Recipe: Homemade Candied Fruit

I don't know how well this will work as I have not tried it.

CANDIED FRUIT

"Good fruits for candying include pineapple, cherries, chopped apricots, watermelon rind, and lemon, orange or grapefruit peel. Use your candied fruit during the holidays in cookies and fruitcake, or dip in chocolate for your own homemade candies."

THINGS YOU'LL NEED:
sugars
honey
heavy saucepans
candy thermometer
fresh fruit

STEPS:
1. Prepare fruit. Cut pineapple, apricots and watermelon rind into small pieces; chop cherries in half; remove white pith from lemon, orange or grapefruit peel and cut into strips or small pieces.

2. Combine 1 cup sugar, 1 cup honey and 1-1/2 cups water in heavy saucepan.

3. Boil over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture reaches 235 degrees F on candy thermometer.

4. Drop small amount of fruit into liquid.

5. Cook on low heat 20-30 minutes until the fruit or rind is transparent.

6. Drain and repeat with rest of fruit.

7. Cool fruit and store in airtight container.

TIPS AND WARNINGS:- You can blanch citrus peels (dip them in boiling water for a few minutes) to make them less bitter.

- If desired, you can dehydrate candied fruit by spreading thin layers on trays and drying for 12-18 hours at 120 degrees F until fruit is no longer sticky and the center has no moisture.

- To sun dry, put trays in full sun for 1-2 days, stirring occasionally, until fruit is no longer sticky. Take trays in at night.

- To oven dry, spread on trays and dry at 120 degrees F for 18-24 hours.

- Store dried candied fruit in an airtight container.