out of season

Fresh Prestige Chestnuts | FINE & WILD UK

Fresh Sweet Chestnuts

Name: Fresh Sweet Chestnuts
Brand: LE MARCHE
SKU: PRECHEST
Price: 9.50 GBP
Availability: OutOfStock

£9.50

Net: 500g High Starch, Low Fat

French sweet chestnuts — high in starch and low in fat, closer to a grain than a nut. This is why they soften when cooked rather than staying crunchy, and why they have been milled into flour across southern Europe for centuries. Not related to horse chestnuts.

Fresh sweet chestnuts (Castanea sativa) from France, sold under the Prestige marque. Sweet chestnuts are unusual among nuts in that they are high in starch and low in fat — the opposite of almost every other nut. A walnut or hazelnut is predominantly oil; a chestnut is closer in composition to a grain or a potato. This is why chestnuts have historically been milled into flour in regions where wheat was difficult to grow — in Corsica, in parts of the Cévennes, and across the Apennines in Italy, chestnut flour was a staple carbohydrate for centuries. It is also why fresh chestnuts behave differently in cooking from other nuts: they soften and become creamy when heated rather than staying crunchy, and they can be boiled, mashed, and puréed in ways that would not work with any other nut.

In French commerce, a distinction is drawn between a marron and a châtaigne. A marron is a chestnut where the kernel inside the shell is a single, undivided piece; a châtaigne has a kernel divided by an internal membrane into two or more sections. Marrons are preferred for confectionery and for any application where you want a whole, intact nut — marrons glacés, for instance, require a single undivided kernel.

The flavour of a fresh chestnut — roasted, boiled, or steamed — is sweet, starchy, and gently nutty, with a creamy texture when cooked through. They are best used within a week or two of purchase; unlike hard-shelled nuts they have a high moisture content and will dry out or develop mould if stored too long at room temperature. Keep in the fridge.

Origin: France

Ingredients: Fresh sweet chestnuts (Castanea sativa).

Storage: Refrigerate. Use within 1–2 weeks.

Score each chestnut with a cross on the flat side — cut through the shell but not deep into the flesh. This prevents the nut from exploding under steam pressure during cooking and makes peeling much easier afterward.

To roast, spread scored chestnuts on a baking tray and cook at 200°C for 20–25 minutes until the shells have curled back at the cuts and the flesh is tender. Peel while still hot — the inner skin (the pellicle) sticks stubbornly once the nut cools.

To boil, simmer scored chestnuts in water for 15–20 minutes, then drain and peel in batches while warm. This method gives a softer, more moist result and is better if you intend to purée them or use them in a stuffing.

For a chestnut purée, boil peeled chestnuts in milk with a pinch of salt until completely soft — about 20 minutes — then blend until smooth. Add butter to taste. This works as a side alongside game, pork, or roast poultry, or as the base for a Mont Blanc dessert sweetened with vanilla sugar and topped with whipped cream.

Order Cut-Off Times & Delivery Date Selection

Orders placed before 2 PM (Monday to Friday) are dispatched the same day, unless you select a future delivery date at checkout.

Our Delivery Service

We use reliable third-party express courier services and high-quality insulated packaging. While our couriers are generally excellent, occasional delays can happen. We pack everything to stay fresh, even if transit takes a little longer.

Time-Sensitive & Event Orders

Can we guarantee delivery on a specific day? Unfortunately not - we rely on third-party couriers and can't control their schedules. All items leave us in perfect condition with good use-by dates, but final timing depends on the courier.

If your order is for a specific event, let us know in the notes section at checkout. We can often dispatch a day earlier to give you the best chance of timely arrival.

DELIVERY Changes After Dispatch

Once dispatched, your package is with the courier and we're unable to redirect it or change delivery details.

Saturday Delivery

Saturday delivery is available, though please note our couriers don't operate phone support at weekends and our office is closed. For event-critical orders, a weekday delivery gives us more flexibility to help if any issues arise.

Full delivery details and shipping rates: here

Description

Fresh sweet chestnuts (Castanea sativa) from France, sold under the Prestige marque. Sweet chestnuts are unusual among nuts in that they are high in starch and low in fat — the opposite of almost every other nut. A walnut or hazelnut is predominantly oil; a chestnut is closer in composition to a grain or a potato. This is why chestnuts have historically been milled into flour in regions where wheat was difficult to grow — in Corsica, in parts of the Cévennes, and across the Apennines in Italy, chestnut flour was a staple carbohydrate for centuries. It is also why fresh chestnuts behave differently in cooking from other nuts: they soften and become creamy when heated rather than staying crunchy, and they can be boiled, mashed, and puréed in ways that would not work with any other nut.