Is the hairy skin below a chestnut’s tough skin poisonous?

Disclaimer: As I live in a tropical country, I have never seen chestnuts before.

I was experimenting with chestnuts, after i roasted and peeled them, I read that you’re not supposed to eat the hairy skin of the chestnut. Is it poisonous?

Best Answer

There are two reasons chestnuts are usually eaten fully peeled:

The thin fuzzy membrane can be bitter, especially in raw nuts. Cooking and roasting mellows it a bit.
The membrane is hard, fibrous and unpleasant, especially compared with the soft interior.

Note that the skin is not poisonous, but depending on the intended use¹ of the chestnuts, it’s probably a good idea to really take the time to clean the nuts properly. If prepared right and still hot, the skin should come off easily.

¹ Think purée, desserts or marrons glacés. If I buy roasted chestnuts on the street, I just peel as good as I can and don’t bother with tiny pieces of skin.

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Can I eat fuzzy part of chestnut?

If you're not very familiar with chestnuts, this slightly fuzzy pale tip looks like a normal feature of the nut. Even many grocers don't realize it's a sign the nuts are bad internally, so you'll find many fuzz-tipped nuts in the bin. If it's only slight, the nutmeat might still be okay, but it's not worth the risk.

Are chestnut skins poisonous?

Note that the skin is not poisonous, but depending on the intended use1 of the chestnuts, it's probably a good idea to really take the time to clean the nuts properly. If prepared right and still hot, the skin should come off easily.

Is the inner skin of a chestnut edible?

Each chestnut has a hard brown outer shell and a bitter inner skin that must be removed before eating. Low in fat, chestnuts are also an excellent source of fiber and vitamin C.

Are chestnuts hairy inside?

If you're not familiar with them, Roasted Chestnuts are slightly sweet tasting and much softer in texture than other nuts. What I've learned about roasted chestnuts is that the hairy, papery skin found underneath the hard shell can be a pain to remove.

How to Roast Chestnuts in an Oven at Home | Roasting Chestnuts

Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Images: Rachel Claire, Henry Ry, Rachel Claire, Petr Ganaj