Machinery and other Gear to Make Pate De Fruit

[DJ Silverchild]

Right now I'm making Pate De Fruit one small batch at a time.  I use the Boiron recipes, but with local fruit which I buy in season, seed, and freeze.  The biggest problem I use to have making them is burning the bottom.  I can never stop stirring it and constantly scraping the bottom, not even for 20 seconds.  

 

Now that I had a neck fusion, stirring for an hour straight is becoming a burden.  Is there any equipment or machinery for making jellies from fruit, that people can recommend? 

Also, I could use recommendations for frames.  I use rulers but I'd like a frame.

[pastrygirl]

I use the ganache frames from dr.ca. They are stainless, but much lighter than a solid ruler, so you do have to be careful sometimes to make sure product doesn't run out the bottom. 

 

PDF shouldn't take an hour of stirring, half an hour, maybe. But even that feels like 20 minutes too long. 

Edited April 19, 2017 by pastrygirl
spelling (log)

[RobertM]

I seem to recall at one of our eGullet Workshops, Kerry made PDF in the Thermomix!  Still a small batch operation.....

[Kerry Beal]

Maybe a Savage tabletop unit - http://www.savagebros.com/p.1/firemixer-14-table-top-automatic-electric-cooker-mixer-with-plc-touch-screen-control.aspx

 

Or their 20 inch kettle with added stirrer - http://www.savagebros.com/p.19/portable-agitator-candy-kettle-mixer.aspx

[Merry Berry]

As PG said, it should not take an hour of stirring and really it should not be so hot that it is burning on the bottom that requires constant stirring.  Hmm.  If I had to guess there is a technique being lost in translation here.  Can you give us a rundown of how you cook everything and when you add it?

[Jim D.]

@DJ Silverchild:

I don't know how adventurous you are or where you are located, but, in view of your physical limitations, you might want to try Pomona's pectin--I have become a recent fan. It is made in the U.S., and I don't know if it's available elsewhere, but you could look for a low-ester pectin (activated with calcium). There is a recipe on the Pomona's website that I have used frequently. Cooking time is just long enough to bring the ingredients to a boil. You can test it by putting a dab on a plate and chilling it for a bit, and if it doesn't set up to your liking, you cook it some more (I believe the limit for cooking time is 5 minutes, after which the pectin breaks down). It is a forgiving kind of pectin that appears, in my experience, to stand up to much more abuse (such as melting and resetting). The minimal cooking also preserves more of the fruit flavor. I have used Boiron purées and also those I make myself.

[JeanneCake]

When we were having trouble with PdF, I ordered some apple pectin to try; that was the only time we've ever "burned" it. Turns out the apple pectin was meant for jam and not PdF so perhaps the pectin is part of your issue?

 

[Kerry Beal]

I find with the 'double' fruit recipes i.e. pear or apricot then a low pectin fruit like lemon, kalamansi etc that burning can be an issue - you take it to 112 with the thicker fruit and all the sugar before you add the thin fruit and take it back to 107. From looking back at the previous posts I think DJ might be using a pear combination for some - so that might be a factor both in the burning/sticking issue and the length of time to get to temperature. 

 

 

[DJ Silverchild]

@Merry Berry: 

I use the Boiron recipe except I use fruit that I puree myself.  I am aware that Boiron purees are 10% sugar, so maybe thats what I should try.  I use locally sourced fresh fruit exclusively and do not want to change the recipe to something juice based.  For pectin I use the Chef Rubber Pate De Fruit pectin.

 

Also, I need to be able to scale up the process so i can make more than one batch at a time but I don't know where to start for professional equipment.

[Bentley]

I would think the Savage Bros. Firemixer 14 would do the job.