To shell chestnuts easily, score an x on the flat side of the chestnut and roast in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and peel while still hot. It’s much easier to get the shell off if you peel while they are hot. Be sure to get the skin off as well. For harder to peel nuts, press firmly from top to bottom and the shell should come right off. They are delicious sauteed in butter then salted, or in desserts and stuffings.

Fresh chestnut fruits have about 180 calories per 100 grams which is much lower than walnuts, almonds and other nuts (about 600 calores per 100 grams). Chestnuts contain no cholesterol and contain very little fat, mostly unsaturated, and no gluten. They are the only “nut” that contain vitamin C, with about 40 mg per 100 grams, which is about 65 percent of the U.S. recommended daily requirement.