Boiled Chestnuts

Instructions

1. Make a slight incision in the outer skin only of each chestnut, to prevent its bursting.
2. When all are done, throw them into plenty of boiling water, with about a dessertspoonful of salt to the half gallon.
3. Some chestnuts will require to be boiled nearly or quite an hour, others little more than half the time: the cook should try them occasionally.
4. As soon as they are soft through, drain them, wipe them in a coarse cloth, and send them to table quickly in a hot napkin.
5. Obs. (Acton): the best chestnuts are those which have no internal divisions; the finest kinds are quite entire when shelled.