My family loves chestnuts in turkey stuffing mixed with Brussels sprouts. The best ones are fresh, not canned. But shelling them can be a challenge. Here’s what I have learned:
And here is a short video showing my prep technique. This can be hazardous to your fingers. So never cut toward you. Let a cutting board stop the knife . . . not your flesh.
Here’s a final tip, the shells come off and take the brown membrane with them only so long as the water is very hot. As it cools, the starch becomes thicker and more sticky bonding the membrane to the white meat of the chestnut. Boil small batches, or pour off the cooled water and replace it with boiling water from a tea kettle.