Removing Chestnut Meats from the Shell

Bring chestnuts to room temperature. Cut fresh chestnuts still in their leathery shell in half with a hand pruner garden tool. A hand pruner works much better than attempting to cut them in half with a knife. Spread cut chestnuts out in a single layer in a glass pan containing a small amount of water. Microwave in most ovens for 60 seconds and remove from microwave. Overcooking makes it difficult to separate meat from the shell.

Cool slightly. Many of the meats will have separated from the shell and the thin tan-colored pellicle. If none have separated, microwave for 60 more seconds. For those that do not separate completely, squeeze on the edges of the shell and the meat should pop out. The meats are not cooked at this point and further preparation such as boiling or baking is necessary to make them soft and suitable for using in dishes containing fresh chestnut meats. (Instructions developed by Ken Hunt and Julie Rhoads, UMCA)