Chestnuts-How to Identify, Peel, and Cook Easily

Identification of chestnuts will be shown. How to peel them a couple different ways, one being much easier than the other. How to find bad nuts and how to cook the good ones.

[@ekh2655]

Excellent video!!! We used in in our homeschool today as a wonderful learning tool. Thank you!

[@WindwalkerZ25]

I love chestnut but hate having to cut the X's in the shell, not knowing whether the nut is good until you open them and struggling to remove the stubborn skin from the good ones before you can eat them. Tried your method last night and it worked like a charm! Now I can totally enjoy roasted chestnuts this season with none of the hassle. Thank you Brother!

[@Rambooutfitters]

+WindwalkerZ25 Great to hear. I'm glad you liked the method which is the same reason I use it.

[@make7966]

Thank you for showing us just how easy it is to expel those little gems out of their shell, I'm most grateful.

[@camom5090]

I love that you showed several methods so we can see the difference. I am so glad that you revealed just how similar the buckeye looks in comparison...something I will be able to determine from your amazing video. Thanks!!

[@Rambooutfitters]

+CA Mom Thank you and glad you enjoyed it.

[@categirskisgirsk3492]

Thank you for identifying buckeyes. I was out walking and found many beautiful nuts on the ground that I thought was a chestnut.

[@ninaschwartz717]

Thank you, Tony. I just discovered a chestnut tree on my property, but I didn't know what to do with them. You did a great job showing everything I needed to know. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.

[@RobinWilson29]

Great method thanks! I have 22 Chinese Chestnut trees planted in 1975. This is a good year for chestnuts in West Virginia. I found that if I take the boiled nuts and put them in cold water for a short time so they can be handled that more of the nuts pop out of their skin on their own. I also like the idea of boiling them after they are pealed rather than bake them because it is easy to over bake them and they become hard.

[@jamesellsworth9673]

I wish I had seen this explanation years ago: peeling 'x' cut shells was t-i-m-e consuming and difficult. Your plier pop-out method on boiled, halved shells is great! Thanks.

[@johndifrancisco3642]

James Ellsworth, Do they taste the same?

[@velvetanderson9502]

Thank you for taking the time to go through all of this and explaining processes for us! Definately subscribing! I bought chestnuts a while ago and they have all gone bad...day before Thanksgiving, was going to make stuffing with them in it. Off topic: my father stacked wood in such a way that it would dispense if he took from a random mid section, instead of leaving a hole that caused the upper part to fall over. If you know the secret to this art, I'd be forever grateful for this knowledge. Thank you

[@charleneledger8569]

Hi all .Just wanted to say that in the uk we identify the chestnuts as the Sweet Chestnut ,the EDIBLE variety which grows within a hairy hedgehog type husk ,which has spear shaped leaves of around 6 to 8 inches when mature and a serrated edge . The other being the Horse Chestnut AKA (CONKER) which is generally seen as NOT EDIBLE ,this grows within a smoother husk with much fewer rose like thorns . Although not edible the Horse Chestnut itself has been used through history as a soap substitute either by mashing the kernal and forming back into a bar of soap ,alternatively the fruiting shoots containg many small white to pinkish flowers can be rubbed over the skin to create cleansing lather . has more tear drop shaped leaf.

[@Rambooutfitters]

+charlene ledger I keep hearing about the sweet chestnuts in the UK. Sound like they are slightly different than this here which is the American Chestnut. Nice info on the horse chestnut.

[@1984Deathpool]

+charlene ledger Thanks for the info on the leaves! That helps. The chestnuts tend to be roasted where I've seen them sold in Europe which is amazing and in my opinion makes them a little sweeter. Going to try it myself :)

[@morganwalkercvn6592]

well done. thanks for the boot split method.

[@gowiththeflo8742]

very educational video. thanks for the info. i just roasted some BEFORE viewing your video and some came out too dry and hard to eat. I'm going to boil the ones in which the inner skin stubbornly didn't want to come off. hopefully it'll work. I'll know better next time and remember your advice. happy holidays.

[@Rambooutfitters]

Thank you, give it a try and hopefully it helps

[@1984Deathpool]

There are also horse chestnuts often found in Europe (I've seen them in Italy and the Netherlands) that have a spiny shell like the edible ones, but is not edible like the buckeye. Another good way to tell is if it has a point on the end it should be edible (always good to be able to identify the tree before eating any nuts); both the buckeye and the horse chestnut have rounder, smoother bottoms. Edit: Great video btw...I have always boiled them but am going to try roasting them in cast iron on the stove top tonight. I like how you cut them in half, never done that but looks super easy.

