The Science of Candied Fruit

Food Nerd Dan Kohler shows the science behind candied fruit. Popular during Christmas, candied fruit is a staple of holiday fruitcake recipes. As Dan teaches to you how to candy the fruit he also explains the science that turns plan fruit into a candied delight.

[@igorurisman1993]

"osmosis is the scientific term for finding balance." All bets are off for this country.

[@riverp9019]

PS - think I found out. "Confit" citrus as the French call "candied" citrus can be made differently so it keeps its colour and plump firm juiciness. The lemons, oranges whatever you are using are not boiled for ages on end at start like here as this way they lose their colour and end up collapsing. Instead they're blanched in a short, low salt water for only three minutes and then immediately iced rapidly in a crushed ice bath until completely ice cold right through. This is done repeatedly, six times, never allowing the citrus to cook until the all the colour and structure drains and collapses away, the crushed ice bath fixes the colour after each short blanching, this also removes the bitterness from the rind. Then for the "candied" part they are cooked at a very precise heat, 65%C in bags containing 200g syrup, then cooled. After this the colour will be completely stable. No short cuts Im afraid or you are going to end up with hollow rotten brown looking fruit and possibly crystallised syrup. You can also quarter the fruit or half it which looks extremely attractive.

[@BxPHornet]

It's pretty much blanching for 1-3 minutes and then cooling them off rapidly. Otherwise the celles in the fruit will be damaged, which results in those pale, substance less things we see here. And you are indeed right, what Jonny's showing here is not what most people understand under Candied Fruit.

[@riverp9019]

Yes, this is more stewed fruit, not exactly suitable for citrus, I don't think. I also cook a lot of green veg the blanching and icing method, usualy just tossing them in a little butter afterwards to warm them through. It's the way to keep that lovely green colour and perfectly slightly crunchy texture without being completely raw.

[@BxPHornet]

River P Yep, found that out the hard way after my first candied orange was more or less orange puree

[@GeoVII]

This guy needs to look up the definition of 'osmosis'.

[@rosaalters5688]

GeoVII it’s 7th grade science all over again

[@gerardjones7881]

food scientist , yeh...nice try. I served a 5 year apprenticeship in a french patisserie 50 yrs ago. There is no science to it, its just baking or confiserie. In France and belgium the process takes several days and requires a baum meter to ensure the specific gravity of the syrup. Fruit is soaked overnite, strained out and the syrup is reduced to the next stage, then the fruit goes back in for another 24 hrs. At each stage the syrup is reduced and the specific gravity measured. The syrup is made more dense at every step. I wouldn't waste my time using lemons, try plums, pears, apricots, orange, etc. I still have the original french recipe but theres very little demand in the usa.

[@martinvanderstier8473]

Don't ever boil the fruit in the syrup - it turns brown and nasty (see the pineapple for instance). Take the fruit out, bring the syrup to a boil for one minute, take the pan off the heat and put the fruit back in. Repeat for three days, and you're done..

[@FrancesBaconandEggs]

Dude, that is NOT how osmosis works.

[@corrydobson311]

I find Christmas time is very difficult to purchase glazed fruit for Christmas Cakes. Can this process be used for apricots, ginger and pineapple (tinned pineapple) please?

[@mazharkhan8451]

Mr. Kohler, Can we dehydrate quartered pieces of Candied Orange fruit , then powdered to make use in instant orange drinks along with others ingredients? Your reply is awaited. with best wishes, Mazhar Hayat Khan

[@storyiseverything2219]

Should I cook for eight days or just buy some from the store? It's a difficult one...

[@moix5799]

No differential for the weights of fruit ie cherry and time?

