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French Candied Chestnuts Recipe

Last Updated: October 20, 2021 · Recipes

Remember the crique recipe I posted a while back? Well, prepare your kitchen utensils because I have another amazing recipe from the south of France that I think you will love.

Ardèche is known for its savory crique (potato pancake), but did you know that it is also the largest chestnut producing department in France? Come discover why Ardèche is called “Sweet chestnut land” and find out how to make delicious candied chestnuts with this fun and easy recipe!

Roasting or candying chestnuts in Ardèche is a really fun family event.  At least if you are the Faure family, anyways.  One time Paul, his family and I, went out in the forest to collect chestnuts to be roasted and candied later that evening.

Chestnuts are actually covered in a spiky shell, and that day for some reason I wasn’t wearing the best shoes, and to remove the chestnut from its spiky covering you need to step on them in some sort.  So that’s what we did and my feet got pricked plenty of times!  Once we all gathered up a huge basket of fresh chestnuts we headed back home to further wash and remove their outer layer and prepare them for roasting and candying.

Who knew preparing wild chestnuts required so much time preparing before being able to consume?

But don’t let me scare you! This recipe is easy to make when following the step-by-step directions.  Let’s get started!

Table of Contents show
Recipe
Ingredients
Directions

Recipe

Preparation time: ~40 minutes | Cooking time: 1 hour  | Serves: ~6 people

Ingredients 

You will need:

  • 1 kg of chestnuts
  • 1.5 kg of sugar
  • 1.5 liters of water
  • 1 Vanilla clove

Directions

  • Carefully make an incision with a sharp knife in order to remove the two outermost thin layers of the chestnut. (Removing of the skin is not completed during this step, only the small incision is required).

The best way to do this is to start at the pointy bit of the chestnut and make a gentle incision from top down towards the clearer part at the base of the chestnut.

  • Plunge them into a bowl of cold water.

After 5 minutes, take out 10 chestnuts and place in a saucepan with cold water and place over medium heat. Let boil for 2-3 minutes. At this time, since in the previous step you made an incision, the boiling water helps the chestnut skin layers to practically remove themselves.

  • Complete the peeling process if necessary

Be careful! This process is delicate because the chestnuts are very fragile.  You want to keep them as whole as possible.

  • Re-put the chestnuts in cold water and bring it to a soft boil for 15 minutes

Do not overboil, however, as this could result in like a chestnut puree.

  • When finished cooking, plunge cooked chestnuts back into cold water

This step helps the chestnuts to “refresh” themselves after 15 minutes in the hot sauna 😉

  • In a pressure cooker, place above measurements of water and sugar

(1.5 kg sugar, 1.5 liters water) Place the heat on medium.  Once the sugar has become transparent, turn up the heat.

  • Once the syrup (water + sugar) begins to boil, add the vanilla clove (break in 2)
  • Let boil on high for 3 minutes and then plunge the chestnuts into the syrup mix
  • Let the boil come to a simmer for 1 minute
  • Turn off the heat and let cool for 24 hours
  • The next day drain the chestnuts and re-boil the syrup for 3-4 minutes

Re-plunge the chestnuts into the syrup and let cool for 3 minutes. Continue this step for the 3rd and 4th days.

  • To finish, take out the cooled chestnuts and place on baking paper

Let the chestnuts air-dry. The leftover syrup can be eaten in yogurts, on fruits, or in desserts.

Bon appétit!

Hope you’ve enjoyed this recipe! Do let me know how your marrons glacés turned out! 

I haven’t been around lately, but now I’m back and will be publishing more often! For more recipes like this, go check out Marmiton (granted it’s all in French) but I often consult this website to double-check on the measurements and ingredients I use for recipes.

By: Bri · In: Recipes

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Comments

  1. mommy says

    February 6, 2016 at 8:13 am

    I love chestnuts but we always cooked them in the fire , never had them any other way, but they sound good like that !

