Candying fruit is a time-honoured tradition beloved the world over. Whether you begin your candied fruit creations with fruitcake, sugarplums or sinful chocolate-dipped orangettes, you’re sure to fall in love with the art of making these special treats.
How does fruit become candy?
Candied fruit is made by soaking fresh fruit pieces in a sugar syrup, then heating the mixture until all the fruit's original water content is replaced with sugar.
When made into candied fruit, sliced fruits, such as orange and lemon wedges, strawberries, melons, kiwi, grapefruit and pineapple, retain their vibrant colour. As the sliced fruits simmer in the sugary syrup, the sweetness seeps into the fruit, making it plump and juicy. The sugar acts as a preserving agent, keeping the individual fruity flavours of each candied slice intact.
Where is candied fruit used?
Candied fruit has been around for centuries. When people in ancient Egypt, Rome and China discovered they could preserve fresh fruit in a sweet syrup to last them through the winter, candied oranges, citrons and cherries became staples in the pantries of home preservers. When sugar became widely available in Europe, bakers and confectioners polished the process of candying fruit into an art form, making candied fruit (or glacé fruit or crystallized fruit, as its also known) popular delicacies, particularly in France, Portugal and Spain.
Many people get their first taste of candied fruit in holiday favourites such as fruitcake, plum pudding or lebkuchen cookies. Chopped pieces of candied oranges, citrons, cherries, pineapples, peaches, apricots and pears are common ingredients in these wintertime treats, with crystallized ginger and citrus peel added to the mix.
Page 1 of 3 – Find out how to transform fruit into a delicious candy treat on page 2.
