Easy-to-Peel Sweet Steamed Chestnuts, A Fall Snack
A sweet autumn snack of freshly harvested chestnuts steamed for 20 minutes in a hot steamer and rinsed in cold water.
Translated from Korean by AI and not yet checked by a native speaker. Amounts and numbers are taken directly from the original recipe. Read the Korean original →
This snack is made by steaming fresh autumn chestnuts in a steamer for about 20 minutes. Cooling the steamed chestnuts immediately in cold water makes the inner skin much easier to peel. If fresh chestnuts are not sweet enough, age them in the refrigerator for about ten days before cooking.
- Cook time
- 20 minprep not included
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spiciness
- Not spicy
Ingredients
- Freshly harvested chestnuts
- If they taste too bland, wrap them well in newspaper or paper towels and let them age in the refrigerator for about 10 days to bring out their sweetness.
- Pour in water and scoop out any chestnuts that float to the top, as they are worm-eaten. Rub them vigorously with your hands to remove dust and debris, and rinse them several times until the water runs clear.
Steps
Prepare the ingredients
These are freshly harvested chestnuts.
Perhaps because they were past their aging period, when I peeled and ate one raw, it had a nice sweetness.
If they taste too bland, wrap them well in newspaper or paper towels and let them age in the refrigerator for about 10 days to bring out their sweetness.
Clean the chestnuts
Pour in water and scoop out any chestnuts that float to the top, as they are worm-eaten.
Rub them vigorously with your hands to remove dust and debris, and rinse them several times until the water runs clear.
Steam the chestnuts
Pour water into a steamer pot, and once it comes to a rolling boil and steam rises, spread the chestnuts out evenly.
Cover with a lid, reduce the heat to medium-low, and steam for 20 minutes.
Adjust the steaming time depending on the size of the chestnuts.
Cut one in half, and once they are completely cooked through, cool them off in cold water and drain.
Peel the chestnuts
Use a knife to cut away the outer shell until the flesh is visible, then press with your fingers, and the inner skin might separate completely like roasted chestnuts.
Perhaps due to the temperature difference from rinsing in cold water, gaps form between the inner skin and the flesh, or maybe changes happen as moisture disappears between the tightly adhering chestnut flesh and the inner skin during the post-ripening process. (That is just my personal thought.)
About 30% of the steamed chestnuts peel easily by hand, and for the rest, just gently lift the inner skin with a knife and pull to get whole, plump flesh easily.
Ppunwife's tips
- Adjust the steaming time depending on the size of the chestnuts.
- Cut one in half, and once they are completely cooked through, cool them off in cold water and drain.
- After a day has passed and the moisture dries out, rather than peeling them, it is better to cut them in half and scoop out the flesh with a teaspoon. Steam just enough for one sitting and enjoy.
FAQ
What should I do if the freshly harvested chestnuts are not sweet enough?
Wrap them in newspaper or paper towels and let them age in the refrigerator for about 10 days to bring out their sweetness.
Why do you remove the chestnuts that float in water?
Chestnuts that float to the top are very likely to be worm-eaten, so scoop them out and discard them.
Is there a trick to peeling steamed chestnuts easily?
Submerging them in cold water immediately after steaming to cool the heat quickly creates a gap between the inner skin and the flesh, making them much easier to peel.
How should I eat them if time has passed and they do not peel well?
Once a day has passed and the moisture has dried out, rather than forcing them to peel, it is easier to cut them in half and scoop out the inside with a small teaspoon.
