Candied Fruit

Candied fruit, also referred to as crystallized fruit, is fruit that has been cooked in sugar syrup and then allowed to set in the syrup for a long period of time. During the soaking period, which can be from several days to a couple of weeks, the water content of the fruit is replaced by sugar. This results in a firm, sweet-flavored fruit. The replacement of sugar provides the fruit with properties that allow the fruit to be stored for long periods. Firm fruits work best for being candied because the softer fruits will not hold up to the extended soaking period. Fruits, such as pineapple, apples, apricots, cherries and dates, work well to be candied. Also, the lemon and orange peels do well candied and make a nice citrusy candied fruit. Making candied fruit using this process takes time and patience but results in a sweet candied fruit that will keep for a long time. There are recipes for making a more simple candied fruit that do not take as much time but this type of candied fruit does not have the preservation properties of the true candied fruit and will only keeps for a few days. Candied fruit can be enjoyed on its own but it is often used in recipes for food such as fruitcakes and other desserts.