Selection and storage
In its growing places, Chinese water chestnuts can be available at their best from the onset of the summer season to fall. In the US, they are sold primarily in Asian specialty stores or as canned in supermarkets. Choose that are fresh and very hard. Avoid bruises or ones that have soft spots.
Water chestnuts are fairly fragile, so it is best to store them unpeeled. They keep well in the fridge for 2 weeks, in a container, and covered with water. Fresh, unwashed water chestnuts can be also placed for 2 weeks in a paper bag and stored in the coldest part of the fridge. They need to be checked regularly, as they can start to dry out or ferment. Peeled water chestnuts keep for 2-3 days. Refrigerate any uneaten canned water chestnuts in water, replacing them with fresh water every day. Wholesale marketers store them in the freezer for up to 6 months, raw and plunged.
Cooking makes water chestnuts slightly sweeter and preserves their crunchy texture.
Preparation and serving methods
Only water chestnuts of E. dulcis species can be eaten raw. Peeled corms can be used boiled, braised, in stir-fries, etc. Peeled chestnuts can be used as a whole, halved, sliced, diced, julienned, or pureed. They add a characteristic crunchy note to many dishes.
Here are some serving tips:
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| Pan fried waterchestnut cake. (Photo-by tissue_fleur) | Tofu, broccoli and waterchestnuts. (Photo-by Q family) |
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In mainland China, pureed water chestnut is used in dim sum preparation.
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Sliced/diced, they can be added to soups, mixed salads, fruit salads, vegetable-based dishes, pasta dishes and quiches, meat, poultry, and seafood.
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Waterchestnut cake (matai gau) is a delicious recipe prepared during the Chinese New Year (autumn) festival in Southern China, and Hong Kong.
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Water chestnut puree can be added to chicken stock with onions, apples and a light cream, or to potato, sweet potato or pumpkin.
Safety profile
Being water-dwelling crops, water chestnuts may harbor fluke larvae (Fasciolopsis). Fresh chestnuts should be washed thoroughly in running water, soaked in saltwater for at least 30 minutes, and rewashed again before eating them raw. Boiling kills the larvae instantly and any cooked recipes are safe for consumption. (Medical disclaimer).
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Further reading:
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Eleocharis dulcis-Missouri Botanical Garden.
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Ferulic acid-pdf
