Nuts

Whole

Whole chestnuts mean the nut as harvested and sold intact—usually still in the hard shell for market stalls and autumn displays, sometimes as whole peeled cooked meats for convenience. Buying whole in-shell fruit is how most people meet chestnuts for the first time: you score, roast, peel, and eat while warm. Whole peeled cooked chestnuts in jars or vacuum packs skip the struggle and go straight into stuffing, braises, and desserts. A good whole in-shell chestnut feels heavy for its size and has a tight shell; a good whole peeled kernel is intact, moist, and evenly coloured. A bad whole nut is lightweight, rattling, or smells fermented when cracked. Store in-shell nuts cool like apples; once peeled and cooked, refrigerate and finish within a few days unless frozen.