Homemade Lemon pate de fruit (jelly candies)
The Best Lemon pate de fruit
The Easy and Foolproof Lemon pâte de fruit
I love pâte de fruits, and lemon pâte de fruit is one of my favorites. These soft and melt-in-your-mouth jelly candies are a delicious French specialty, with a delightful lemon flavor and a slightly tangy taste. Since I was little, I’ve adored these little treats. My grandma used to make us quince paste from the garden, and I would hover around her to sneak some before it had even fully set. Who could resist that intense fruit flavor?
This lemon pâte de fruit has a perfectly balanced acidity, pleasant on the palate. It’s ideal as a gourmet gift for Christmas or to serve with coffee. Making homemade pâte de fruit is very simple: this lemon recipe requires no artificial coloring or flavoring, unlike store-bought versions. Here, it’s packed with real fruit and natural flavor!
Table of Contents
Which Pectin to Use for Making Lemon Pâte de Fruit
To make this homemade lemon pâte de fruit, you need to use yellow pectin. You can find it from online stores. If you have a specialty baking supply store nearby, they usually carry it as well. I haven’t tested this recipe with apple pectin, agar-agar, or confectionery sugar containing a gelling agent.
Tips for a Perfect Lemon Pâte de Fruit:
- If you find the pate de fruit too tart for your taste, add 150 ml (5 fl oz) of water at the beginning of the preparation with the lemon juice.
- If you want firmer fruit jelly candies, add an additional 2 g (1/2 tsp) of pectin. I find them perfect as they are.
- Use sanding sugar rather than granulated sugar to coat the fruit pastes, as it resists humidity better.
- You can replace fresh lemon juice with orange juice, grapefruit juice, or passion fruit juice.
I haven’t tested this recipe with other fruits yet. I will soon share the version I use with raspberry, strawberry, or mango coulis in a future post.
Video Recipe
Ingredients
You can find the printable recipe card at the end of the article.
Ingredients for 26 jelly candies
- 250 ml (8.5 fl oz) fresh lemon juice
- Zest of 5 lemons (the ones used for the juice)
- 100 g (3.5 oz) granulated sugar (for pectin)
- 200 g (7 oz) granulated sugar (for cooking)
- 100 g (3.5 oz) glucose syrup
- 7 g (0.2 oz) yellow pectin
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- Sanding sugar for coating (see note bellow)
Note : Coating the candies with sanding sugar gives them a prettier finish and helps prevent stickiness, though granulated sugar works fine if preferred.
Preparation Steps:
Prepare a small 14 cm (5.5 inches)frame by lining its base with plastic wrap. You can also use small silicone molds.
Mix the pectin with 100 g (3.5 oz) of sugar.
In a saucepan, combine the lemon juice, zest, and glucose.
Heat over medium heat.
When the mixture is warm (around 40°C / 104°F if using a thermometer), gradually add the pectin-sugar mixture while whisking.
Bring to a boil (when it starts bubbling), then gradually add the remaining 200 g (7 oz) of sugar in 3 or 4 batches, stirring to maintain the boil.
Once all the sugar is incorporated, monitor the temperature with a thermometer. The mixture should reach 107°C / 224°F.
Remove the saucepan from the heat at 107°C (224°F), then add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and mix well. From this point, work quickly to fill the molds, as the mixture sets rapidly. If you are using a frame, there is no problem since you will pour the preparation all at once.
Pour into the prepared frame on a Silpat mat or into silicone molds. You may strain the mixture to remove the zest, but I usually leave it in as it adds flavor without affecting the texture of the pate de fruit.
lemon fruit jelly candies in silicone molds
Let set until the next day, preferably, but after 2 hours, the lemon pâte de fruit are already quite firm.
Unmold and roll them in granulated sugar. Place on a serving dish or store in an airtight container, separating each layer with parchment paper.
Unmolding jelly candies
How to Store Lemon pâte de fruit?
Homemade pâte de fruit can be stored at room temperature in a dry place without any problem. However, even slight humidity can cause the sugar coating to melt. If this happens, place the fruit pâte de fruit in an oven preheated to 30°C (86°F) for one to two hours, then re-roll it in granulated sugar.
Note: For longer storage, let the pâte de fruit dry before rolling it in sugar. Arrange them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and let them air dry in a dry room away from humidity for 2 to 3 days, turning them occasionally. Then roll them in granulated sugar and store them in an airtight metal tin.
Pâte de fruit freezes very well for up to a year. Optionally, dust them lightly with cornstarch and store them in an airtight container in the freezer. The fruit paste does not harden completely, so it can be defrosted quickly. Once defrosted, re-roll it in granulated sugar.
I hope this homemade lemon jelly candies will delight you as much as they delight us, and that you’ll prepare them either for yourself or as a gourmet gift for Christmas.
Gourmet Christmas Gift Recipe Ideas
Chocolate Mendiants
Simple Christmas Cookies
Mini Tartlets on Breton Shortbread
Lemon pate de fruit (Jelly candies)
INGREDIENTS
Ingredients for 26 jelly candies
- 250 ml fresh lemon juice
- Zest of 5 lemons the ones used for the juice
- 100 g granulated sugar (for pectin)
- 200 g granulated sugar (for cooking)
- 100 g glucose syrup
- 7 g yellow pectin
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- Sanding sugar for coating Coating the candies with sanding sugar gives them a prettier finish and helps prevent stickiness though granulated sugar works fine if preferred.
PREPARATION
- Prepare a small 14 cm (5.5 inches) frame by lining its base with plastic wrap. You can also use small silicone molds.
- Mix the pectin with 100 g (3.5 oz) of granulated sugar.
- In a saucepan, combine the lemon juice, zest, and glucose syrup.
- Heat over medium heat.
- When the mixture is warm (around 40°C / 104°F if using a thermometer), gradually add the pectin-sugar mixture while whisking.
- Bring to a boil (when it starts bubbling), then gradually add the remaining 200 g (7 oz) of sugar in 3 or 4 batches, stirring to maintain the boil.
- Once all the sugar is incorporated, monitor the temperature with a thermometer. The mixture should reach 107°C / 224°F.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat at 107°C (224°F), then add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and mix well. From this point, work quickly to fill the molds, as the mixture sets rapidly. If you are using a frame, there is no problem since you will pour the preparation all at once.
- Pour into the prepared frame on a Silpat mat or into silicone molds. You may strain the mixture to remove the zest, but I usually leave it in as it adds flavor without affecting the texture of the pate de fruit.
- Let set until the next day, preferably, but after 2 hours, the lemon pâte de fruit are already quite firm.
- Unmold and roll them in granulated sugar. Place on a serving dish or store in an airtight container, separating each layer with parchment paper.
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