Roasted Chestnuts

[carnation]

Roasted chestnuts are mentioned in several Christmas songs. We don't have them here--I've never seen them! What are they like? What do they taste like?

[FSUZeta]

i tasted roasted chestnuts once-i reiterate,"once". they were served warm. you cracked them open and ate the insides-the insides were soggy. i would compare it to a large acorn. they were not my cup of tea!

[cutie_cat_4ever]

We always have roasted chestnuts at home all season

Check this website:

http://www.nandyala.org/mahanandi/ar...tnuts-maroons/

After roasting, it turns soft and it's sweet. Sort of like eating a sweet potato but a little harder than a potato. Definitely worth a try to see if you'll like it. I've seen it in stores around my area.

[ufdale]

I'm not sure if they have them here either, but we buy ours in the grocery store. I think they're in the produce department and you just bag how many you want. They're a lot of fun to make if you have a fireplace or firepit. I think they taste pretty good!

[honeychile]

I had them once, and they were yummy. But it was a very special Christmas Eve memory, so it could have been the whole "scene" and not the chestnuts!

[FAB*SpiceySpice]

I agree with FSUZeta, I had them *once* and that was enough. I tried them b/c I thought they might be interesting at least but ewww, they were awful. The inside is kind of oddly sweet and chewy with a weird powdery kind of aftertaste. It's also kind of squishy and soft to the touch, after you take off the hard outer shell. Totally not my thing, yuck.

[Still BLUTANG]

aww, i used to have these all the time when i was little. i remember them being good, but it might have just been because i was a little kid.

the description above of them being similar to a sweet potato is the taste i'm remembering.

[adpiucf]

If you're going to attempt to roast your own, make sure to "score" the top with an X-shaped slit. Otherwise, they'll explode!

[carnation]

I can remember in old Bobbsey Twin books about them roasting chestnuts and having to X them so they wouldn't explode! Now I'd really like to taste some.

Do you roast them in some kind of wire basket or just throw them in the fire?

[KATwoman]

Originally Posted by FAB*SpiceySpice

I agree with FSUZeta, I had them *once* and that was enough. I tried them b/c I thought they might be interesting at least but ewww, they were awful. The inside is kind of oddly sweet and chewy with a weird powdery kind of aftertaste. It's also kind of squishy and soft to the touch, after you take off the hard outer shell. Totally not my thing, yuck.

This is a perfect description. I think they're kinda gross too. And they're pretty messy.

[trojangal]

We do a special dish of creamed roasted chestnuts. We roast them in the oven or the frying pan, then Mother makes them in some type of cream sauce. Sis found an easier way to roast them, but don't remember how. For those of you wanting to give roasted chestnuts a second chance, this dish isn't too bad.

[SOPi_Jawbreaker]

Originally Posted by carnation

I can remember in old Bobbsey Twin books about them roasting chestnuts and having to X them so they wouldn't explode! Now I'd really like to taste some.

Do you roast them in some kind of wire basket or just throw them in the fire?

When we were little, my mom used to get chestnuts at the supermarket every winter. Since we didn't really use our fireplace, she would "roast" the chestnuts in the oven. I think they're done when the sides of the cut you made split apart.

Raw:

Done:

http://www.chestnutsonline.com/peel.htm