Candied Fruits and Berries

fruits and berries saturated with sugar or sugar-molasses syrup and dried to a content of no less than 80 percent dry matter. Drupes, pomes, citrus fruits, watermelons, cantaloupes, and sometimes nuts are candied. Preparation of the fruits for candying is the same as in cooking jam; they are sorted, washed, peeled, and sectioned. Large fruits are blanched and boiled repeatedly in sugar syrup of gradually increasing concentration. This process is shortened considerably if a pressure cooker is used. As the moisture evaporates, the sugar crystallizes on the surface of the fruits and forms a thin, frosty white film. (Such candied fruits are known in Russian as tsukaty).

Cooking at a high temperature (60°C) produces glazed fruits with brilliant, glossy surfaces formed during the drying process. “Candied fruits” are first cooked to a dry matter content of 75 to 80 percent. They are then separated from the syrup, sprinkled with granulated sugar, and dried to a dry matter content of 85 to 88 percent. Kiev “dry preserves,” consisting of several kinds of fruit and berries, are cooked the same way. After separation from the syrup they are sprinkled with granulated sugar and dried for 12 to 14 hours at a temperature of 40°C.