Medieval Cooking Basics - Candied Fruit, Roots and Flowers

TO MAKE CANDIED ORANGE PEEL, LE MENAGIER DE PARIS, 1393 AND TO CANDY ANY ROOTE, FRUITE OR FLOWER - ENGLISH HOUSEWIFE, 1615

Originally published December 31, 2020

In preparation for serving the dessert course at an upcoming SCA event I have been working with preserving a variety of roots, fruits and yes...earlier this year I preserved flowers (see: To Candy Flowers). So the method I am using is based on the method below:

Dissolve sugar, or sugar-candy in Rose-water, boyl it to an height, put in your roots, fruits or flowers, the syrup being cold, then rest a little; after take them out, and boyl the sirrup again, then put in more roots, &c. then boyl the syrup a third time to an hardness, putting in more Sugar, but not Rose-water put in the roots &c the syrup being cold, and let them stand till they candy (Markham).

I am not using rose water in my candying. I personally enjoy the taste of roses, and I also enjoy the scent that the rosewater gives to food when you use it. However, rose water is not a taste most people are familiar with and it is very much one of those like it/hate it tastes. I am cooking for a wide audience, which is the reason I am not using rosewater. I am also not boiling three times. I did use a very similar method last year to glace cherries. The entire process took nine days and the flavor of the fruit was very deep with a honey like flavor. If you can go this route, please do. Here is the method I am using.

To Make Candied Orange Peel, Le Menagier de Paris, 1393

To Make Candied Orange Peel, divide the peel of one orange into five quarters and scrape with a knife to remove the white part inside, then put them to soak in good sweet water for nine days, and change the water every day; then cook them in good water just till boiling, and when this happens, spread them on a cloth and let them get thoroughly dry, then put them in a pot with enough honey to cover them, and boil on a low fire and skim, and when you believe the honey is cooked, (to test if it is cooked, have some water in a bowl, and let drip into this one drop of the honey, and if it spreads, it is not cooked; and if the drop of honey holds together in the water without spreading out, it is cooked;) and then you must remove your orange peel, and make one layer with it, and sprinkle with ginger powder, then another layer, and sprinkle etc., and so on; and leave it a month or more, then eat.

Ingredients

Peel of choice - orange, lemon, etc.

2 c. sugar

1 c. water

Additional sugar for dredging peels

Directions

1. To begin, cut your peel into quarter inch strips. Put into a pot and bring to a boil about 5 minutes. Drain, rinse and repeat the process. At this point you can choose to drain, rinse and repeat the boiling process a third time or, move forward with candying. Since I like a touch of bitter with my candied peels I only do this twice.

2. Allow peels to drain while you make your syrup. Mix together sugar and water and cook over low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Increase your heat until the syrup comes to a boil.

3. Add your peels, lower to simmer and cook until the peels become translucent (between 30 and 45 minutes).

4. Once the peels become translucent, place them on a screen and allow them to dry overnight.

5. After peels have dried overnight, dredge them in remaining sugar, and then return them to the screen and allow to dry until dried to touch. This can take 1 to 2 days to complete. Candied peels can be stored in an air tight container indefinately.

NOTE: If you wish to recreate the flavor of the peels, substitute honey for sugar, and add ginger to the sugar you coat your peels with.

To candy any roote, fruite or flower - English Housewife, 1615

Dissolue Sugar, or sugar candy in Rose-water, boile it to an height, put in your rootes, fruits or flowers, the sirrop being cold, then rest a little, after take them out and boyle the sirrop againe, then put in more roots, &c. then boile the sirrop the third time to an hardnesse, put∣ting in more sugar but not Rose-water, put in the roots, &c. the sirrop being cold and let them stand till they candie.

To candy any roote, fruite or flower.

Dissolue Sugar, or sugar candy in Rose-water, boile it to an height, put in your rootes, fruits or flowers, the sirrop being cold, then rest a little, after take them out and boyle the sirrop againe, then put in more roots, &c. then boile the sirrop the third time to an hardnesse, put∣ting in more sugar but not Rose-water, put in the roots, &c. the sirrop being cold and let them stand till they candie. The English house-vvife Containing the inward and outward vertues which ought to be in a compleate woman. As her skill in physicke, surgery, cookery, extraction of oyles, banqueting-stuffe, ordering of great feasts, preseruing of all sorts of wines, conceited secrets, distillations, perfumes, ordering of wooll, hempe, flax, making cloth, and dying, the knowledge of dayries, office of malting, of oates, their excellent vses in a family, of brewing, baking, and all other things belonging to an houshold. A worke generally approued, and now the fourth time much augmented, purged and made most profitable and necessary for all men, and the generall good of this kingdome. By G.M. Markham, Gervase, 1568?-1637.

How to Candy any Fruit, Root, or Flower

Ingredients

1-2 pounds of peeled, cored and sliced fruit or roots (I have candied plums, apples, pears, cantaloupe, ginger, orange and lemon peels, dried figs, cherries, beets, parsnips, yellow and orange carrots)

2 cups sugar

1/3 cup honey

1 cup water

Directions

1. Heat your sugar, honey and water to 235 degrees. Do NOT let your temperature rise above 235 degrees.

2. Add your fruit and cook until the fruit becomes transparent.

3. After fruit has become transparent, remove from syrup and place on a screen to dry.

NOTE: Cooking times and drying times will vary depending on the item you use.

When I start the process of boiling the sugar I preheat my oven to the lowest temperature available and then turn it off when it is heated. After the fruit has been removed to the screen, I place the fruit in the heated oven and leave it overnight. Your fruit should be dry to the touch, if not, flip the fruit over on the screen and allow for continued drying.

Some observations on the things that I have candied:

Cantaloupe took four days to completely dry, pears and plums took three days. If you are using dried fruit (like figs or apricots) you must first rehydrate them in warm water. Make sure the fruit is dry when you add it to the sugar syrup. A dip in temperature after fruit is added is normal. The more humid it is, the less likely fruit will dry as expected-don't worry-it will get there.