[@Rambooutfitters]

+Dustin Hamm It's definitely easy. You can never go wrong with a roasted chestnut in cast iron.

[@livesimplifiedlife]

Thank you for sharing, that popping technique seems like a time saver. :)

[@stopit9280]

They look so good. I really want to try your chestnuts!

[@johndifrancisco3642]

Stop It, Stop it! :)

[@Potatohamcasserole]

I did the cut and x, but I think just cutting them in half like he did would have saved me a lot of time and it looks way safer. They are simmering now :)

[@Rambooutfitters]

+Deboramajama Yes it is definitely safer and easier in my opinion.

[@steveontiveros5425]

Thank you for posting this videos , I just subscribed . Around Christmas time the stores usually carries these , I never knew how cook or use these . I bit into one raw and and couldn't understand why people ate these things lol . That was 15 years ago , now I can't wait to try these again ! Thank you again ! Are you still making videos ?, I noticed you haven't made one for a while .

[@deemee7329]

What temperature did you roast them for ... top or bottom shelf in the oven ? Looks good never had one.

[@Phalsovannarith]

i love it and i'm planting it with around 10 hectares in Cambodia.

[@Rambooutfitters]

+Phal Sovannarith Awesome. I hope it works out.

[@johndifrancisco3642]

Sovannarith Phal, That's A LOT of Chestnuts! How are you making out?

[@ginos5119]

That was awesome! Thanks. The whole time I was watching that I was eating chestnuts. Definitely gona try the boil for a minute method text time.

[@FirstLightOutdoors]

Good info bro, now if I could only find a Chestnut tree?!?! :)

[@Rambooutfitters]

Haha. There isn't too many around anymore outside of farms. If you find one though you are definitely in for a treat.

[@nj1639]

Some good info. The American chestnuts are susceptible to the chestnut blight and are a rare tree to find, it's more common to find the Chinese chestnut growing and they are a rounded tree in growth. The American chestnut tree grew tall and straight. The bug is the chestnut weevil grub. All chestnut tree varieties will get the grub. It leaves a small hole when it exits the nut.

[@apostle3]

After I scored them, I soaked them in beer, salt, sugar, and cinnamon. Brought that to a simmer and then roasted.

[@Rambooutfitters]

+Tyler Van Schaik That sounds like an excellent recipe

[@myfrugalraggylife7104]

Sweet Chestnuts as we know the in UK have completely different leaves to the ones shown in your video. Here on YT there are many vids identifying sweet chestnuts with very large 'hand shaped' groups of leaves, NOT single leaves.

[@Rambooutfitters]

+Frugality from Weans Frugal World This here is an American Chestnut.

[@apostle3]

As for the ones that did "make the cut", they were delicious! Almost like popcorn!

[@Rambooutfitters]

+Tyler Van Schaik that's awesome!

[@ViviansDIYProjects]

There has gotta be an easier way to get the nuts out of the burrs. Searching youtube and googling the web but nothing came up other than the old step on with good shoes to separate the burrs. I did figure out a safe way to cut chestnuts for roasting. A PVC Pipe Cutter!!! Seriously, it's that time of year, give one a try. I just put a video showing that and how the nuts turned out. I'm right now processing my 4th tray to roast and I'm down to the ones still in the burrs. :/

[@Rambooutfitters]

Haha I feel your pain. They are hard to get into. Now that you mention it it made me think of trying two pairs of pliers on each end. I may have to go picking and try it. I'll check out your video on the pvc cutter, I'm curious.

[@MinecraftAppleMLP]

I have a question for you-I have a very old chestnut tree and when I open up the prickery outer shell, there are three of those brown leathery seeds inside-one large central and two very small ones flanking the large one. This is from a old farm first established in the 1790's on an island off the coast of Rhode Island. Any idea as to whether it is American/Chinese or European type of chestnut?

[@Rambooutfitters]

+Minecraft Apple & MLP Well most Chestnuts I know will get up to three seeds. I'm not sure exactly what you have but this site should help since you can compare leaves, seeds and other parts. Check this site out www.acf.org/find_a_tree.php

[@theelizabethan1]

@@Rambooutfitters Today, April 29, 2023, when I clicked the link it was invalid/dead .... "404 Not Found" error message.

[@hankcuntpunt7166]

I have the same exact linoleum floor in my kitchen bro.high five!!

