Merchant Gourmet Whole Cooked Chestnuts - Naturally Sweet, Nutty Flavour, Source of Fibre, Low Fat & Vegan - Ideal for Snacking & Baking - Pack of 6 x 180g Ready-to-eat Pouches

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Add the Merchant Gourmet chestnuts, a third of the butter and the bacon. Roast for 7-10 minutes more or until golden. Chestnuts toasted over an open fire are the epitome of Christmas. But if you want to toast them, then do so after removing them from the freezer. If you roast them beforehand, you’ll find the flavour degrades faster.

Bag Up: Once they have frozen solid, tip the chestnuts into a freezer-safe bag or container. A bag will work better here as you can remove the excess air, and a bag will take up less space. Score: Score the chestnut skins on one side – ensure not to pierce the nut below. This can be done carefully with a knife or scissors. Give your chestnuts a gentle squeeze to ensure you have broken the skin. For chestnuts in the shell, it’s best to let them defrost at room temperature for several hours. This will prevent them from retaining moisture and becoming mushy. Once fully defrosted, you can cook with your in-shell chestnuts as normal. Can You Refreeze Chestnuts?Prep ahead: The shallots, squash and chestnuts can be prepared, up to the point of roasting, hours or even a day ahead. If you’re making stuffing, filling or paste from your chestnuts, you don’t need to defrost them. You can grab them from the freezer and put them straight into the pan. How Long Can You Freeze Chestnuts? That being said, chestnuts do freeze really well and will maintain much of their original flavour. There is a slight difference in texture, which is to be expected after freezing. Get a large frying pan very hot with 1 and 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil. Season the cod. Fry on the flesh side over a very high heat for for 2 minutes. Pre-Heat your oven to 230C/Gas Mark 8, upper middle shelf. Boil your kettle. Put a bowl next to your cooker to drain fat into.

Now you know how to freeze them, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing chestnuts to have the best results:The only exception to this advice is if you have frozen chestnuts then made stuffing or filling from them that you then want to freeze. You’ll be fine to freeze it in this way even if they have previously been frozen. DoChestnuts Freeze Well?

When freezing chestnuts, it is always recommended to use air-tight bags or containers. A vacuum-sealed bag will not only last longer but help retain original flavours when freezing. The aim of the event was to inspire us to use chestnuts in our cooking; I first tried a chestnut either last Christmas or the one before and was pleasantly surprised that I actually like them! With such limited experience of them I certainly hadn’t considered using them to cook with! Heat a low sided baking tray just large enough to hold the vegetables with 1 and 1/2 tbsp of vegetable oil, for 5 minutes in the oven. Half an average sized (1kg) butternut squash, peeled, de-seeded, cut to roughly the same size as the chestnuts

Disclaimer

Add the shallots and squash to the baking tray. Season with salt and pepper and toss them until they are well coated with the oil. Fresh chestnuts will keep for between 2 and 3 weeks in the fridge. If you need to extend this shelf life, then the freezer is a great option. How Do You Defrost Chestnuts? Soak then Boil: Soak the scored chestnuts in filtered water for 2 hours. After 2 hours, transfer chestnuts to boiling water and boil for 2 minutes. Meanwhile, have a dry saucepan heating.

Before you freeze chestnuts, you need to prepare them. Although you can throw unprepared chestnuts in the freezer in their shells, there’s simply no point. Instead, do the prep work first so that you have ready to enjoy chestnuts in the freezer.A few weeks ago I got to pop along to a Christmas in July event hosted by Merchant Gourmet. Like me, you may know them better for their pre prepared Puy lentils which are amazing to add in salads but they have a bigger range of products which include whole chestnuts and chestnut puree. Peel: Transfer opened chestnuts to a towel and peel while hot, be sure to wear heat-resistant gloves to protect your hands from burns.