Water Chestnuts

Fresh water chestnuts have an incomparably light, crisp texture and a delicate, sweet flavor. Canned water chestnuts, widely available, are but a pale ghost of the fresh ones and not worth using. If you can’t find fresh ones, substitute jicama (a Mexican root), found in Mexican and Chinese shops and some supermarkets. It lacks the sweetness of water chestnuts, but matches them in texture. When shopping for fresh water chestnuts, look for a firm, hard texture. Reject any that feel mushy (too old) or that have any rotten spots. Store them in a plastic bag left untied. If you peel them in advance, immerse them in cold water to prevent browning, and keep them refrigerated, changing the water every 24 hours. Fresh, unpeeled water chestnuts will keep refrigerated up to 10 days. Once you have peeled them, try to use them within a day or two.