How best to peel boiled chestnuts?
http://i.cubeupload.com/U4hV1d.jpg

The grandkids love boiled chestnuts, so I boil them for about 45 minutes,
but for the life of me, I can't "easily" get that darn peel & underlying
skin off.

Is there a better trick than what I'm doing now, which is to use a utility
knife to scratch an X on the flat underside of the hard peel, and then
attempt to peel the shell (and underlying skin) off while it's still soft
after boiling?

That X process seems to leave too much of that skin still on the nut?

On 2/3/2017 11:51 PM, Danny D. wrote:
How best to peel boiled chestnuts?
http://i.cubeupload.com/U4hV1d.jpg

The grandkids love boiled chestnuts, so I boil them for about 45 minutes,
but for the life of me, I can't "easily" get that darn peel & underlying
skin off.

Is there a better trick than what I'm doing now, which is to use a utility
knife to scratch an X on the flat underside of the hard peel, and then
attempt to peel the shell (and underlying skin) off while it's still soft
after boiling?

That X process seems to leave too much of that skin still on the nut?


You are cooking way too long. Only a few minutes needed. X top before
cooking and peel while hot and skin easily comes off. I do mine in the
microwave for a few minutes and only a dozen at a time because skin
sticks after getting cold. I'll freeze shelled nuts which will keep for
maybe a year. Great in stuffing for turkey. I also make chestnut soup.

Also fun to roast in fireplace for slight smokiness and important to
slit first particularly with fireplace and microwave as steam can
explode nut.

On Sat, 4 Feb 2017 09:49:37 -0500, Frank wrote:

You are cooking way too long. Only a few minutes needed.

I wonder if that's why the skin is so tough to remove?

X top before
cooking and peel while hot and skin easily comes off.

Just to confirm which is the "top", I consider the flat heart-shaped part
the "bottom", so the top would be the dome. Is that what you X? The dome?

I do mine in the
microwave for a few minutes and only a dozen at a time because skin
sticks after getting cold.

My microwave has been broken for so many years, I forgot to mention that it
doesn't exist. It's a built-in black 1350Watt Jenn-Air M170B, which seems
to have strange dimensions of 21-3/4 by 13 by 16 inches.

I'll freeze shelled nuts which will keep for
maybe a year. Great in stuffing for turkey. I also make chestnut soup.

Hmmmmm... Freeze? It works? You don't lose the taste?
That's nice to know, considering they are seasonal, like huckleberries are.

Also fun to roast in fireplace for slight smokiness and important to
slit first particularly with fireplace and microwave as steam can
explode nut.

The wonderful Christmas song always comes to mind!

Danny wrote:
On Sat, 4 Feb 2017 09:49:37 -0500, Frank wrote:
You are cooking way too long. Only a few minutes needed.
I wonder if that's why the skin is so tough to remove?
X top before
cooking and peel while hot and skin easily comes off.
Just to confirm which is the "top", I consider the flat heart-shaped part
the "bottom", so the top would be the dome. Is that what you X? The dome?
I do mine in the
microwave for a few minutes and only a dozen at a time because skin
sticks after getting cold.
My microwave has been broken for so many years, I forgot to mention that it
doesn't exist. It's a built-in black 1350Watt Jenn-Air M170B, which seems
to have strange dimensions of 21-3/4 by 13 by 16 inches.
I'll freeze shelled nuts which will keep for
maybe a year. Great in stuffing for turkey. I also make chestnut soup.
Hmmmmm... Freeze? It works? You don't lose the taste?
That's nice to know, considering they are seasonal, like huckleberries are.
Also fun to roast in fireplace for slight smokiness and important to
slit first particularly with fireplace and microwave as steam can
explode nut.
The wonderful Christmas song always comes to mind!

If your microwave just quit working, with no symptoms to indicate another reason, take the case off and check the fuse.

On Sat, 04 Feb 2017 16:48:26 -0600, cowabunga dude wrote:

If your microwave just quit working, with no symptoms to
indicate another reason, take the case off and check the fuse.

I'm well past that stage since I already removed the diode long ago
(years).

It's dead. Probably the Klystron (or whatever it's called).

Anyway, my only need, really, is a black replacement to the built-in
1350Watt Jenn-Air M170B that fits the 21-3/4 by 13 by 16 inch dimension
that isn't horrendously expensive.

On 2/4/2017 11:18 AM, Danny D. wrote:
On Sat, 4 Feb 2017 09:49:37 -0500, Frank wrote:

You are cooking way too long. Only a few minutes needed.

I wonder if that's why the skin is so tough to remove?

X top before
cooking and peel while hot and skin easily comes off.

Just to confirm which is the "top", I consider the flat heart-shaped part
the "bottom", so the top would be the dome. Is that what you X? The dome?

I do mine in the
microwave for a few minutes and only a dozen at a time because skin
sticks after getting cold.

My microwave has been broken for so many years, I forgot to mention that it
doesn't exist. It's a built-in black 1350Watt Jenn-Air M170B, which seems
to have strange dimensions of 21-3/4 by 13 by 16 inches.

I'll freeze shelled nuts which will keep for
maybe a year. Great in stuffing for turkey. I also make chestnut soup.

Hmmmmm... Freeze? It works? You don't lose the taste?
That's nice to know, considering they are seasonal, like huckleberries are.

Also fun to roast in fireplace for slight smokiness and important to
slit first particularly with fireplace and microwave as steam can
explode nut.

The wonderful Christmas song always comes to mind!

I get a lot of Chinese chestnuts from my trees but they only last about
a month even if refrigerated. Freezing works great - taste remains.

Danny D. posted for all of us...


It's dead. Probably the Klystron (or whatever it's called).


Thanks for the laugh Danny-I didn't mean it to be at your expense-a Klystron
is a radio transmitting tube while a magnetron is what you were referring
to.

--
Tekkie

On Mon, 6 Feb 2017 15:08:24 -0500, Tekkie? wrote:

Thanks for the laugh Danny-I didn't mean it to be at your expense-a Klystron
is a radio transmitting tube while a magnetron is what you were referring
to.

Ah. I stand corrected. And embarrassed!
It's all good though, as you can *always* correct me because I (sometimes)
learn that way.

Meanwhile, I'm dealing (like everyone else) with mudslides closing *every*
road in the area, flipping cars, tumbling houses, ... it's all good!
http://www.ksbw.com/article/highway-...slides/8689638
http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/02/0...ach-direction/
http://www.ktvu.com/news/234452465-story

It's the fourth time this year that they closed the entire highway, the
last few due to mudslides, bank robbers, PG&E power lines down, etc.

The power went off for 4 days, 2 days, 1 day, etc. (the power out here is
like we're in a third-world country). Luckily we all have large (1,000
gallon) propane tanks, where even a 20KW generator (which is average,
although mine is less than half that size and it still works just fine)
drinks up the propane at a couple gallons an hour.

It's all good this pineapple express "river of rain".

What I can't stand are those idiotically sophomoric Caltrans highway signs
constantly telling us to conserve water!

http://www.mercurynews.com/wp-conten...de-0110-04.jpg
https://cbssanfran.files.wordpress.c...7-mudslide.jpg
http://media.nbcbayarea.com/images/1...17Mudslide.JPG
http://media.nbcbayarea.com/images/1...7-mudslide.jpg
etc.