Okay, folks, let’s dive into my little adventure with candied fruit for fruitcakes.
Getting Started
So, I’ve always loved a good fruitcake, especially around the holidays. But the store-bought ones? Meh. The candied fruit always tastes kind of… artificial, you know? So I thought, “Why not try making my own?” That’s where this whole thing started.
The Hunt for Fruit
First, I needed fruit. I hit up my local grocery store and farmers market. I grabbed some cherries, pineapple chunks, orange peels, and lemon peels. I figured a mix would be best. I wanted that classic fruitcake look and taste.
Prepping the Fruit
Back home, it was time to get down to business. I washed everything really well. For the orange and lemon peels, I scraped off as much of the white pith as I could. That stuff is bitter, and nobody wants a bitter fruitcake. I chopped the pineapple into smaller, bite-sized pieces, similar size to the cherries.
The Sugaring Process
Next, I made a simple syrup. You know, just sugar and water, boiled until the sugar dissolves. Nothing fancy. I used the ratio:
- 1 cup of water
- 2 cups of sugar
I had added all fruit to a big pot, then poured the hot syrup over the fruit, making sure everything was nicely coated, then let it sit for a while, maybe 30 minutes.
The Long Simmer (and Repeat!)
Then came the longest part. I simmered the fruit in the syrup very, very gently. The key is low heat, so you don’t burn the sugar. I stirred it occasionally. After about an hour, I took the fruit out, let it cool, and drain. Then, I added more sugar to the leftover syrup, boiled it again to thicken it up, and repeated the whole simmering process. I did this like three or four times, over a couple of days. Each time, the fruit got more and more translucent and saturated with sugar.
Drying and Storing
Finally, I laid the candied fruit out on some parchment paper to dry. This took a while too – a day or two, depending on how humid it is. You want them to be dry to the touch, but still a little sticky. Once they were ready, I stored them in an airtight container. I might sprinkle a little extra sugar on them to prevent sticking, too.
The Result!
And that’s it! Homemade candied fruit. It’s a bit of a process, lots of waiting, but honestly, it’s so much better than the stuff you buy. The flavor is brighter, the texture is better, and it just makes the whole fruitcake experience so much more… real. I’m excited to bake the fruitcake with this batch to taste how much it improves the final dessert!