[@deemee7329]

me too... lol

[@BornAgainCarnivore]

Roasted chestnuts are GOOD. (FYI, you can roast them in the oven, but it's best to cut a small slit across the top for the heat to vent when roasting.) (I didn't watch the whole video.)

[@Rambooutfitters]

Yea that method has its positives. The roast seems better with the shell on.

[@LifeByChocolates]

+WontB Quiet I always put an X on the nuts and then roast them with a pan of water in the oven.

[@maxgoldman1106]

If the tree is healthy you should take the nut and plant it. I'm doing the same thing

[@theCodyReeder]

meh, looks like a Chinese chestnut.

[@seemeewink2]

can you still use or pick them if they are wet... Not dry like you picked them?

[@sheepdogsherlock1311]

10:40 That's a Santoku knife.

[@You_Fix_Me]

Great vid man thanks!

[@Rambooutfitters]

+Patriot John Adams No problem and thank you my friend.

[@Swifter172435]

When do we harvest a chestnut? Fall or summer

[@Rambooutfitters]

August to September. It's best when they fall to the ground

[@Swifter172435]

Rambooutfitters thank you

[@jovanottic53]

The Family x-method sux!!!! I'm trying your way dude.

[@enyaw1948]

A GREAT THROUGH PRESENTATION, BUT BETTER VIDEOGRAPHY IS NEEDED, BUT ITS STILL A GREAT SHOW! KEPT MY ATTENTION.FOR THE LENGTH OF THE RIDE. GREAT JOB!

[@apostle3]

I've recently bought a 1/2 kg from my local grocer and quite a few of them had green mould! I'm told that's just how it works with chestnuts, but I would like your opinion. In my honest opinion, I would expect fresh product, and not a roll of the dice, but perhaps with this kind of item; this is unavoidable?

[@Rambooutfitters]

+Tyler Van Schaik I have the same problem when I buy coconuts from a store, they are never fresh enough, almost all the chestnuts I pick are good, store bought I can see having a few bad ones though

[@yanpinghuang8154]

thanks!

[@nikadavise-br9lx]

I thought you had to boil the tannin acid out of them(boiling for at least a half an hour or more)?

[@AnnAnime]

We have this very tree in our yard and they are just ready now which is when they are ready and I came here so I can see how to prepare them.

[@Rambooutfitters]

I wish I had one in my yard. Enjoy!

[@AnnAnime]

Rambooutfitters I certainly will! Wished you had one too only bad part about them is the burrs really hurt and they can get you in your shoe too and it hurts!

[@Rambooutfitters]

Yea I suppose that could get irritating. They certainly do hurt, but are so good.

[@aurum6527]

4:46 XD I LOVE THAT! #boilthemtannans

[@maryannlangella7882]

You didn't say on what degrees to bake the peeled chestnuts.

[@Rambooutfitters]

+Mary Ann Langella In the shell usually is anywhere from 400 to 450. So without the shell I would recommend 350 to 400.

[@LifeByChocolates]

The ripe ones fall to the ground. Pick them with gloves.

[@Rambooutfitters]

+Mark LaPolla Yea they definitely will get you without gloves.

[@IllirRama-cc2hb]

How coast i 1000 g of chestnuts in the market ??

[@Rambooutfitters]

DRITAN BANAJ Not sure how much they cost actually. I have always been able to find a tree with them. I would check online for the best deals and quality.

[@Lady_Jay42]

Found a chestnut tree in the town where my mom lives, I was so excited! Gathered a few, roasted them and OMG... turns out they were horse chestnuts and were horrible :(

[@deemee7329]

oh No.... that sucks.

[@theelizabethan1]

Did they not have the spiney covering?? That's a clue to the real Chestnut. Buckeyes have a woody husk.

[@russelldavis6159]

my wife has never eaten them cooked... always had them raw... interesting

[@aloupouc]

I've been eating them raw for 15 years now lol

[@Rambooutfitters]

Haha they definitely taste really good raw. I'm sure it affects certain people differently. I usually eat a couple raw, but never wanted to chance it.

[@nj1639]

Christina Aloupou , yeah, been eating them raw for years. Tannin? Eat a red oak acorn if you want to taste tannin. There's virtually no tannin in a chestnut, ffs.

[@cletusweefee2172]

I have a chestnut tree in my back yard, my children like to run around bare foot and they step on them alot so I'm forced to get the sharp ass needles out of their little feet.

[@Rambooutfitters]

Yea they are no joke