Water Chestnuts

These bulbous, purple-brown tubers, about 1¼ inches in diameter and 1 inch thick, grow in the beds of still, muddy water. Despite their name and their appearance, they are not nuts. They are the roots of bulrushes. Peeling the tough brown skin is rather laborious, but once done, the rewards are great. The meat of the water chestnut—white, crisp, juicy, and sweet—is delicious, even when eaten raw. Canned water chestnuts are a barely adequate substitute. If you cannot find fresh water chestnuts, I suggest using jicama in their place. So versatile is the water chestnut that it is even transformed into a starch or flour for sweet cakes. As they age, they soften, lose their sweetness, and become quite starchy. Unpeeled, with the remnants of mud still on their skins, they will keep in a brown paper bag in the refrigerator for 7 to 10 days. Peeled, washed, and dried and put into a covered container, they will keep for 2 to 3 days.