Chestnut Jam

November 28, 11:52 AMNY Ethnic Food ExaminerAimée Kligman

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Le Journal des Femmes

Though the mere mention of the word "food" or "sweet" is lethal this morning, especially after that Thanksgiving dinner last night, I cannot let you down. So I thought to myself for a while and decided that lettuce was not really an ethnic food. I don't know how I went from lettuce to chestnuts, but don't you love them? You can do this without having to go through the painful process of opening these creatures. I remember all too well an incident in my kitchen with exploding chestnuts flying all over the walls. You don't want my advice on how to open them safely.

So, the shopping list must include chesnut purée in a can which requires a can opener. Easy right? This will also cut the preparation time in half. Now some pureed chestnuts contain sugar. Try to find one that does not, since we are going to add out own crystallized sugar to the paste. For a 16 oz. can of puree, you will need one lb. of crystallized sugar and a vanilla clove (those are not easy to find, so you can use vanilla extract - the best one is from Mexico), otherwise, just use what you have at home. 

In a sauce pan, put 4 ozs. of water with your crystallized sugar on a very low flame, and allow it to melt. When it begins to boil, cook on a medium fire for about 5 minutes. Turn your chestnut purée into the boiling syrup and 2 to 3 capfuls of the vanilla extract (more to taste, if you like). Mix with a wooden spoon until it starts boiling again, and let simmer for about 15 minutes or so. I usually go back every 5 minutes and stir so that the jam doesn't stick to the pan. 

Lefover jars are great for storage of this jam, or if you have other glass containers that can be sealed, use those. Once poured, you must cover immediately and let cool. Keep in a cool place, or in the refrigerator if you wish. Serve with baguette slices, Pita chips, and for a regal treat, add fresh whipped cream on top. 

For more info: Here are a few places to pick up that elusive purée of chestnuts: Chef Tools, 

Goumet Sleuth, Amazon.Com, and Marky's