Chestnuts in a pressure cooker

Let's shorten the time and prepare the chestnuts in a pressure cooker, even the dried ones. Here are our tips for cooking them well.

Who doesn't like chestnuts? Roasted in the oven or directly on the open fire of the fireplace, they are the perfect accompaniment for the evenings that lead from autumn to winter . However, they are also excellent boiled in water, although the times are much longer. So why not prepare chestnuts in a pressure cooker?

Good on their own or as a base for sweet or savory recipes , they can be enjoyed at the moment or stored in the freezer or in a jar. In short, chestnuts boiled in a pressure cooker, with just 20 minutes of cooking , are a versatile preparation that allows you to give vent to your imagination. But how are they prepared correctly while keeping the pulp tender and intact ? Here are all our tips.

How to prepare boiled chestnuts in a pressure cooker

1. First, rinse the chestnuts to remove all impurities. Then place them in a bowl filled with water and remove any that come to the surface , usually damaged. To obtain the most uniform cooking possible, choose chestnuts of the same size .
2. Cut the convex part of the chestnuts using a small knife and trying not to damage the pulp but only the skin.
3. Place them in a pressure cooker with double their volume of water , salt and a couple of bay leaves.
4. Close with the lid, positioning the valve correctly according to your pan and place on the heat at high heat. As soon as it starts to whistle, lower the heat to minimum and allow 20 minutes of cooking .
5. Vent, drain the chestnuts from the liquid and peel them while they are still warm.

If you want to peel the chestnuts later, leave them immersed in their cooking liquid. This way you will prevent them from drying out. Good as they are, chestnuts are even tastier if put in alcohol or preserved in syrup .

Chestnuts in an electric pressure cooker

The electric pressure cooker (like InstantPot) allows you to further shorten cooking times .

The first part of the procedure is identical: the chestnuts are washed, selected using the floating technique and then placed in a pot with water, salt and bay leaves. The cooking time for chestnuts in an electric pressure cooker is 10 minutes . Then let it vent naturally (without turning the valve) before opening and proceeding with cleaning.

Dried chestnuts in a pressure cooker

Even dried chestnuts can be cooked in a pressure cooker, greatly reducing the time.

In this case, however, it is necessary to rehydrate the chestnuts for at least one night starting with warm water. Then remove the skin and boil them in a pressure cooker for 25 minutes starting from the whistle. Use them as you like in your recipes.

Conservation

Once boiled and cleaned, the chestnuts can be kept in the refrigerator for a couple of days. It is also possible to freeze them for over 2 months , always after having carefully cleaned them.

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