Chestnuts with Grappa Syrup with Lemon and Cinnamon are a very delicious preserve to always have ready in the pantry a good jar to enjoy out of season. They are good on their own or to garnish cakes and desserts.
The recipe is very simple, the only hassle is to clean the chestnuts well, even from the skins.
To prepare these jars, you need beautiful quality chestnuts, ideally using some marrons which are quite large.
You can use both boiled chestnuts and roasted chestnuts; both pair well with the very fragrant grappa syrup with lemon and cinnamon, which you can drink, it’s not very alcoholic, and can also be used as a soaking syrup for cakes.
Syruped chestnuts keep well for many months; I prepared them a month ago and am waiting for Christmas to enjoy them with family along with typical Christmas desserts, and to give a few jars to some dear friends as gifts.
If you don’t like grappa, you can use another liqueur of your choice.
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 3 jars
- Cooking methods: Boiling, Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
Ingredients for Chestnuts with Grappa Syrup with Lemon and Cinnamon
- 1.5 lbs chestnuts (large)
- 2 cups grappa syrup (with lemon and cinnamon)
Tools
- Pot
- Baking tray
- 3 Jars
Preparation for Chestnuts with Grappa Syrup with Lemon and Cinnamon
For this recipe, you can use either roasted chestnuts cooked in a pan or oven-baked, or boiled chestnuts.
You can find the method here for simply baked chestnuts.For boiled chestnuts, wash well under running water, you can make a cut in the center of the shell or boil them whole.
Place them in a pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil for about 7-10 minutes.Drain the chestnuts, let them cool a bit, then with a good knife, peel them, remove the shell and inner skin, and any stained parts.
Repeat the same process if you are using oven-baked chestnuts.
Get jars, they must be sterilized along with the lids beforehand by boiling in water for about 30 minutes.
Place the chestnuts in the sterilized jars, include the smaller pieces too, then cover them with the grappa syrup with lemon and cinnamon. (click on the name for the recipe.)
Tightly close the lids and then sterilize again to create a vacuum seal.Place the jars in a pot, cover with hot water, and bring to a boil for about 10 minutes.
Let the jars cool, then date and store in the pantry.
Let them rest for 2 weeks before using them, so they soak better and become more fragrant.
After some time, the chestnuts change color, acquiring an amber hue.
Tips and Variations
You can use either boiled or oven-baked chestnuts.
Choose beautiful, large chestnuts or marrons.
The syrup can also be flavored with orange zest and you can replace grappa with rum, cognac, or brandy.
The chestnuts keep for over six months.
Once opened, store the jar in the fridge for a few days and enjoy!
Can I use rum instead of grappa?
Yes, you can replace grappa with rum or another liqueur of your choice.
