How to Toast Walnuts, Pecans, Almonds and all other of your favorite nuts

Pan size: cookie sheet or skillet Temp: medium heat Cooking time: 2 to 5 minutes Servings: according to recipe

Toasting Directions

Toasting nuts adds crunch and intensifies their flavor.
There's nothing better than a handful of warm roasted or toasted nuts. Not only do certain nuts contain heart healthy Omega-3 oils, but they are also a great source of fiber and a healthy alternative.

Here's how to roast or toast nuts.

To toast nuts in the oven

Crack or shell a selection of nuts. If the nuts have skins, remove those as well.

Spread nuts in single layer in cookie sheet or a shallow baking pan.
Pre heat oven and bake at 350°F for 8 to 10 min. or until golden brown, stirring occasionally.

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To toast nuts on the stovetop, place nuts in ungreased skillet. Cook on medium heat until golden brown, stirring frequently.

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To toast nuts in the microwave, place up to 1 cup of nuts in a microwavable shallow dish. Microwave on HIGH until fragrant and crisp, stirring every 30 sec.

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Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Crack or shell a selection of nuts. If the nuts have skins, remove those as well.
Spray the baking sheet with non-stick baking spray.
Toss the nuts in the vegetable oil to make sure they are lightly coated.

Spread the nuts on the baking sheet and sprinkle with salt to taste.
Roast the nuts in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes, but be careful not to over roast them. Because they have a high oil content, they will continue to cook internally even after they are removed from the oven. You'll know they are done when the nuts become fragrant and are lightly brown.

For a twist on this recipe, "dry roast" the nuts.

Simply remove the step of tossing them in oil. This will make the nuts even crunchier and healthier as the fat content will be lower.
Roasted nuts are delicious on their own as a snack or as an addition in many recipes. Almost any type of nut can be roasted in the oven in just a few minutes.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Spread nuts in a single layer on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Put cookie sheet in pre-heated oven and roast for 5 to 10 minutes until nuts are golden brown. Roasting time varies depending on the size of the nuts. For example, larger nuts such as walnuts, pecans, brazil nuts and almonds may take ten minutes. Smaller nuts such as peanuts, pine nuts and macadamia nuts will roast faster.

Don't roast different kind of nuts at the same time unless they are of similar size.
Use toasted or roasted nuts in any recipe that calls for nuts.

Try tossing toasted nuts into your next salad.

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Roasting Chestnuts

Roasting Chestnuts in the Oven

The best way to roast chestnuts is over the coals, but if that's not practical roast them over a gas burner, in a simple iron pan that has many holes punched through it to allow the flames to touch the chestnuts.You may not have the pan or may not have a gas burner. Ok the oven is your option.

Preheat your oven to 425 °F (210 C). Take your chestnuts and cut a X across the round side of each to keep them from exploding, and arrange them either on a rack or on a cookie sheet. Roast them until the skins have pulled back from the X cuts and the chestnut meat have softened. How long will depend upon the chestnuts, but for at least 15-20 minutes. Remove the chestnuts from the oven, make a mound in the center of an old towel, wrap them up, squeeze them hard - they should crackle - let them sit for a few minutes.

Old Fashioned Way of Roasting Chestnuts

If you'd rather roast them the old-fashioned way, you can use a fireplace popcorn popper pan or simply place then close to the edge of the fire to roast the chestnuts over the coals. Kitchen stores will often sell a chestnut roasting pan to use over a fire or stove. It looks like an iron skillet or pan with holes punched into the bottom of it.

Next, put your carefully chosen chestnuts into the pan and sprinkle them with water. Cover the chestnuts and put the pan over a medium heat.

Then, shake your pan frequently while roasting until you see that the skins have blackened and have pulled back from the chestnut meat (you'll notice this where you made the cut previously). Roasting them should take about 5 to 10 minutes. If the chestnuts appear too charred, then that means you didn't shake the pan enough.

You'll know when they are roasted to perfection by the fact that you can easily open the shell and find golden colored chestnut meat inside. It's sweet to the taste and a little crumbly in texture.