Candied fruit may feel like a novelty, but beyond the ubiquitous fire engine red maraschino cherry, it can be sophisticated and magical to anyone with an appreciation for sweets. It has a long shelf life and an appearance that’s more impressive than fresh fruit. “Candying fruit is a way of prolonging the lifespan of your favorite fruits,” says Camilla Wynne, master food preserver, cooking teacher, and author of the new book Nature’s Candy. Wynne went from her obsession with jam and marmalade to candying fruit, a logical progression in her preservation journey. And she hopes to encourage all of us to candy fruits, whether as decorations for the table and delicious snacks, ingredients for baking, or toppers for cakes. Ahead, learn more about this waning art—and why it deserves a place in your kitchen.
What Is Candied Fruit?
To be considered candied fruit, fruits can be preserved in syrup or dried and coated in sugar (also known as crystallized fruit). Candied fruit is not the same as dried fruit because sugar is added for the preservation process. It can be used for decorative and delicious purposes. “We’re transforming fruits into something totally different, into really beautiful objects,” Wynne says. “Candied fruit is celebratory to eat alone or bake into stuff.”
What Can Be Candied
Pretty much any piece of produce can be candied, not just fruit: mushrooms, carrots, peppers, nuts, flowers. “I haven’t met too many things in the fruit and vegetable kingdom that don’t take well to candy,” Wynne says.
When candying fruit, she opts for ones that are a bit underripe and not too juicy, which is when pectin levels start to decrease. These slightly underripe fruits provide the best chance of getting “gorgeous intact fruits” after the candying process.
Another benefit of candying fruit at home is the syrup: The syrup resulting from candying fruit lasts in the fridge for months, and can be used in baking, to make cocktails or drinks at home, moisten cake layers and so much more.
How to Candy Fruit
Candying fruit doesn’t have to be daunting. For a simple technique, Wynne suggests her “Almost All Purpose Candied Fruit Method” from Nature’s Candy. This technique works with pretty much any fruit that can be sliced into pieces that are no thicker than a quarter-inch; cherries, pineapple, smaller citrus, kumquats, and peppers can all be fun to start candying fruit with. Here’s how to do it.
- Wash and dry fruit. Cut into small pieces, no more than a quarter-inch thick.
- Mix equal parts sugar and purified water in a medium saucepan. Add a splash of glucose or corn syrup. (These invert sugars help impede crystallization.) Simmer ingredients until combined.
- Gently stir in fruit and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Pour fruit and its syrup into jars. Allow to cool. Then seal jars.
Johnny Miller
Why Make Your Own
When it comes to candied fruit, homemade is almost certainly best.
Quality: “Compared to the types you can buy at most North American supermarkets, homemade candied fruit is leaps and bounds better when you make your own,” Wynne says. She explains that commercially candied fruit is “bleached and boiled within an inch of its life” and there’s barely any fruit left, no character, no original color by the time it hits shelves.
Cost: Specialty shops or artisanal candy stores may offer candied fruit for special occasions, but you’ll end up paying quite a bit for what’s essentially fruit and sugar. Thus, making your own is more economical, delicious, and a pretty accessible hobby to embark on after hitting the fruit stand.
To impress: “People really aren’t used to seeing these jewel-like, candied fruits. It’s amazing to use as décor.” Candied fruit can be gifted, used as decor, and it’s vegan. Wynne herself uses candied fruits to decorate cakes and bakes it into multiple recipes for cakes, cookies, and beyond, many of which are included in her book.
“I think people are intimidated because it seems like a mysterious or long process, which it can be, with whole fruits, but really it’s relatively easy, just a few minutes of hands-on time,” Wynne says. “People will be amazed at the level up in their baking game.”
Storing Homemade Candied Fruit
Homemade candied fruit can be store in the fridge for up to two months. Candied fruit can also be dried later on for a longer shelf life.
