9 A feast of flavour Tips for recipe success l Use fresh, intact, not bruised and not very ripe (overripe fruit will melt during boiling, while unripe fruit will wrinkle). l Use the right proportion of sugar to fruit for each recipe. Less sugar will cause the fruit preserve to go bad; excessive sugar will cause crystallisation of the syrup. Sugar is a preservative for spoon sweets as it prevents various microorganisms from developing. l Some fruits need to be immersed in limewater and left for several hours, depending on their kind in order to become firm. Put pickling lime in a bowl with water and stir until it is dissolved and the solution looks like milk. Add fruits to the mixture and cover with a tray or a plate to keep them immersed in the limewater. Stir themixture every so often to ensure that all fruits are evenly covered with pickling lime. l Immerse fruit in lemonade (2 litres of water with 50 ml of lemon juice) for 1-2 hours to become crispy and glazed. l For best results make sure that the fruit has been boiled well before being dipped into the syrup: Prick them with a needle to check that they are cooked. If they drop off easily they are ready. l Making sure that the syrup is set is also very important for recipe success. If setting point has not been reached, the fruit preserve will go bad and crystallise. To avoid crystallisation you may add a little bit of lemon juice to the fruit preserve. Professionals must necessarily use a pycnometer or refractometer which indicates the exact density of the syrup, and ensure that it is at 65-70 degrees Brix. .
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