On 07/12/19 08:44, Bill Davy wrote:
What is the name of the furry membrane between the good bit and the shell?

And how can I cook them so it comes off easily.Â* I've bought some (Chinese) but
when I roast them (in the oven as open fires were a thing of my past), the
membrane does not come off.Â* I am sure it used to in the good old days when we
peeled very hot chestnuts in front of the fire, and I do not recall treating the
chestnuts before roasting.Â* Online there is much talk of
soaking/simmering/boiling them first.

Anyone had actual (not theoretical) success with Chinese chestnuts, and if so, how?

I've never noticed a problem when roasting them and
leaving one chestnut unpricked to act as a timer: when
it explodes, the others are done. Cleaning up the mess
is left as an exercise for the student.

If the chestnuts have been dried, then removing the shell
and putting them in a cup of hot water is effective: after
5 mins the skin has rehydrated and lifted off the dry kernel.