Marron glacé / Candied chestnuts breaking up. How to avoid this?
I always use frozen chestnuts to make marrons glacés since I can find those all year long (not only during winter) and because they're already pealed.
I can cook them in simmering water without making them split or break up. But they always start breaking up on the third or fourth day when candying them. How can I prevent them from breaking into pieces and keep them whole?
When I candy them, it's 75% sugar, 25% water, brought to boiling point. I turn off the heat, wait for the boiling to stop, and put the basket inside the pot. And wait 24 hours before next plunge.
Thanks for any help
Best Answer
I have not made Marron Glaces. However I have been researching how to make them and found someone, who had used a washed onion bag to put the chestnuts in to stop them breaking up. Apparently this works. So even though I have not made them I saw your question while researching and thought I would pass on this tip to you. Hope it works for you.
Deborah
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How do you store marron glace?
\u201cMarrons Glac\xe9s\u201d do not keep well at high temperatures. Store your \u201cmarrons\u201d in a cool place (4 to 6 degrees Celsius).How do you make a maroon glacee?
Blanch 500g fresh chestnuts in boiling water for 4 minutes, drain, then peel while still warm. Bring 300g caster sugar and 300ml water to the boil in a heavy-based pan to make a syrup. Simmer for 10 minutes, then add the chestnuts and simmer for 7-8 minutes. Take off the heat and leave to stand overnight in the syrup.How do you make candied chestnuts?
Place the sugar and water in a clean pan and warm them over a medium heat to dissolve the sugar. Bring to a simmer and cook for a minute or two, then add the peeled, cooked chestnuts. Simmer them for around 10 minutes then remove the pan from the heat.What can I use instead of marron glace?
Marrons glaces are candied chestnuts and are traditionally given and eaten at Christmas. They can be difficult to find so you can omit them and use extra chocolate chips and pistachios instead.Marron Glacé Fatti in Casa
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Answer 2
This is a guess, but I'm assuming the sugar concentration in the syrup that you're using is way too high. After a few days, the water evaporates off and the sugar is left in a crystalline form inside the chestnuts.
This makes them very brittle at which point you see the breaking.
If this is the case, I can recommend two things:
Reduce the rate at which the sugar in your confections crystallizes; left in the open air, you're going to lose moisture which is part of the problem.
Increase the water ratio. I'd start with a simple syrup (1 part water to 1 part sugar) and move up and down from there. Of course, your going to sacrifice some sweetness as a result, and you don't want too much water, as you'll end up making the chestnuts too soft. You'll have to adjust the balance to your tastes/tolerances.
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