Candied Chestnuts
Take the chestnuts that are to be candied and score each nut on one side with a sharp knife. Cover with boiling water, cook five minutes and dry. Add a teaspoonful of butter to each pint of nuts, and stir or shake over the fire for five minutes. This loosens the shells and the inner skins, which can now be removed together. Cover the shelled nuts with cold water, and to each pound of nuts add the juice of one lemon. Let stand in this over night, since this will help to harden the nuts, so they can be boiled without breaking up. In the morning, drain, and simmer slowly for one or two hours, or until the nuts are tender. Make a syrup using a pound of sugar to each pound of nuts. Add to each two cupfuls of sugar a half cupful of water and cook until thick, add the nuts and simmer slowly for a half hour, then drain; let them stand in the syrup over night, removing them from the fire. The next day boil the syrup until thick as honey.
Remove the nuts and place on plates and set in the oven or in the sun to dry. Boil the syrup down a little thicker, and pour over the nuts several times while drying until all is absorbed. Dry the nuts and store between layers of waxed paper in a box.