Dried Peeled Chestnuts
Estimated Inventory, 5 lbs : 0
This item was last sold on : 03/04/24
Description/Taste
Dried Chestnuts are large and bulbous, measuring approximately 2 to 3 centimeters in diameter, and have a round to oval shape with one flat side. The thin, light brown skin is removed, revealing a series of grooves and striations covering the entirety of the nut. The outside of the nut varies in color from light golden-brown to dark brown. Once split, the nuts reveal a hard, white interior with a starchy and somewhat floury texture. The nuts have a mild, semi-sweet flavor with little to no aroma.
Seasons/Availability
Dried Chestnuts are available year-round, with fresh Chestnuts harvested in the late fall through early winter.
Current Facts
Dried Chestnuts are harvested from four main Chestnut tree species: Japanese Chestnut, Castanea crenata, the Chinese Chestnut, Castanea mollissima, the American Chestnut, Castanea dentata, and the European Chestnut, Castanea sativa, with the European Chestnut being the most common. The nuts grow within spiny husks known as burrs. These burrs grow in clusters on the large trees and, depending on the species, each burr can contain between 1 and 7 nuts. As the Chestnuts ripen, the burrs split and eventually fall from the tree, where they are then harvested, sorted, and inspected for quality. The quality of the harvested nuts can vary depending on the size, shape, weight, and skin. In France and parts of Europe, the highest quality Chestnuts are known as Marrons. Chestnut trees can live for 1,000 years and do not bear fruit until they reach 40 years old. It is important to note that the name Chestnut is given to two other plants, an aquatic Asian vegetable known as water chestnuts, unrelated to the Chestnut tree, and horse chestnuts, a poisonous tree nut with round, green, and spiky fruits. While the nut within the spiky covering resembles a Chestnut, the fruits themselves do not resemble Chestnut fruits and are easily distinguishable.
Nutritional Value
Dried Chestnuts are a significant source of vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C, vitamin b6, manganese, copper, potassium, and folate. The nuts are also rich in selenium, with just one nut containing the daily recommended amount of the mineral. Chestnuts are also high in protein and dietary fiber and low in fat.
Applications
Dried Chestnuts are a versatile ingredient popular for use in many different cultures. The most common use for Dried Chestnuts is the production of chestnut flour. This flour provides a pleasantly sweet and nutty flavor and is gluten-free, making it ideal for producing gluten-free baked goods and confections like necci, a Tuscan delicacy resembling a pancake. Chestnuts are also incorporated into cakes, commonly served with chocolate or lemon, and are baked into various quick bread, muffins, and yeast bread. In fact, many traditional Tuscan recipes call for the use of Chestnut flour, including gnocchi, polenta, porridge, and fresh pasta. Dried Chestnuts can also be rehydrated, pureed, and added to soups, stews, and sauces. The nuts are often used in Asian braised meat dishes featuring poultry, duck, and pork and can be mashed with butter in place of potatoes. Chop the dried nuts and sprinkle them over ice cream or mousse or add them to a hearty kale and squash salad for an extra crunch and nutty flavor. Chestnuts pair well with cruciferous vegetables like kale, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts and sweet ingredients like chocolate, vanilla, and citrus. Dried Chestnuts can be stored in an airtight container away from heat for up to three months or frozen for one year.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
American Chestnut trees once covered over 200 million acres in what is now the eastern United States. These ancient and giant trees survived in the region for 40 million years and provided food and lumber for indigenous tribes in the area for thousands of years. In colonial America, Chestnut was the preferred wood for log cabins because it was resistant to rot and incredibly strong and durable. Later the wood was used to build fences, railroads, flooring, and more. The fruit of the trees ripened during the late fall and early winter, coinciding with the winter holiday season. Soon the nutrient-rich nuts of the tree were incorporated into traditional holiday dishes and were used to feed livestock. Roasting Chestnuts over an open fire soon became synonymous with Christmas, forever immortalized in songs from the season. In 1904, a Japanese Chestnut tree planted at the New York Bronx Zoo forever changed the landscape of America. This tree was home to a blight fungus that did not affect Asian Chestnut trees but did kill American trees. The population of American Chestnut trees was decimated within 40 years of the tree’s arrival, with only the groves in California and the Pacific Northwest escaping the devastation. American Chestnut trees are not extinct as the fungus does not attack the root system, but they are considered functionally extinct because the trees cannot grow to their full size and produce nuts. Many are working to restore the American Chestnut tree to its former glory. In 1950, a large living American Chestnut tree was discovered in a grove of dying trees in Salem, Ohio. Over the next few years, the tree was systematically exposed to blight spores, but it remained uninfected. Graft wood was taken from the tree, cross pollinated with three Chinese Chestnuts selections, and then crossed back to the American parent tree to create the Dunstan Chestnut tree. The tree was moved to Alachua, Florida, where it has been growing and bearing fruit for over 50 years. In 1984, a grove of 500 Dunstan Chestnut trees was planted in the area to restart the American Chestnut tree population.
Geography/History
DNA evidence suggests the original species of Chestnut tree arose in Eastern Asia over 50 million years ago. The trees then split into Japanese and Chinese varieties before later spreading to Europe and North America. Greek explorers first discovered European Chestnuts over 3,000 years ago. Greek soldiers sustained off stores of Chestnuts and spread the nut throughout the Mediterranean region. Roman soldiers later spread the trees into Northwest and Central Europe. During the 15th century, Northern Spanish explorers brought Chestnut saplings from Castile and Leon into the Western Sierras of Andalucía, where the trees thrived. In North America, Chestnuts were a staple ingredient in the diet of Indigenous tribes for thousands of years. The nuts were enjoyed by European settlers and remained a staple food and lumber source until an Asian blight fungus decimated the American Chestnut tree population in the early 20th century. Today, most Chestnuts enjoyed in the United States are grown in Italy, Korea, and China. Dried Chestnuts can be challenging to find, as the popularity of frozen chestnuts has grown, but they can still be found in some specialty shops or from online purveyors.
