Can You Still Eat Sprouted Chestnuts? How to Store Them Without Sprouting and How to Peel Them

Many people find that their chestnuts sprout when they store them, which is a very common phenomenon. So can you still eat sprouted chestnuts? How do you store them without sprouting? How do you peel them? Let's take a closer look below!

1. Can you still eat sprouted chestnuts?

No, they cannot be eaten. After chestnuts sprout, they contain aflatoxin, which is lethal. Do not think that removing the sprout solves the problem; the aflatoxin has already permeated the entire nut. Aflatoxin is a metabolite produced by Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus of the genus Aspergillus. It is highly toxic and also has carcinogenic, teratogenic and mutagenic effects. It mainly causes liver cancer, and can also induce bone cancer, kidney cancer, rectal cancer, breast cancer and so on. Aflatoxin is one of the most potent chemical carcinogens discovered so far.

Aspergillus flavus is widely present in soil. Its hyphae produce toxins as they grow, and its spores can spread through the air, infecting suitable hosts under suitable conditions and producing aflatoxin. Some people may think that high-temperature sterilization would be enough, but that does not work either, because although high temperature kills Aspergillus flavus, the toxins it produces remain in the nut, and it is precisely these toxins that cause great harm to the human body. So everyone must not eat sprouted chestnuts.

2. How do you store chestnuts without sprouting?

Although chestnuts are delicious, storing them is indeed somewhat difficult, because chestnuts have four fears during storage: fear of dryness, fear of water, fear of heat and fear of freezing. A little carelessness during storage will cause them to mold and spoil. So if you have a lot of chestnuts and have not finished eating them, we should store them carefully to prevent them from molding and spoiling. How do you store raw chestnuts? Several methods for storing raw chestnuts are introduced below.

1. Air-drying storage

Soak the chestnuts in a bucket of cold water, with the water covering the chestnuts. After soaking for 7 to 10 days, take them out, put them in a bamboo basket, hang it high in a ventilated place and let them air-dry naturally. In this way, air-drying the chestnuts can greatly increase their storage life. Soaking chestnuts in water for three to seven days can effectively kill bacteria and insect eggs. Then take them out, let the water drip off, and they will not spoil easily when stored. If you add a small amount of bleach (a concentration of five parts per ten thousand is enough), the effect will be even better.

2. Ventilated storage

Place fresh chestnuts in a cool, ventilated place, spread them out rather than piling them up. As long as the chestnuts can be kept ventilated, there is no problem storing them for one or two months.

3. Air-drying in a cloth bag

Spread fresh chestnuts in a container and air-dry them in a cool, ventilated place for 2 to 3 days, then put them into a cloth bag. Cloth bags have good breathability; never use plastic bags. Hang the bag in a cool, ventilated place and shake and bump it 1 to 2 times a day. This method can generally keep chestnuts for as long as 4 months.

4. Refrigerated storage

Place fresh chestnuts in the sun to dry for about a day, then remove the shells, put them into a fresh-keeping bag, tie the opening, and put them in the refrigerator to chill. This can also increase the storage time, but note that the chestnuts must be stored with the shells removed. Another method can also be used: add 1 small spoonful of salt to cooled boiled water, soak the chestnuts for 3 to 5 minutes for simple sterilization and disinfection. After soaking, rinse them clean with cooled boiled water and dry them in the air for 1 to 2 days. When they rattle when shaken, put them into a plastic bag, tie the bag tightly, and place it in the refrigerator's cold storage compartment. This method can store chestnuts for more than a month, and chestnuts treated this way have sweet and crisp flesh.

5. Storage mixed with sawdust

Mix fresh chestnuts with sawdust, remember to cover the top layer with some more sawdust, and place them in a cool, ventilated place for storage. In this way they can also be stored for a period of time.

6. Sand storage

A large quantity of chestnuts can be buried in sand. Put sand into a container, spread a layer of sand on the bottom, put a layer of chestnuts on the sand. Then cover with another layer of sand, and after covering with sand, put another layer of chestnuts, and so on. After all the chestnuts are placed, add a final layer of sand. Spray water once every so often to keep the sand moist. The amount of water sprayed should be moderate; it is to preserve the moisture the chestnuts need, which is why sand is used to separate the chestnuts, but there should not be too much water, because too much will cause the chestnuts to rot.

3. How do you peel chestnuts?

1. Tapping with a hard object

Put the chestnuts you bought into a relatively thick plastic bag and tap them lightly on the ground. After tapping for about 5 minutes, take out the chestnuts; the skins will separate from the chestnut flesh, and you can easily peel out whole chestnuts.

2. Hot water soaking method

After washing raw chestnuts, put them in a container, add a little refined salt, cover them with boiling water, and put on the lid. After 5 minutes, take out the chestnuts and cut them open; the skin will come off together with the shell. This method of removing chestnut skins saves time and effort.

3. Chopstick stirring method

Cut the chestnuts in half, remove the shells, put them in a basin, add boiling water and soak for a while, then stir with chopsticks; the skins will separate from the chestnut flesh. Do not soak for too long, otherwise it will affect the chestnuts' nutritional content.

4. Refrigerator freezing method

After boiling the chestnuts, let them cool, then put them in the refrigerator to freeze for two hours; this can separate the shell from the flesh. This way the chestnut skin peels quickly and the chestnut flesh remains intact.

5. Microwave heating method

Use scissors to cut open the outer shells of the raw chestnuts you bought, and heat them in a microwave on high for 30 seconds; the inner skin and flesh will separate automatically. Before using this method to remove chestnut skins, you must cut open the outer shells, otherwise it may cause a microwave malfunction.

6. Thermal expansion and contraction method

Use a knife to remove the outer shells of the chestnuts, put them into boiling water and cook for 3-5 minutes, then take them out and immediately put them into cold water to soak for 3-5 minutes. It is very easy to peel off the chestnut skins, and the taste does not change.

7. Sun exposure method

Place the raw chestnuts you are going to eat in the sun for a day; the shells will crack. At this point, whether you peel them raw or after boiling, it is very easy to remove the outer shells and the thin inner skin. However, chestnuts intended for storage cannot be sun-dried, because sun-dried chestnuts cannot be stored for a long time.