Sources for candied / glaced fruit

[curls]

I'm hoping that this is the year that I finally make some fruitcake! Kerry's "Phil's White Fruitcake" and Mette's "Dark English fruitcake" are the most likely recipes. For those of you who purchase candied / glaced fruit, who are your suppliers? I am interested in candied citron, angelica, pineapple, cherries, orange peel, and lemon peel. Also, feel free to recommend your favorite fruitcake recipes.

 

I'm sure that @andiesenji has wonderful suggestions for suppliers and recipes -- tried searching for her posts on the subject but I was not successful. Hoping to draw Andie into this topic too!

[Kerry Beal]

I get mine at the Punjab market - but that probably isn't any help to you!

[curls]

31 minutes ago, Kerry Beal said:

I get mine at the Punjab market - but that probably isn't any help to you!

Well if I don’t get a good source now, I could visit the Punjb market in May and be set for 2018.  

 

The Punjab market is in Ontario... right?

[Kerry Beal]

3 minutes ago, curls said:

Well if I don’t get a good source now, I could visit the Punjb market in May and be set for 2018.  

 

The Punjab market is in Ontario... right?

Indeed it is - probably about 20 miles from the college. I'm sure you find much more impressive stuff with Andie's help.

[Jim D.]

@curls, you can find some of what @andiesenji recently wrote about candied fruit in this thread:

 

 

Edited December 1, 2017 by Jim D. (log)

[dhardy123]

This is a great place to order any dried fruits from, among other things. Problem is that it is in India and may take a week to get to you

 

https://jayjalarammukhwas.com/home

 

 

[andiesenji]

I have bought the Agrimontana  "fruit salad" and the citron from L'Epicerie  - both are  superior to others - Agrimontana products not available to consumers in these small amounts except from this vendor.  Other vendors only sell in the 2.5 kilo amounts. 

 

I baked panettone using the fruit salad and it was excellent.  I just placed an order for more.

 

And the most of the dried fruits and nuts I am using this year from Bella Viva Orchards    I just used some of the dried skinless apples in little hand pies - sort of like empanadas.  

I bought 5 different kinds of dried apricots.

 

The only other fruits I am using are the Roland Amarena cherries, dried in syrup from Amazon.  They are FANTASTIC.  

[curls]

Thank you dhardy123, a very interesting website and selection!

 

Andie, thank you for the list of suppliers. I had found the Agrimontana "fruit salad" but am glad to know that you have used it and like it. The Roland Amarena cherries that you mention sound wonderful, I'm definitely going to order some!

 

So, anybody know of a good source for candied pineapple?

[andiesenji]

Curls, I thought I had mentioned it earlier - I know I did in another thread.

I buy the dried pineapple from bella viva  -  Put it in a steamer and steam it until it becomes more like glacé pineapple and allow it to dry just enough so it is still a bit tacky.

Then I cut it up and use it like candied pineapple.   Pineapple - and a few other fruits - have enough sugar content that they can be treated this way and are almost like the glacé fruits  WITHOUT being cooked in syrup.  They have, in my opinion, more flavor this way.  I've done peaches, apricots, nectarines, pluots and figs, using this same method.

The flavor is excellent.

Years ago, I used to dry my own pineapple and do this exact method.  

 

Here are the before and after photos  of steaming dried pineapple - I find that 12 to 15 minutes is usually sufficient until it is really dry (after I have stored it for months).

Edited December 1, 2017 by andiesenji (log)