CRYSTALLIZED FRUITS

The theory of crystallizing fruit is to extract the juice and replace it with sugar-syrup which, upon hardening, preserves the fruit from decay but retains its natural shape.

The general method to boil the fruit--preferably unripe and in the case of "stone" fruits while the stone is still soft--until tender and then suspend it in strong syrup until it has become almost transparent, occasional evaporation keeping the syrup at the fullest strength. The fruit is next dried in stoves or drying rooms at a temperature of about 120 degree Fahr., until the syrup has crystallized.

Another process--that principally employed in Portugal, one of the most important producing countries--consists essentially of repeated boilings of the unripe fruit in strong syrup, followed by draining and, lastly, drying on trays in the open air.

A wide variety of fruits are now candied, among the latest additions being the "Prickly Pear" of California. They constitute a form of sweets admirably adapted to the grocer's counter as they are closely allied to his regular stock and are very attractive in appearance.

The housewife can make a very showy confection by cutting the red heart of the watermelon into slices and then into fancy shapes, immersing them in crystallizing syrup and then allowing to dry. The pink and red color showing through the crystal coating makes an extremely pleasing appearance.