[@debwaterson799]

Great mate. thanx :)

[@EvelcyclopS]

This guy really works his hands

[@GuitarMan22]

Candied fruit with tom cruise

[@riverp9019]

Hmmm those "candied" lemons dont look anything like the preserved citrus my mother makes. Firstly she uses whole cumquates, sometimes small mandarines but hers always retain their beutiful colour and shape. They don't turn into those colourless, dead, collapsed half empty bags of sugar syrup. They become firm, translucent, bright orange, shiny, moist orbs to rival any christmas decoration. When you cut through them they keep ther shape, inside is a beutifull honey sweet nectar not a hollow shell. What could she have been doing differently?! I don't know. She bottles them in the syrup. Are you over cooking them intialy instead of simply blanching, because those dont look like lemons anymore to me and not something I would use for decoration?! She also doesn't prick them. She does the same with ginger, melon rind and angelica stems. There is nothing quite as beutifull as a whole preserved little honey mandarine nestled in some vanilla ice cream. Never mind those lemons that grapefruit is an absolute disgrace, ha ha ha. it looks like an old football buried beneath a compst heap. I could never give away a bottled of what look like rotten fruit! Im curious.......

[@csarsandov822]

wonderful!..how can i learn how your mom makes these amazing candied fruits?!..

[@riverp9019]

Ahhh you will have to ask her. She's 88 and just very recently emigrated to Tasmania from Africa. Even though it was dreadfully sad for her to leave her lovely garden after a lifetime of dedication she was finding the climate rather too hot and the politics beyond a joke. She likes nothing better than to make a pot of redbush tea and surf the world wide web. She has already organised her kitchen and been baking up a storm. I'm sure I can persuade her to comment for you right here!

[@csarsandov822]

Oh that would be a privilege for me!!..i will be eternally grateful! I have tried twice this art with melons, lemons and oranges and simply cannot find a good way to make it like you were describing. I can leave my e mail or another way of communication to make it easier for her!:)

[@riverp9019]

Sorry Csar but my Mum had an eye-op in both eyes for cataracts so she's not online right now....when she's all ready to go I will pass on your request.

[@LadyVoldemort]

River P I hope your Mom would be in great health soon...that rare knowledge of her is priceless, you might want to make a video of it and share it to the world...I'd pay good money for good knowledge! Cheers and huge respect for your Mom... 😊

[@NolaGB]

Science teachers should be more like Dan Kohler ... I think students would pay more attention. Just my opinion, of course.

[@lucaslayton3974]

Steam for eight days?! Bye Felicia, I have a full time job.

[@MrMawnster]

Ok. WHat do you do to process them first to remove waxes and pesticides? wash with soap ?

[@RenaissanceEarCandy]

Buy unwaxed lemons that aren't covered in pesticides.

[@mackenziewhethers1257]

Grow your own fruit?

[@kaniarujois7795]

Run hot water on them, it will melt the wax.

[@marcelbro]

You don't care, the syrup goes to your neighbor.

[@thomasfan7thereal317]

This is like a type of stewed fruit not so much Candide not pretty not beautiful and not what i would expect from Hallmark

[@scientiainquisitor5391]

Water activity

[@jamesa.3325]

it didnt taste good. theres a better way, vietnamese candy, where the fruit remains crisp/crunchy with good color but dry and candied.

[@yesno9437]

Whats d candy called

[@BlinGCS]

this is the whitest video ive seen

[@Tenorius]

OMG, that's the first thing that stroked me! Even before the osmosis explanation and the def not candied fruits...

[@cutiepawsa876]

Sorry but that is not what a candied lemon or fruit look like. They may taste sweet but they don’t look like they are candied. They should be transparent. An average housewife that knows how to make candied fruit can achieve that in just a couple of hours.

[@princesse523]

How please ?

[@samuelscorso4820]

Misinformation cringe fest. Pithy means succinct, not bitter.

[@aceboogie711]

How do u cook for 8 days straight

[@mm-rj3vo]

Reason for not having baby. They are being of pure want and satisfaction only comes in the form of silence, if that. No gratification until years and years of tireless input. What if they're bullied at school? What if they get lost? Hurt? Into trouble? What if they are too good? What if they are too bad? It must be a terrifying undertaking to first even decide to bring one into existence. Childrearing scares the hell out of me and I never want to do it until I'm good and damn well ready. If ever. At all.

[@jacelister9100]

reason for not having a baby. you might end up stuck with one like 'm m' here

[@LadyVoldemort]

The baldy man think too much...