Roasting Chestnuts on a Fire

Tuscany Italy photo-guide to
How to Pick, Peel and Roast Chestnuts on an Open Fire

If you'd like to learn about roasting chestnuts on a fire here is a quick photo-guide from the heart of Tuscany, Italy.

Roasting Chestnuts in Nature or Grilling on BBQ

My husband and I wanted to make it natural and romantic, and so we knew we had to go to a forest. Luckily, it's an easy deal to find a chestnut forest in Italy, and we had one in mind.

The chestnuts were everywhere - on the trees, on the road, in the grass...

Roasting chestnuts Picking chestnuts

Frankly speaking, the best way to pick and peel chestnuts from their skin full of needles is using gloves. Chestnut needles are sharp and you risk scratching your hands if you don't use them.

However our goal was not to become chestnut picking champions but just to have a small chestnut picnic in the middle of Tuscan nature, so the gloves we left at home...

Even our little daughter helped us picking chestnuts as much as she could.

Picking chestnuts

Picking chestnuts

The hard and sharp chestnut shell is usually half-open by the time they're ripe and fall from a tree, so if you are wondering how to peel chestnuts don't worry - you can remove the sharp shell quite easily (using gloves, of course).

When you are satisfied with your harvest you can start with roasting chestnuts on a fire. Here's our chestnut roasting pic over an open fire.

How to roast chestnuts on open fire

Roasting chestnuts on an open fire

Roast chestnuts on barbecue

Grilling chestnuts on bbq in a chestnut pan

So how do you roast chestnuts?

Roast chestnuts in a metal pan until they are cooked, usually from 10 to 20 minutes. Turn them occasionally. Do not over-do chestnut roasting because they will loose the moisture and become hard and dry.

Special chestnut roasting pan (see all Roasting Pans) is the best and the most traditional way of roasting chestnuts on a fire or on carbon. However you can also use any other frying pan with thick bottom.

Make sure to keep the flame low. Grilling chestnuts on glowing coals is the best.

Cut chestnut shell The main rule of roasting chestnuts which should be remembered and observed always, is processing a cover of a chestnut before grilling. When heated their shell bursts and damages the nut. Therefore a cover should always be cut on diameter, crosswise or simply pierced in several places.

Peeling chestnuts is easy once a chestnut is cooked. Best way to peel chestnuts is when they're still hot. As they cool off chestnut peeling gets more difficult.

You shall always serve chestnuts hot. Do not leave peeled chestnuts for later. They will loose the taste and dry out.

Enjoy!

Chestnut Roasting Accessories

If you don't know where to get a chestnut roasting pan for your forest or bbq chestnut picnic I've found a few good options for you. There are various models, check them out and enjoy!