Honey Grapefruit Pâte de Fruit

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5 from 2 votes

Honey Grapefruit Pâte de Fruit

These grapefruit pâte de fruit are bite-sized homemade candies with an intensely grapefruit taste and honey flavor

Prep Time20

Cook Time1 10

Total Time1 30

Course: Confection

Cuisine: French

Servings:

Calories: 39kcal

Author: Janice Lawandi

Ingredients

1 whole grapefruit ~330 grams, washed
333 grams freshly squeezed pink grapefruit juice
200 grams honey
1 tablespoon light corn syrup because I was concerned about crystallization since my honey was crystallized in the jar
400 grams granulated sugar
14 grams unsalted butter
170 mL liquid pectin I used 2 pouches of Certo brand liquid pectin
granulated sugar to coat the squares of pâte de fruit

Metric - US

Instructions

Grease and line an 8×8-inch square pan with parchment, making sure that the parchment runs up the sides. I like to use metal 8x8-inch square pans like this one on Amazon. Open the liquid pectin packets and stand them up in a mug or a glass by the stove for later.
Bring a medium pot of water to boil, and boil the whole grapefruit for about an hour to ensure the peel has softened. Let cool slightly, then cut the boiled grapefruit in half. You will only need one half for a batch of pâte de fruit—I suggest you make a quick jam with the other half.
Cut the boiled grapefruit half in large chunks, removing any pits along the way. Place the grapefruit in a food processor and blend for at least a full minute to completely purée the fruit and to chop all the fibers/skin.
Transfer the fruit purée to a large pot, along with the juice, honey, and granulated sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil on high, stirring constantly. Monitor the temperature with a digital candy thermometer (see notes).
When the mixture hits 118ºF (48ºC), add the butter, and continue to stir and cook the mixture until it hits 223—224ºF (106ºC).
When you reach the final cooking temperature, immediately take the pot off the stove and dump in the liquid pectin. Stir well to make sure it gets evenly mixed in, then transfer the hot mixture to the prepared pan.
Let the pâte de fruit set overnight, uncovered, until it is completely set throughout. Unmold the pâte de fruit, and cut it into 1-inch squares with a large, oiled kitchen knife and, just before serving, toss the cubes in granulated sugar to coat them. Store the uncoated pâte de fruit between parchment sheets.

Notes

Note that this pâte de fruit recipe calls for liquid pectin, not pectin powder. I used Certo brand liquid pectin that is readily available on Amazon and also in grocery stores in Canada. In the US, you may have more luck finding Ball liquid pectin, which you can also order from Amazon.

Use a probe thermometer like the Thermapen or ChefAlarm to help you monitor the temperature.

Nutrition