Candied fruit facts for kids
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| Alternative names | crystallised fruit, glacé fruit |
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| Type | Confectionery |
| Main ingredients | Fruit or peel, syrup |
Candied fruit, also known as glacé fruit, is whole fruit, smaller pieces of fruit, or pieces of peel, placed in heated sugar syrup, which absorbs the moisture from within the fruit and eventually preserves it. Depending on the size and type of fruit, this process of preservation can take from several days to several months. This process allows the fruit to retain its quality for up to a year. It has existed since the 14th century.
The continual process of drenching the fruit in syrup causes the fruit to become saturated with sugar, preventing the growth of spoilage microorganisms due to the unfavourable osmotic pressure this creates.
Fruits that are commonly candied include dates, cherries, pineapple, peaches, as well as ginger root. The principal candied peels are orange and citron; these with candied lemon peel are the usual ingredients of mixed chopped peel (which may also include glacé cherries).
Recipes vary from region to region, but the general principle is to boil the fruit, steep it in increasingly stronger sugar solutions for a number of weeks, and then dry off any remaining water.
Uses
Candied fruits such as cherries are commonly used in fruitcakes or pancakes.
See also
In Spanish: Fruta confitada para niños
