The Best Way to Roast Mixed Nuts in the Shell

Roasted mixed nuts in their shells are a common snack during the holidays. When you crack the shells open, the nuts seem to taste better.

Roasting mixed nuts in the shell can be tricky since the nuts have different shell thicknesses that affect the preparation, cooking process and roasting time. It'll take a while to master the art of it, but you can work around the various cooking times with careful preparation.

1. Prepare the chestnuts by washing them in cold water and soaking them in lukewarm water for at least 20 minutes to soften the shells.
2. Place the nuts, flat-side down, on a cutting board and make a shallow X-cut on the top side of each nut. Use a sharp knife, but take care that you do not cut through to the meat of the chestnut.

1. Salt pistachios before you roast them.
2. Put them in 1/4 cup of water in a saucepan and add 1 teaspoon of salt
3. Heat until the water is boiling.
4. Add 2 cups of raw pistachio nuts into the water, allow the water to boil and stir.
5. Continue boiling until the water has evaporated before removing the pistachios.

Score almonds, hazelnuts and Brazil nuts before you roast them, as they have harder and thicker shells. This ensures even cooking and allows the heat to penetrate the shells faster.

Use a chef's knife or a butcher's knife to make slits on the shells of these nuts before roasting them. The slits will allow the steam to escape as the nuts are roasting, thus preventing the nuts from exploding inside the oven.

1. Assemble the mixed nuts, using several lipped baking trays, as the nuts should not touch each other.
2. Place the smaller nuts, such as peanuts, on the middle of the tray and the larger nuts on the outside. Arrange the hazelnuts around the peanuts and place the almonds next.
3. Drizzle 1 teaspoon of olive oil over the shells to enhance the flavor of the nuts.
4. The cooking time for these nuts is between 15 to 20 minutes in a 350-degree-Fahrenheit oven.

1. Place Brazil nuts in the center of another baking tray before surrounding them with the chestnuts. The chestnuts will take longer to cook, so these are placed on the side of the baking tray.
2. You can also add 1 teaspoon of olive oil to intensify the flavors of these nuts.
   
3. The cooking time will be from 15 to 25 minutes, with the oven preheated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

1. Place these nuts on a separate baking tray.
   
2. These will take about one-and-a-half to two hours to roast, and the oven temperature is lowered to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.