Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 kilo of fresh chestnuts
• 1 1/2 kilo sugar
• Little salt
• 4 cups of water
• 1 tbsp of lemon juice or even little more
• For every half kilo of chestnut we add half kilo sugar and 2/3 of glass water.

Method:

• Clean the outer skin of the chestnuts.
• Place them in a pot with enough water on high heat to boil and cook without dissolving them.
• Remove from the heat, let them cool down a little bit and remove the inner skin.
• In another pot add the 4 cups of water, add the sugar and stir to melt the sugar until you get a moderate syrup.
• Cool down the syrup, add the boiled chestnuts and leave overnight to absorb the syrup.
• The next day boil the chestnuts with the syrup for about 5 minutes and remove the chestnuts from the syrup.
• Add the lemon juice to the syrup and boil until you get the desired thickness.
• Add the chestnuts again in the syrup and let them for 2-3 hours to absorb some of it.
• Remove chestnuts from the syrup and place in a large platter.
• When they dry up wrap individually in aluminum foil.
• If you want to serve them as Gliko tou Koutaliou (Spoon Preserve) make enough syrup and adding more lemon juice.
• Once the Gliko Kastano (Chestnut Preserve) cools down completely, place in sterilized jars and refrigerate.
• Serve as a dessert after a nice Greek Meal or to your guests over a cup of Greek Coffee.