish. Let this little exquisite detail be the highlight of your entire kitchen, because in Russia, chestnuts are rarely cooked.

But there is one serious obstacle: Chestnuts dry quickly, they can not be stored. These fruits are sold on the market only in the autumn, so there is only one small "chestnut" time, in which you can enjoy the feature of this unusual product.