Chestnuts? Roasted….
Chestnuts must be boiled or roasted before you eat them, and when you do this it brings out a sweet flavor, and their texture becomes similar to potatoes. Chestnuts are actually the lowest in fat of all nuts, and have a nutritional profile similar to brown rice. They contain as much vitamin C as lemons (by weight), lots of fiber and about one-third the calories of peanuts and cashews.
You’ll discover a whole new dimension to gourmet food when you start preparing the many recipes that feature the chestnut. From chestnuts roasted over an open fire to chestnut cheesecake, to chestnut biscotti, to all the others … there’s nothing like cooking with chestnuts. And if you’re on a gluten free diet nothing adds a touch of class like cooking with chestnut flour. Fresh chestnut fruits have about 180 Kcalories to 200 Kcal per 100 gr. of product; it is nevertheless much lower than that of walnuts, almonds, other nuts and dried fruit (about 600 Kcal per 100 gr). As any plant product, chestnuts contain no cholesterol. It contains very little fat, mostly unsaturated. They contain no gluten.
Their carbohydrate content compares with that of wheat and rice; it has twice as much starch as that of the potato. In some areas Sweet Chestnut trees are called “the bread tree”. When chestnuts are just starting to ripen, the fruit is mostly starch and is very firm under finger pressure from the high water content. As the chestnuts ripen, the starch is slowly converted into sugars; and moisture content also starts decreasing. Upon pressing the chestnut a slight ‘give’ can be felt: the hull is not so tense, there is space between it and the flesh of the fruit. The water is being replaced by sugars, which means better conservation.
They are the only “nuts” that carry vitamin C. One ounce of boiled or steamed chestnuts has 7 mg of vitamin C; dried chestnuts have more than double that amount with 16.6 mg. for one ounce, as much as the lemon. Fresh chestnuts have a very high water content: superior to 52%, and a high transpiration rate similar to that of potatoes and onions. They can lose even 1% of weight in one day at 20°C and 70% relative humidity.
Tannin is contained in the bark as well as in the wood, leaves and seed husks. The husks contain 10 – 13% tannin.
As the beloved Christmas song reminds us, the chestnut is an endearing holiday treat. Yet in Europe, Asia and Africa, chestnuts are often used as an everyday potato substitute. Although they are wonderful straight from the oven or fireplace, you can make use of the winter chestnut crop in many ways, both sweet and savory.
For More Chestnut Recipes, Click Here.
For More From Wikipedia: Click Here
For the history of Chestnuts, Click Here
Of course, one of the sources of this Article: Sixwise.com
