How To Make Crystallized Fruit Food

CANDIED STRAWBERRIES

Steps:

• Add the sugar, corn syrup and 1/4 cup water to a small heavy-bottom saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring once to make sure the sugar dissolves. Attach a candy thermometer or use and instant read thermometer and bring to 300 to 310 degrees F. Remove the pot from the heat and let sit for 1 minute.
• Stir the sugar mixture to even out the temperature from top to bottom. Dip the strawberries, using the stem as a handle and swirling to coat. Remove and allow excess syrup to drip off, shaking as needed. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and allow to cool and harden, about 10 minutes.
• Trim the ends of 12 extra-long lollipop sticks to the desired length to fit your vase. Carefully skewer each strawberry through the stem end and arrange into a bouquet in the vase. Serve within 2 hours (see Cook's Note).

HOW TO MAKE CANDIED FRUIT

Steps:

• 1. Prepare fruit. Cut pineapple, apricots and watermelon rind into small pieces; chop cherries in half; remove white pith from lemon, orange or grapefruit peel and cut into strips or small pieces. Depending on your finished use you may also simply cut your fruit into 1/4 inch (aprox.) slices.
• 2. Combine 1 cup sugar, 1 cup honey and 1-1/2 cups water in heavy saucepan.
• 3. Boil over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture reaches 235 degrees F on candy thermometer.
• 4. Thread Stage 230° F-235° F sugar concentration: 80% At this relatively low temperature, there is still a lot of water left in the syrup. When you drop a little of this syrup into cold water to cool, it forms a liquid thread that will not ball up. Cooking sugar syrup to this stage gives you not candy, but syrup-something you might make to pour over ice cream.
• 5. Drop small amount of fruit into liquid.
• 6. Cook on low heat 20-30 minutes until the fruit or rind is transparent.
• 7. Drain and repeat with rest of fruit in the same syrup.
• 8. Cool fruit and store in airtight container. Your fruit can also be rolled in granulated sugar after it is cooled, to give it a nice frosty coating and to help keep the bits separate.
• 9. NOTE: When you are done making your candied fruit, you will have a very tasty syrup that can be used to sweeten drinks, or pour over ice cream... or whatever you can dream up. It might even be good as a glaze on a bundt cake! Be sure you taste it before storing it. If you like it, keep it. If you don't, well then toss it out.
• 10. Here's how they do it in Canada with lots more tips and information: http://www.canadianliving.com/food/cooking_school/how_to_make_candied_fruit.php More information and tips can be found at: http://allrecipes.com/howto/candying-fruits/
• 11. Interesting history from Wikipedia: Food preservation methods using sugar (palm syrup and honey) were known to the ancient cultures of China and Mesopotamia. However, the precursors of modern candying were the Arabs, who served candied citrus and roses at the important moments of their banquets. With the Arab domination of parts of southern Europe, candied fruit made its way to the West. The first documents that demonstrate the use of candied fruit in Europe date back to the sixteenth century.
• 12. Tips & Warnings You can blanch citrus peels (dip them in boiling water for a few minutes) to make them less bitter. If desired, you can also DEHYDRATE your CANDIED FRUIT by spreading thin layers on trays and drying for 12-18 hours at 120 degrees F until fruit is no longer sticky and the center has no moisture. To sun dry, put trays in full sun for 1-2 days, stirring occasionally, until fruit is no longer sticky. Take trays in at night. To oven dry, spread on trays and dry at 120 degrees F for 18-24 hours. Store dried candied fruit in an airtight container.
• 13. Found this particular recipe on http://www.ehow.com/how_3910_make-candied-fruit.html#ixzz2FQpsT6S

CANDIED ORANGE

Steps:

• Cut tops and bottoms off of the orange and score the orange into quarters, cutting down only into the peel and not into the fruit. Peel the skin and pith of the orange in large pieces, use the orange for another recipe. Cut the peel into strips about 1/4-inch wide. Put the orange peel in a large saucepan with cold water to cover, bring to a boil over high heat. Then pour off the water. Repeat 1 or 2 more times depending up how assertive you want the orange peels to be. (Test kitchen liked the texture of a 3 time blanch best, it also mellowed the bitterness. But it is a matter of preference.) Remove the orange peels from the pan.
• Whisk the sugar with 1 1/2 cups water. Bring to a simmer and cook for 8 to 9 minutes (If you took the sugar's temperature with a candy thermometer it would be at the soft thread stage, 230 to 234 degrees F.) Add the peels and simmer gently, reducing heat to retain a simmer. Cook until the peels get translucent, about 45 minutes. Resist the urge to stir the peels or you may introduce sugar crystals into the syrup. If necessary, swirl the pan to move the peels around. Drain the peels, (save the syrup for ice tea.) Roll the peels in sugar and dry on a rack, for 4 to 5 hours. Return to the sugar to store.
• Cook's Note: One way to use orange peels is to stuff a dried date with a piece of orange peel and almond, then dip the entire thing into dark chocolate.

CANDIED CITRUS PEEL

Steps:

• Cut the fruit into 8 wedges, then cut out the flesh, leaving about 5mm thickness of peel and pith. Cut each wedge into 3-4 strips.
• Put the peel in a pan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 5 mins. Drain, return to the pan and re-cover with fresh water. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 30 mins.
• Set a sieve over a bowl and drain the peel, reserving the cooking water. Add 100g sugar to each 100ml water you have. Pour into a pan and gently heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the peel and simmer for 30 mins until the peel is translucent and soft. Leave to cool in the syrup, then remove with a slotted spoon and arrange in 1 layer on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Put in the oven at the lowest setting for 30 mins to dry.
• Sprinkle a layer of sugar over a sheet of baking parchment. Toss the strips of peel in the sugar, a few at a time, then spread out and leave for 1 hr or so to air-dry.
• Pack the peel into an airtight storage jar or rigid container lined with baking parchment. Will keep for 6-8 weeks in a cool, dry place.
• To make into a delicious gift, melt the chocolate in a small bowl. Dip the candied orange peel into the chocolate to half-coat them, shaking off the excess. Put them on baking parchment to set, then pack into small cellophane bags tied with ribbon or pretty kitchen string.