    Reply
    • Brittany Jane Sneller says

      February 6, 2016 at 9:49 am

      Yes, so good! I should write a recipe for roasted chestnuts, although it’s quite obvious what the directions would say 😉

      Reply

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Tips from a long-time nomad ⬇️✨ 💻 WORKIN Tips from a long-time nomad ⬇️✨

💻 WORKING ONLINE
While not all nomads/remote workers have online-specific jobs, it’s the easiest way to sustain an income for full-time or long-term travel. Here are some jobs you can do as a digital nomad!

• Blogging (This is what I do full-time!)
• Content Creation / Brand Sponsorship
• Virtual Assisting
• Social Media Management
• YouTube or Podcasting
• Graphic / Web Design
• Coding / Development
• Photography / Videography
• Freelance Writing (How I started)
• Marketing / Amazon FBA / Ecommerce

📍PICKING YOUR DIGITAL NOMAD DESTINATION
There are many countries out there offering digital nomad visas, but you don’t even need one to just travel as a tourist and stay in-country for 30, 60, 90, or 180 days. Nomads go everywhere as long as there’s a Wi-Fi connection, some countries you may consider are Portugal, Mexico, Costa Rica, Thailand, Vietnam, Croatia, Canada, Colombia, Indonesia, Brazil, and beyond! Even lesser-known places such as Namibia are starting to offer nomad visas to entice long-term travelers to visit.

🏡 FINDING HOUSING ABROAD
Read my blog post for the full guide on this, but basically, check local Facebook groups for renting local housing for extended stays and then use Airbnbs for shorter stays or to negotiate longer contracts with the owner. There are even more “nomad rental websites” these days to make finding accommodation even easier. Don’t overlook co-living/working spaces too like Selina where the digital nomad community tends to congregate.

💛 EXPLORING LOCALLY/RESPONSIBLY
As always, be mindful and respectful when you visit these communities. Many small towns are struggling with rapid growth and overdevelopment so be mindful of your choices of where you stay, how you spend your money, and who you support.

My best advice + detailed guides are all on the blog, free for you to use! Let me know if you have any questions about digital nomad life! 

Lastly, don’t overthink it. Moving countries isn’t as intimidating as you may think! It’s become second nature for us now after several years! 🐈‍⬛💃🌎✨
I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to discover t I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to discover this incredible country beyond the resorts and beaches, having lived temporarily in 5 out of the 32 Mexican states (Nayarit, Quintana Roo, Chiapas, Oaxaca, and now Baja California Sur) as a digital nomad who’s been slow traveling/living in and out of Mexico since 2018. 

There is so, so much cultural and natural beauty in Mexico — I wish more people could experience this country for themselves and not through the eyes of the media.

***Please visit Mexico as a digital nomad (or tourist in general) responsibly and mindfully. Stay local, eat local, drink local, shop local, support local. Leave No Trace and be conscious of your choices and impact!*** 

Here are the cities/towns we’ve slow traveled/lived in for extended stays.

• Oaxaca City — a colorful, historic open museum rich in indigenous culture and gastronomy 
• San Cristóbal de las Casas — an endearing pueblo mágico in the Chiapas Highlands
• La Paz — the capital city of BCS teeming with marine life, diving, fish tacos, and desert vibes
• San Pancho — an eco-conscious town in Nayarit famous for its sunsets and community
• Tulum — no introduction needed (and I wouldn’t go back here as a nomad due to overdevelopment)

Other great cities/towns/destinations for digital nomads are:

• Guadalajara (state of Jalisco)
• Santiago de Querétaro (state of Querétaro)
• San Miguel de Allende or Guanajuato City (state of Guanajuato)
• Playa del Carmen (state of Quintana Roo)
• Valladolid or Mérida (state of Yucatán)
• México City/CDMX (state of México)
• Sayulita (state of Nayarit)
• Puerto Vallarta (state of Jalisco)
• Puerto Escondido (state of Oaxaca)

I’d love to know what you think about Mexico and where you’ve been in the comments! 🇲🇽💛

And for the detailed guide of 13 places to live/visit, read my blog @bucketlistbri .com (just type in “places to live mexico” in the quick search bar if you can’t find the post under my “Mexico” category).

