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Crystallized Grapes and Oranges These sugar-coated fruits are not at all like the candied apples of our youth, because the sugar isn't cooked around the fruit and it doesn't get hard in that inimitable teeth-destroying way. This sugar coating firms up around the fruit, but it's basically more crumbly, much more delicate, and somewhat easier to eat. Different kinds of fruit can be used so long as they are dry, so that the sugar coating doesn't get soggy and fall off. Uncut whole fruits are the best, from cherries to strawberries to blueberries. Grapes are ideal, and orange (or, better, tangerine) sections work well, providing that you don't break the membranes when you segment them and let the juice escape. With the right fruits, the sugar crystallizes and hardens around the fruit in less than 1 hour. When the crystallized layer is hard, the fruit will keep for several days in a cool, dry place. An excellent variation is to freeze the crystallized fruits. The hard sugar coating around the frozen fruit makes them resemble sherbet or frozen fruit jellies. 3 cups seedless grapes (see Note) 2 oranges or tangerines, peeled and separated into sections (Be sure not to break the membranes; the sections should be dry.) 1 egg white, beaten lightly with a fork 2 cups sugar NOTE: For this recipe we used 1 cup each of Thompson grapes (a seedless, white oblong grape), dark flame seedless grapes (a pink sweet grape), and black exotic grapes (a large, fleshy, and round black grape). Dip the fruit into the egg white, which should be only slightly frothy. Lift up the fruit, using a fork or your fingers. Don't take too much egg white; the fruit should be just barely wet. (The egg white could also be brushed on the fruit with a pastry brush.) Place about 10 to 12 pieces of fruit in a cake pan or on a cookie sheet with the sugar, and shake the pan so that the fruit rolls around and gets coated with the sugar. Place the pieces on a cookie sheet and let them dry, either ~ outside or inside the refrigerator. Serve with a sprig of mint for decoration. Sieve the used sugar to rid it of lumps and return it to the sugar canister. 6 TO 8 SERVINGS Return to Top | Back to Recipes |
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