Glacé, Crystalized, Candied DIY

[andiesenji]

For the very soft fruits, unless they are very unripe, they will not candy, they will simply cook into a mush - fine if one wants preserves or jam but not if one wants candied segments.

Once the fruit has been dried, the structure is much more stable and it will remain in the same form as when it was sliced or cut.

Steaming the fruit just prior to placing in the syrup will open the cells and speed up the glacé process.

I don't know for sure, because I have never seen the commercial process, but I have been told that some of the commercial producers of glacé fruits use this method.

The people who several years ago gave me this information had toured a company in Italy and while they spoke no Italian, their guide spoke some English and when asked about some large stainless vessels, got the reply they were "a vapore" a prelude to the "stewing in syrup." Previously they had seen trays of fruits that appeared to be dried or partially so - they were outside a wall of windows overlooking the processing room so couldn't check more closely.

They found the term "vapore" in their Italian/English dictionary referred to a steamer.

Since I was already using a steamer to prep the ginger I was candying, I tried the process with fresh fruit - a disaster - then tried with dried fruits. Actually, since I had just harvested a tree full of apricots and had dried most of the crop, I tried them and they turned out pretty good. I have had some glitches but on the whole have been fairly successful. Sometimes I get a batch that simply does not turn out well - too dark, gummy texture, etc., but I chalk that up to the vagaries of atmospheric conditions, disruption of magnetic energy or perhaps the gods are angry!

In my 70 years I have learned that sometimes things just go wrong and there is no explanation.

[Kouign Aman]

Thanks.

I hope your kiwis are a hit.

[Darienne]

A short candied orange peel story to share:

Two days ago I candied the orange peels from our supper Orange Julius type drinks and left them out on a grate to dry out in the kitchen.

A crash suddenly in the middle of the day. Our female Spoiled Rotten-weiler, Sable, had eaten almost all the candied orange peel. Who would have thought that a dog would eat orange peels? Even with sugar syrup on them?

A hurried call to the vet said she would be fine and so she was.

[lesliec]

Just a thought about the candied kiwifruit - how about not peeling them at all?

Over here in the Land of the Long Green Kiwifruit many people eat skin and all. I admit I'm not one of them, but the varieties available now are nowhere near as hairy as when I was a kid. I'd think that any slight hairiness would be well covered by the candying process.

[iii_bake]

hi everyone,

I am here for your help
I have candied palm seeds and would like to glaze them with crystalized syrup but when I seeded the syrup and stirred....the syrup got all crystallized up so fast that it went beyond the pouring stage.
I am wondering if i just add the seed ( not the palm seed but the crystalize speeding agent) to the syrup...do I need to stir it...? CAn I just pour the glaze after being seeded onto the candied fruit ? Will the glaze crystalize later?
I tried but the glaze came out the thick. I wish to have very thin coating.

Kindly help.

iii

[Kerry Beal]

I think you want to do something like this. You make your syrup (avoid stirring), immerse the items in the syrup overnight, take them out and let them dry on racks.

It is well covered in Greweling's Chocolates and Confections.

[iii_bake]

Thank you so much Kerry.
Pardon my ignorance, but without agitation, simply dipping in the syrup will result in a dry crystalized glaze?
This is the kind of glaze I am trying to make:

I have the book and what I was looking at was page 273 on candied fruit.

Thanks again fro your help. I appreciate it.

[Kerry Beal]

Thank you so much Kerry.

Pardon my ignorance, but without agitation, simply dipping in the syrup will result in a dry crystalized glaze?

This is the kind of glaze I am trying to make:

I have the book and what I was looking at was page 273 on candied fruit.

Thanks again fro your help. I appreciate it.

I think that's a little different than what I was picturing.

I'm trying desperately to find a good picture online and can't - when I get home tonight I'll see if I can find one in my really old Lenotre Ice Cream and Candies and post it.

[iii_bake]

Thank you

[Kerry Beal]

Can't find the book - but here is a picture of some items dipped in candy coating at the PMCA course that RobertM, Chocolot and I attended.

[iii_bake]

thank you. I will try that too.