How To Freeze Chestnut Puree

Chestnut peeling is a battle – don’t let that effort go to waste! Learn how to freeze chestnut puree and keep it fresh for months.

HOW TO FREEZE CHESTNUT PUREE

WHY I FREEZE CHESTNUT PUREE

Convenience

Chestnuts are seasonal, and chestnut puree is labor-intensive to prepare. I make a large batch and freeze it in our deep freezer at 64.4°F(-18 °C). It keeps for at least a year. It’s great for holidays and snacking. If you

Portion Control

You can freeze it in tubes or cubes. It makes for a great snack or a frozen dessert, too.

Short Shelf Life

Unsweetened chestnut puree keeps refrigerated for only a short time. Freezing it means I can enjoy it anytime I want.

THINGS YOU NEED

Fresh Chestnut Puree
Rolling pin
Food Wrap
Parchment
Freezer-safe Paper
Scissors
Knife

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SHAPE A CHESTNUT PUREE BLOCK

First, you have to prepare pure chestnut puree, which should have a consistency of a thick paste. It’s concentrated, made by cooking boiled and peeled chestnuts in milk until soft, and then pureed until creamy. My homemade chestnut puree recipe.

You can freeze puree in tubes or in blocks.
If you’re freezing it in blocks, you need to spread the thick chestnut puree over a piece of parchment (steps 1).
Layer another parchment on top.
Flatten the puree evenly into a sheet, about 3/4 to 1 inch thick, using the palms of your hands, or you can use a rolling pin to help you roll it out (steps 2-3).
Peel the top parchment and evenly trim the edges and shape it into a rectangle or a square (steps 4-6)
Cut a block of puree into smaller cubes/blocks. Cover it with parchment or food wrap. And freeze on a tray for 8 hours (steps 7-8).

Thick puree rolled out between sheet of parchment.

PACKAGE AND LONG-TERM FREEZER STORAGE

Once frozen, remove it from the freezer and separate the blocks (steps 1-2).
I like to wrap each block in freezer-safe paper. It helps mitigate freezer burn and keeps the puree fresh for longer (step 3).
You can store wrapped blocks or puree in a freezer-safe Ziploc bag or containers (step 4).
I keep the puree in our deep freezer at 64.4°F (-18 °C).

CHESTNUT PUREE FREEZING TIPS

Here are some of the common problems that I came across while making chestnut puree at home, and my recommendations on how to deal with them.

Cool puree before freezing – Important!

Failing to do so will most likely result in water ice crystals forming on the puree when frozen. Putting it in the freezer while still warm traps steam, which turns into ice crystals, and it can affect the texture.

Freeze unadulterated puree – Important

It’s best to freeze plain, unsweetened puree and add flavorings later. Once you add butter, cream, and such, freezing it can cause the puree to separate.

Freeze it in portions

This is especially useful when you need just a small amount to flavor the sauce, or you want a frozen snack.

Thawing puree

Puree defrosts pretty quickly. If possible, let it thaw in the fridge overnight. Then give it a stir to restore its creamy consistency and use as desired. Use thawed puree within 4 days.

Don’t refreeze after thawing

Each freeze–thaw cycle breaks down the smooth texture and can make the flavor of the puree go flat.

Serving suggestions

Pure chestnut puree can be used in sweet and savory dishes. One of my favorites is a simple version of Mont Blanc dessert: lightly sweetened whipped cream, topped with sweetened and mildly rum-spiked chestnut puree piped into long, thin noodles.