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Kestane şekeri
Candied chestnuts
Kestane şekeri: Bursa's glossy candied chestnuts, cooked slowly in vanilla syrup
Bursa sits beneath the chestnut forests of Uludağ, and every sweet shop in the old covered market sells kestane şekeri in neat gold boxes, especially as gifts in autumn and at the new year. Peeled chestnuts are poached and then candied over several days in a vanilla syrup until they turn dense, glossy and tender right through. It takes patience rather than skill. Chef's tip: wrap each chestnut in a square of muslin before poaching; it holds the fragile nuts together through the repeated syrup baths.
- Total time
- 150 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ lb fresh chestnuts
- 1 ¾ lb granulated sugar
- 3 ¼ cups water
- 1 vanilla podsplit
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Score a cross on the flat side of each 2 ¼ lb fresh chestnuts and boil for 8 minutes. Working a few at a time while hot, peel off both the shell and the thin brown inner skin.
30 minStep 3: Boil 1 ¾ lb granulated sugar, 3 ¼ cups water and 1 vanilla pod in a wide pan for 5 minutes. Add the chestnuts, bring back to a bare simmer for 5 minutes, then turn off the heat, cover and leave for 24 hours.
10 minStep 4: Repeat the 5-minute simmer and 24-hour rest twice more. The syrup thickens each time and the chestnuts darken and turn translucent. Common mistake: rushing it in one long boil; the outside goes hard while the middle stays chalky.
15 minStep 5: On the last day, add 1 tbsp lemon juice, simmer for 10 minutes until the syrup coats a spoon, then lift out the chestnuts, unwrap them and drain on a rack for a few hours until tacky rather than wet.
10 minStep 6: Store in an airtight box between sheets of baking paper for up to 2 weeks.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 80 g
- Fat
- 1 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kestane şekeri take?
- About 150 minutes in total: 60 minutes to prepare and 90 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of granulated sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of lemon juice?
- Lime juice, same amount.
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