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Fruit paste candies, also known as fruit gems, come in various shapes, sizes, and colors. When choosing, consider flavor, ingredients, and shape. They can be bought at specialty stores or made at home with pureed fruit, sugar, and pectin.
Pates de fruit literally means fruit paste when translated from French into English. These little “fruit paste” candies may also be called fruit gems because many of them are pressed into molds as they set. This produces brightly colored, translucent shapes that add visual appeal to most table settings. When looking for quality fruit pates, it’s important to consider shape, size, color and ingredients in addition to flavor. If you can’t find exactly what you’re looking for, you also have the option of making these edible gems yourself.
One of the first things to consider when choosing fruit pates is flavor. For example, the gorgeous burgundy sheen of cranberry buds won’t matter much if you don’t like the flavor of cranberries. So research the flavors first that you think you might like. The ingredients used in pates de fruit are so varied that you’re almost certain to find a handful of pleasing flavors.
Many specialty candy stores and candy boutiques sell these little treats. If you can’t find them in stores, you may be able to locate some quality samples online. In these cases, read the ingredients carefully to see if the fruit pates are of good quality. Some of the best recipes should include lots of fruit, sugar, and royal pectin or jelly. Try to avoid products that use artificial flavors or colors as they may affect the taste.
Once you’ve chosen your favorite flavors, feel free to look at the shape, size, and color. Most fruit pates are dusted with icing sugar, giving them a delicate look. Other varieties have no sugar coating, making them appear translucent. When it comes to shapes, you can choose from ordinary squares, small domes, diamond shapes, and packs with embossed symbols on top. If you’re hosting a fancy tea or brunch, you might want to accompany with shaped and molded fruit pates. The simpler looking versions can be given as gifts to friends and family or eaten as a dessert after a regular meal.
If you just can’t find what you are looking for, you can definitely try making fruit paste at home. Stone fruits – such as apricots, peaches, plums and nectarines – are traditional choices. You can also use mangoes, pineapples, strawberries, and a variety of other tropical fruits and melons. Most recipes call for about 2.5 parts pureed fruit and sugar, 0.25 parts pectin, and sometimes a packet of unflavored gelatin.
The ingredients should usually be stirred vigorously over low heat until they become thick and chewy, like runny mashed potatoes. At this point, the mixture can be poured into greased baking pans or candy molds and left to chill in the refrigerator overnight. You can release them from the molds and sprinkle them with icing sugar, edible glitter or granulated sugar.
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