Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 60 mins
Total: 70 mins
Servings: 30 servings
Yield: 30 pieces
Candying fresh fruit is a great way to preserve them while making a deliciously sweet and chewy treat to enjoy on its own or in your favorite recipes. The candied fig recipe is simple and old-fashioned, with only four ingredients, but it does take a little patience and love.
In this classic recipe, your favorite candying fruit, whether they be fresh figs, apricots, or even pear tomatoes, are soaked in baking soda and water and then simmered in a sugary syrup until the sweet liquid is completely absorbed. Then you do as your grandmother would and leave the sweet fruit out in the sun to dry before storing away or enjoying a few bites.
Homemade candied fruit makes for a wonderful holiday gift from the heart, but they also make delicious ingredients in other dishes from savory appetizers to your favorite baked goods and puddings. Be sure to check out the suggestions below for delicious ways to use your candied figs and fruit.
Ingredients
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4 quarts water
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2 tablespoons baking soda
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30 fresh figs, pear tomatoes, or apricots
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1 1/2 cups sugar
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2 cups water
Steps to Make It
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In large a bowl, combine 4 quarts water and baking soda.
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Add fruit of choice and soak for 10 minutes. Drain.
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In a large saucepan, combine sugar and 2 cups water and bring syrup to a boil
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Once boiling, add soaked fruit and simmer 20 minutes.
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After 20 minutes, remove from heat and allow to cool. Leave covered overnight.
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The next day, simmer mixture an additional 20 minutes and allow to cool. Repeat this process each day until syrup is completely absorbed. A sugar syrup may crystallize, which is fine. You can add a little more water when reheating to thin it out if needed.
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When the syrup is absorbed, dry fruit on waxed paper on trays in the sun, then dredge fruit with sugar and store in an airtight container.
Tips
- You can enjoy your candied fruit on its own as a sweet treat or use it in your favorite recipes.
- For a savory appetizer, we love pairing homemade candied figs with chèvre or goat cheese and a little splash of balsamic vinegar glaze and maybe some chopped walnuts.
- Or you can use them in homemade fruit candies or pair with creamy vanilla ice cream or yogurt. The delicious combinations are limitless. We promise that you’ll find several ways to use your candied fruit if you can stop yourself from eating them all!
Source:
GRIT Magazine Cookbook — out of print, reprinted with permission. Though the GRIT Magazine cookbook is currently out of print, you can still find used copies floating around the internet. The spiral-bound cookbook contains recipes first published in GRIT magazine from 1970 to 1990, with plenty of old favorites to re-discover.
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 30 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 44 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 0g | 0% |
| Saturated Fat 0g | 0% |
| Cholesterol 0mg | 0% |
| Sodium 258mg | 11% |
| Total Carbohydrate 11g | 4% |
| Dietary Fiber 0g | 1% |
| Total Sugars 11g | |
| Protein 0g | |
| Vitamin C 0mg | 1% |
| Calcium 7mg | 1% |
| Iron 0mg | 0% |
| Potassium 16mg | 0% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. | |
