Fruits Confits: An Ancient Art of Protecting Fruit

Posted by French Sugars on November 2nd, 2017

They are called "candied fruit", "crystallized fruit", "glace fruit", or "fruit confit" in French, however what are they specifically and where does the practice of candying fruits originated from?

Fruits confits are the item of an old art best marrons glaces of candying fruit. It is a tradition that goes back to the 1st century when Romans utilized honey to preserve fruit. Back then, fruit conservation was utilized as a method of maintaining disposable items instead of generating confections. Breakable fruits that were candied in sugar could keep for months, sometimes years, without transforming. It was after that feasible to consume figs, apples, as well as plums all year long.

In the Middle-Ages, it was sugar and also not honey that was utilized to sweet fruits. They were on every ritualistic table and were, like dragées, a present just to essential guests.

During the Renaissance, fruits confits ended up being all the more prominent as fresh fruits were taken into consideration to be unsafe for one's health and wellness.

Nowadays, French individuals, particularly approximately Provence, eat fruits confits at Xmas and they become part of exactly what we call "the thirteen desserts", which represents Christ as well as his apostles. Inning accordance with this tradition, every family in Provence gathers at Xmas to eat the thirteen treats that are fruits confits, but likewise nougat, calissons, as well as completely dry figs.

If the communities of Proper, Nice and Aix-en-Provence in the Southeast of France are known for their fruits confits, it is due to the fact that Provence is like an all-natural orchard that offers an unbelievable choice of fruit - melons, pears, apricots, figs, peaches - that lend themselves perfectly to conservation.

Candying fruit is a fragile and refined art; it is made specifically manually, which explains its high rate. Yet it is likewise a very long process during which at the very least 3 months are needed for the fruit to alternative between being offered a boil as well as allowed to relax.

Each fruit is discriminated: melons, pears, and pineapples are peeled off; citrus fruits are cut, apricots are matched, plums and also tangerines are washed. The fruit is then punctured with a large needle in order to assist the future penetration of the syrup right into its heart and afterwards it is blanched. After the blanching, each kind of fruit is positioned in its very own distinct terrine to preserve the flavor of the fruit then loaded with syrup. It is offered a boil as well as cooled 7 times over a period of 3-4 weeks, which permits the syrup to get in the fruit via the process of osmosis until it is saturated with the syrup. The fruit is then allowed to rest in the syrup for a minimum of two months in order to complete the preservation. The final action, which is just taken after an order has actually been positioned, is to get rid of the fruit from the syrup where it has actually bathed in for months and also dip it in syrup of pure focused sugar and then permit it to completely dry. This last action provides a protective finishing on the outside of the fruit which serves to limit its stickiness.

If you prefer to utilize fruits confits in dishes, it is far better to buy them "agoutis", which suggests that they are removed from the syrup and also skip the final action of finish them with sugar. They are consequently sticky to the touch however are optimal for cooking as well as embellishing cakes.

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French Sugars
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