Fruits · Candied & dried fruit
Candied fruit / peel
Fruit or peel preserved in sugar syrup, diced into bright tutti-frutti for cakes, buns, cookies and ice cream.
Also called: tutti frutti, tutti-frutti, glacé fruit
Photo: Jacek Halicki, via Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-SA-4.0)
What it is
Pieces of fruit, peel or papaya (for Indian tutti-frutti) soaked in increasing strengths of syrup until saturated with sugar, then dried. The pieces are glossy, chewy and often dyed red, green and yellow. Glacé cherries are whole candied cherries; candied peel is the citrus-only version.
How it’s used
- Folded into fruitcakes, Christmas cake and panettone
- Tutti-frutti cake, buns and cookies
- Studding ice cream and kulfi
- Decorating pastries
Characteristics
- Taste
- Very sweet, with a faint fruit or citrus flavour.
- Texture
- Firm and chewy.
- Appearance
- Translucent, glossy cubes, often brightly coloured.
- When cooked
- Tends to sink in thin batters; toss in a little flour first.
- Sold as
- chopped, whole
- Cooking uses
- Suitable for baking, Used as a garnish
Storage
Pantry-stable. Keep sealed in a cool cupboard; once opened, store airtight so it does not harden or turn sticky.
Diet, allergens and safety
No major allergens in typical versions. May contain Sulphites — check the label.
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Dairy-free
- Egg-free
- Gluten-free
- Nut-free
- Soy-free
- Caffeine-free
- May contain sulphites as a preservative, which can affect people with asthma or sulphite sensitivity.
Nutrition per 100 g
- Energy
- 322 kcal
- Protein
- 0.34 g
- Carbohydrate
- 82.74 g
- Fat
- 0.07 g
- Fibre
- 1.6 g
- Sugars
- 80.68 g
USDA FoodData Central: Candied fruit.
Substitutes
Optional — what works if you don’t have it, and how it changes the dish.
- Raisins — Use the same weight in cakes; less sweet and no colour.
- Candied mixed peel — Works in fruitcakes; more citrusy and slightly bitter.
Related ingredients
Recipes with candied fruit / peel
Kerala plum cake (alcohol-free)
Indian · 12 h 45 min · 252 kcal · Contains egg