How to Make Kuri no Kanroni | Japanese Chestnuts Candied in Syrup, Colored with Gardenia

Japanese chestnuts candied in syrup (kanroni)

Kuri no kanroni are peeled chestnuts simmered in syrup until sweet and golden. They’re a staple of Japanese New Year food and autumn sweets.

Peeling takes time, but once you know the steps it’s easy. They’re handy for chestnut rice, chawanmushi (savory egg custard) and Japanese-style desserts.


When to make	September–October
Time	About half a day for peeling and simmering. Better after a night’s rest
Storage	About 3 weeks in the fridge

Ingredients

Chestnuts, sugar and gardenia fruit for kanroni

300 g (10½ oz) chestnuts in the shell
100 g (½ cup) granulated sugar
200 ml (about ⅘ cup) water
A pinch of salt
Dried gardenia fruit (kuchinashi), if you have it
A storage jar

Dried gardenia fruit is a natural yellow coloring used in Japan for chestnuts and sweet potatoes. Look for it at Japanese or Chinese grocery stores, or online. Without it, the chestnuts will be a paler color.

How to make kanroni

Sterilize the storage jar in boiling water beforehand.

Peel the chestnuts

Chestnuts soaking in hot water to soften the shells

To make them easier to peel, soak the chestnuts in hot water at about 50°C (120°F) for 30 minutes.

Cutting off the flat bottom of a chestnut

Cut off the flat bottom of each chestnut.

Peeling the hard outer shell off a chestnut by hand

Starting from the cut, peel the hard outer shell off toward the tip by hand.

Chestnuts with the outer shells removed, still in their inner skins

Peeling the inner skin off a chestnut with a knife

Peel off the inner skin with a knife, following the shape of the chestnut. Be careful not to cut yourself.

Keep the peeled chestnuts in water.

Boil with gardenia fruit

Cut the gardenia fruit in half. It’s fairly hard, so be careful with the knife.

Peeled chestnuts and gardenia fruit in a pot of water

Put the peeled chestnuts, plenty of water and the gardenia fruit in a pot and heat. When it boils, simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes, then turn off the heat and let it cool as it is.

Chestnuts turned yellow from the gardenia fruit

Make the syrup

While the chestnuts cool, make the syrup in another pot. Put 200 ml (about ⅘ cup) of water, the sugar and a pinch of salt in the pot and heat.

Stir with a wooden spatula, and turn off the heat once the sugar has dissolved.

Simmer

Moving the cooled chestnuts to another pot

Take out the cooled chestnuts and move them to another pot. Handle them gently so they don’t break.

Chestnuts simmering in syrup under a paper lid

Add the syrup and set over low heat. When it starts to bubble, cover with a drop lid (a sheet of parchment paper laid on the surface) and simmer gently for about 20 minutes.

Packing the chestnuts and syrup into a jar

After simmering, leave them to cool, then pack into the jar with the syrup. They taste even better after a night’s rest.

Done

Your comforting chestnut kanroni are done. Keep them in the fridge and eat within about 3 weeks.

How to Make Kuri no KanroniJapanese Chestnuts Candied in Syrup, Colored with Gardenia