Slatko and candied fruit

In short

• Slatko is done when the syrup has roughly 65–68 % sugar: a drop in a glass of cold water stays as a ball. Candied fruit has 70–75 %.
• Walnuts and watermelon rind are not acidic. So the syrup is boiled all the way down, citric acid is added, and the jars go into a water bath: 5 minutes if sterilised, 10 minutes if not.
• Lime water only from food-grade pickling lime, with gloves, followed by three 1-hour rinses in fresh water.
• Candying takes 6–8 days: the sugar is added gradually, a little each day.
• Green walnuts are picked in late June, while a needle goes right through them. Gloves are a must.
• Hot sugar syrup burns worse than water: children away from the pan.

What's inside

Chapters

1. Sugar as a preservative
2. Pickling lime without the risk
3. Green walnut slatko
4. Watermelon rind slatko
5. Candied fruit: slow candying
6. Quick candied orange and lemon peel
7. Drying and storage
8. Using it in the kitchen
9. Safety around hot syrup
10. When something goes wrong
11. Most common mistakes
12. Printable checklist

Worksheets

• Slatko and candying calendar
• Slatko syrup calculator
• Candying calculator
• Candying plan and log
• Slatko and candied fruit inventory
• Labels