#mexicomagico #digitalnomad #visitmexico #livingabroad #fulltimetravel #mexicotravel #mexicodestinations #nomadadigital #nomada #mexicomaravilloso #slowtravelling #mindfultravel
PSA: Your anxiety, problems or (bad) habits will f PSA: Your anxiety, problems or (bad) habits will follow you around the world until you face them no matter how much you travel or move countries 🙃 

I know I’m not the only one that feels restless at times and idolizes moving to a new region/country/continent to shake my feelings of anxiety or self-doubt or fear! (Also, I tend to think about moving to another country even when I just moved to a new one 😅)

I know because I have lived abroad for 8+ years. I used to try to drown out my icky feelings and past traumas with lots of alcohol but now I carry them with me like I do my mismatched socks — they add to the quirkiness and remind me I don’t have to be, and am not, perfect. 

And that life is more interesting that way, anyway. 

Anddd that most importantly, whenever I get lost, I can and will be found again — I just may look and think differently after new adventures but I am still loved and never lost forever 🧦 ✨💛 

In sum, whether you travel full-time or not, take care of yourself ✨💛

#nomadness #nomadlife #lifeofadventure #livingabroad #fulltimetravel #offbeattravel #remoteworklife #homeawayfromhome #slowtravelstories #mentalhealthawarness
The 4 core ingredients to a recharged Bri: 💛 P The 4 core ingredients to a recharged Bri:

💛 Paul
😻 Yoda
🌍 Traveling & adventuring
👩🏼‍💻 Blogging & writing

Among other things like nature, photography, reading, animals, journaling, art, playing Zelda/games, dancing/music, culture/languages, enjoying rly good food and drinks! 😋 

What about you? What recharges you?? 

#rechargemysoul #blogging #adventures #writing #soulfulliving #mindfulliving #mindfultravel #nomadcouple #creativeliving
1 WEEK COSTA RICA ITINERARY👇🦋✨ 🌋 ARENA 1 WEEK COSTA RICA ITINERARY👇🦋✨

🌋 ARENAL // LA FORTUNA (2 days)
- Hike in the Arenal Volcano National Park
- Indulge in a local chocolate/coffee tour (s/o to @northfieldscafe)
- Go on a wildlife safari float (s/o to Raúl for pura vida vibes!)
- Lounge in natural hot springs (highly recommend the budget-friendly Relax Termalitas in Fortuna)
- Visit La Fortuna waterfall
- Check out the Butterfly Conservatory

🦥 QUEPOS // MANUEL ANTONIO (2-3 days)
- Take a guided or DIY tour of Manuel Antonio National Park
- Chill out on the Espadilla beach
- Explore the cute towns
- Watch for wildlife in the trees!

🌿 MONTEVERDE // SANTA ELENA (2 days)
- Visit/hike in the Monteverde Cloud Forest
- Go ziplining
- Birdwatching on a canopy tour
- Monteverde coffee tour
- Do a nature night walk

My sister and I surprised our mom with this bucket list trip on her birthday, and we had a blast! 🥹

Send this itinerary to someone you know who has always wanted to go to Costa Rica 🦋💛✨🌿🦜🐒

#costarica #bucketlisttrip #puravida #costaricaitinerary #lafortuna #manuelantonio #monteverde #ecotourism
Swimming with the biggest fish in the world is a q Swimming with the biggest fish in the world is a quite a humbling experience, and one that’s been at the top of my bucket list for ages! 🥺

Right now is prime whale shark season in La Paz in Baja California Sur, Mexico, so Paul and I made sure to go before we jetted off to see family for the holidays! I’m still in awe of these gentle giants and the fact that we got to swim alongside them!

Read all about the best whale shake tours in La Paz + ethical whale shark tourism in my latest blog post! Link in bio 💛

Send this to a friend who loves whale sharks! 🐳🦈

#whalesharks #lapaz #bajacaliforniasur #ethicaltravel #responsibletravel #ecotourism #golapaz #mexicotravel #bucketlist #seaofcortez
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