New-York tribune., 1901-02-10
CANDIED CHESTNUTS.
THEIR PREPARATION A GREAT FRENCH
INDUSTRY.


Some of the most inviting products Of the con-
fectioner's art have for their basis the meat OF
nut Countless are the palates which have
been Tucked by the saccharated gOober almond
and English walnut. Then there is the marron
siace or eandied chestnut. This. account
OF its high price and comparative scarcity is
not so well known as some OF these other prep
arations. at least i'm America In France the
case is somewhat different. over there the
chestru is more abundant and more popular.
Writing from Lyons to the State Department
at Washington a few weeks ago, Consul Covert
remarked that he had seen scores of boxes OF
marrons glaces IN a warehouse in that city di-
rected To the United States TO South America
and 70 European cities. lie could not help
dering why the business OF preparing THESE de-
lcious objects had not been transplanted to his
own country. "As sugar is 30 per cent cheaper
an the United States than in France" he said,
and as machinery would certainly replace
human labor. the American candied product
would soon undersen that OF France Some
idea of the extent OF the industry may be de-
rived from the statement that there are estab-
hshments all over France where chestnuts are
prepared. and THAI ihe principal one in Lyons
handles over 25."eo."po pounds year. Were
the total output OF the country only twenty
times this amount the aggregate would be for
mdable. In the United States marrons glaces
retail for from 81 TO 81 80 a pound, but in
France they sell for about A. cents. Even al
that price the product represents q very large
sum Of money annually. and this fact entirely
ignores the immense consumption Of chestnuts.
raw, roasted on Goals boiled with celery, roasted
In sealed pots, and employed as dressing for
turkeys, geese. chickens and game
In certain parts Of France. in what are called
"schist lands chestnuts are very abundant.
and other food is relatively scarce. The nuts are
there boiled. pulEeTizeG and eaten like mashed
potatoes. They are also roasted. in America.
Nine ten of these roasted chestnuts are sold
for cent and they are as big as horse
chestnuts, that number is enough for hearty
luncheon.
The process employed at the factory visited
by Mr. Covert is doubtless much the
that resorted to elsewhere, although there may
be differences ir mere matters Of detail The
nuts are first peeled and boiled in clear water.
IL is then feasible remove the skin. The
meats are now placed in a syrup perfumed with
Mexican vanilla The Mexican article is said
10 retain its flavor better than any other. Orli-
narily the nuts remain in the syrup only three
days. At the end OF that period they are usually
taken out to drain. coated afresh with little
vanilla, and packed in pretty boxes for ship
ment Sometimes however, they are sold in
scaled jars containing syrup, and thus look like
canned plums.
Scores OF varieties of chestnuts grown
in France but they all classified as either
maTTons or cbataignes. The marrOn is not only
the larger Of the Two. but il has undivided
meat whereas the chataigue is composed ~ sew
eraI sections, each 0f which is enVeloped in
skin that detracts from its value. Among the
chataignes the best is probably the ENalade.
but the trees while very productive, soOH
exhausted. The Pealone is another excellent
chataigne. Its favor is good. and the skin is
readily removed. Mr. Covert enumerates over
a dozen varieties Of maIrons but Ircnounces the
Marion de Lyon the choicest Its fruit is large.
its shell thin and the skin is light 40 one kind
Is more susceptible Of preservation than another.
but they should all be treated while fresh. IL
they once become dry and hard they are un-
suitable for confectionery, but may be ground
into -four for food. To keep chestnuts from dry
ing they are sometimes buried in the sand.
Marron trees become good producers in about
ten years They ought to be planted fully
twenty feet apart If placed nearer they do not
yield so well The trees require no special care.
being very hardy, but they flourish better on
fravelly land, shale than in calcareouS soil.
Mr.. Covert says there are many places in the
United Siates-al0ng Lake Erie near Cleveland,
for instance-where the ground is admirably
suited TO the growth of marron trees.