Water caltrops should not simply be washed and eaten raw. Because they grow in freshwater, aquatic foods can potentially carry microorganisms or parasites. One concern in some regions is Fasciolopsis buski, an intestinal fluke associated with raw or inadequately cooked aquatic plants. Thorough cooking helps reduce these risks.
If you have positively identified them as an edible species from a reliable source, wash the fruits thoroughly, then boil or steam them according to a trusted recipe. After cooking, allow them to cool before carefully cracking or cutting away the hard shell. The pointed projections can be sharp, so handle them cautiously.
