Place your scored chestnuts in a pot and cover them with cold water by about an inch. Add a generous pinch of salt—it enhances the natural sweetness.
Bring the water to a rolling boil, then reduce the heat to a lively simmer. Set your timer for 20 minutes for smaller chestnuts, and up to 30 for the big, chunky ones.
Boiled Water Chestnuts Benefits at Nadine Boeding blog
Don’t walk away completely! Peek at them halfway through. You should see the “X” starting to peel back, revealing the golden nut inside. That’s a very good sign.
The Great Peeling Debate (and a Pro Tip)
Once the timer beeps, drain them and let them cool just until you can handle them. Peel them while they’re still warm—this is the golden rule.
Warm chestnuts release their skins with barely any fuss. Cold chestnuts? They’ll cling to that inner skin like a stubborn toddler. You’ve been warned.
If they cool down too fast, just pop them back into the hot (now empty) pot for a minute to soften up again. Problem solved!
