This is a little unusual, but a nice fall treat. To make six 1-cup (250 ml jars) you'll need:
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 k (2 1/4 pounds) fresh chestnuts (see link to chestnut information if need be)
- 1 2/3 pound (700 g, or about 3 1/4 cups) granulated sugar
- A vanilla bean
Preparation:
Begin by setting a pot of water to boil. Next, make a slice across the rounded side of each chestnut, and when you are done drop them all in the boiling water. Cook them for a few minutes, and then remove them from the pot with a slotted spoon. When they're cool enough to touch, peel them and remove the inner skin by rubbing them on a rough cloth.
Simmer the peeled chestnuts in boiling water to cover for another 15 minutes. Remove them with a slotted spoon, reserving the liquid, and put them though a food mill, using the coarse disk, or blend them -- you want a fairly chunky puree.
Add the sugar to the water the chestnuts cooked in, bring it to a gentle boil, and add the chestnut puree and the vanilla bean. Simmer the mixture over a medium flame for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
In the meantime, heat your oven to 240 F (120 C) and heat the jars and their lids for 10 minutes.
When the time is up, remove the vanilla bean, cut it into pieces, and divide them amongst the jars. Fill the hot jars, screw the lids on, upend them, and let them cool.
Add the sugar to the water the chestnuts cooked in, bring it to a gentle boil, and add the chestnut puree and the vanilla bean. Simmer the mixture over a medium flame for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
In the meantime, heat your oven to 240 F (120 C) and heat the jars and their lids for 10 minutes.
When the time is up, remove the vanilla bean, cut it into pieces, and divide them amongst the jars. Fill the hot jars, screw the lids on, upend them, and let them cool.
