Makes about 5 jars
A soft, spreadable chestnut cream, scented with vanilla and lemon. Worth every scratched thumb.
- 1.85kg sweet chestnuts (Castanea sativa), to give about 1.5kg good nuts
- Zest of 1 large lemon
- 800g granulated sugar
- 200ml water
- 1 vanilla pod, split
Cut a small slit in the flat side of each chestnut with a sharp knife. Plunge them into a pan of boiling water for 2–3 minutes to soften the shells, then take the pan off the heat. Lift out five or six at a time and peel away the hard outer shell and the papery inner skin, leaving the rest in the warm water until you’re ready for them.
Put the peeled chestnuts in a clean pan with the lemon zest and cover with water. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 25–30 minutes until soft and easily pierced with a fork. Strain, keeping the cooking liquid. Any still hard or dark inside have spoiled; throw them out, or they’ll ruin the flavour. Blend the soft nuts with a splash of the cooking liquid until smooth and creamy, or push them through a fine sieve or mouli if you’d rather do it by hand.
In a clean pan, dissolve the sugar in the water over a low heat, stirring all the while. Stir in the vanilla pod and chestnut purée, bring to a gentle simmer, and cook for 30 minutes, stirring often to stop it catching. If it thickens too far, loosen with a little more of the cooking liquid. Fish out the vanilla pod, ladle the hot jam into warm sterilised jars, and seal straight away.
Label when cold and store in a cool, dry place. Refrigerate once opened.
Swap the white sugar for turbinado or soft brown sugar for a deeper, caramel edge. Good spread thick on toast or stirred into yoghurt.
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