Sour Cherry Pâte de Fruit
A sparkling, festive confection
When I gave my kids a sample of these sour cherry pâte de fruit, they gasped, “YOU MADE GUMMIES?!?”
That’s right, folks. Don’t be fooled by the fancy French name. Pâte de fruit, literally “fruit paste”, definitely read as chewy gummy candies (albeit with fresher, more unique flavors than the bagged varieties!).
Basically a firmly set jelly, pâte de fruit look particularly festive with their sparkling sugar exterior and make a unique addition to a dessert platter or cookie box. Though you will need a couple special ingredients, they are easy to make and one batch will provide you plenty of candies for both gifting and keeping. (Bonus perk: culinary hero status amongst the kids / candy lovers in your life!)
Special ingredients and equipment
Sour cherry puree: To make sour cherry puree, I defrosted frozen sour cherries, then blended and strained the mixture to get a smooth puree. Whenever making my own puree, I start with about 1/3 more whole fruit than I need. To yield 500g puree, I start with 665-700g whole frozen sour cherries. You may be able to find pre-made purees in some specialty stores, though please note that my recipe below is based on unsweetened, pure puree with no added sugars or preservatives.
Because fruits vary in sugar and acid content, you cannot substitute one type for another and expect the same results. I have made this recipe using haskap berry puree (similar to a blackberry), increasing the pectin to 13g, and that worked nicely. Otherwise, I haven’t tested this formula with other fruits so substitute at your own risk (I recommend starting with a half batch if you’re going off script!). I used the table in Ewald Notter’s The Art of the Chocolatier as a guide for pectin and acid amounts.
Pectin: Like jam, pâte de fruit relies on sugar, acid, temperature and pectin (in this case, both naturally occurring in the fruit and added) to achieve the proper set. I tried both apple pectin and yellow pectin and both work fine in this recipe. I slightly prefer yellow pectin as it doesn’t set quite as fast, giving you a little more time to pour the mixture into the mold. But otherwise the candy tastes and sets the same. Please don’t substitute another type of pectin in this recipe!
Glucose (liquid): An invert sugar, glucose helps keep the candies from crystallizing. You could use an equal weight light corn syrup instead, but I prefer glucose because it isn’t as sweet. You can find glucose at baking supply stores or online.
Citric acid: Added acid drops the pH of the mixture, allowing the pectin to set as intended. It’s stirred in at the end so the candy doesn’t set too soon. I also like to mix some citric acid into the final sugar coating to tame the sweetness and lend a sour gummy vibe. Citric acid is available at many grocery stores or online.
Digital thermometer: To ensure the mixture reaches the correct setting temperature, use a digital or candy thermometer, preferably one that can clip onto your pot. I love both my Polder and Thermapen DOT. For accurate readings, ensure your thermometer is properly calibrated (it should register 212F in boiling water) and that the probe is in the center of the mixture and not hitting the bottom of the pot.
High precision scale: Because this recipe relies on important ingredients that measure under 15 grams, I highly recommend using a high precision scale. Typical home kitchen scales do not measure such small amounts with accuracy. High precision scales are inexpensive, and I use mine almost daily to measure ingredients like salt, leaveners, and gelatin.
A note on sugar
Please do not try to reduce the sugar in this recipe. Candies rely on a certain sugar concentration to reach temperature and set properly. If you reduce the sugar, you will just need to boil your mixture longer to reach the correct concentration/temperature. As a result, your candies will lose their fresh taste and you’ll simply end up with less mass at the end. Just cut them small and share!
Confections, previously
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Sour Cherry Pâte de Fruit
Makes one 8x8” pan (64 1” candies)
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