Natural candied fruits can be found as an independent product sold in various stores and markets. They can also be seen as an ingredient or decoration for pastry baked goods, ice cream, sweets, etc. There is a generally accepted technology for the production of natural candied fruits, the requirements for which are prescribed by the rules of GOST.
Manufacturing technology of natural candied fruits
Natural candied fruits are called whole berries and fruits or their pieces cooked in sugar syrup and then dried. Also, for their preparation, they use pieces of vegetables and citrus peels.
To prepare candied fruits, raw materials for them are boiled over low heat in sugar syrup until a transparent pulp is obtained. Then the boiled pieces are thrown onto a sieve, separating them from the syrup, and dried.
According to the cooking technology, two types of candied fruits are distinguished: folding and glazed. The surface of the hinged candied fruits is covered with a dried film of sugar syrup, the glazed ones have a shiny glassy crust due to the fact that after cooking they are immersed in thick sugar syrup for several minutes. Then the candied fruits are dried at a temperature of 50 ° C.
How to distinguish natural candied fruits from artificial fakes?
When buying, pay attention to the appearance of candied fruits: they should not look like jam, stuck together. Please note that the color of the natural product must match the natural shade of the fruit or vegetable from which it was made. For example, if you are offered natural candied melon fruits, but they have a bright orange hue uncharacteristic for this fruit, most likely, artificial colors were used in the process of their preparation.
There are no bright red or bright green natural candied fruits without the use of dyes. What unscrupulous sellers pass off as candied mango and kiwi fruit is actually pineapple waste - its cheap, hard core, tinted with artificial colors.
To determine if there are any dyes in the natural candied fruits you bought, take a tablespoon of the product and dip it in a glass of water. Leave the candied fruit in water for 10-15 minutes. If after this time you notice that the water is colored, and the product itself has become less bright, dye was added to it during cooking. In addition to dyes, various flavors are also often added to candied fruits, which give the product an unnaturally rich smell.
Try to buy candied fruit in a sealed package, not by weight. So you, firstly, protect yourself from bacteria, which are carried by ordinary dust. Secondly, the packaging is usually labeled with information about the product and you can always read the composition of the product that you are going to buy.
The health benefits of candied fruits
Nutritionists do not recommend getting carried away even with natural candied fruits, without any additives, due to the large amount of sugar in them. However, they are viewed as a healthier counterpart to candy or other unnatural sweets.
If you are unlucky and you bought candied fruits with dyes and flavors, there will be no benefit from such a dessert. With their regular use, problems with the liver and other digestive organs can occur.
