Removing Chestnut Meats from the Shell
Instructions developed by Ken Hunt and Julie Rhoads, UMCA
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.