Candied Grapefruit Slices
Candied grapefruit slices are a bright, punchy twist on a classic pastry technique I return to again and again every citrus season. In this recipe, I’ll walk you through the traditional candying process so you can create these citrus “stained glass” slices at home, perfect for garnishing cocktails, decorating cakes, or adding a pop of brightness to your baking.
Servings: 4 Servings
Calories: 175kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 Grapefruits sliced thinly, ¼ inch
- Ice bath
- 3 cups Water
- 1 ½ cups Granulated Sugar
Instructions
- Start by boiling a few cups of water in a saucepan. While your water is heating, prepare an ice bath (water and ice in a medium sized bowl).Ice bath
- Once boiling, drop the grapefruit slices into the boiling water and allow them to boil for 2 minutes before removing them and placing them into an ice bath.2 Grapefruits
- Meanwhile, place the granulated sugar and water in a heavy bottom stainless steel saucepan or dutch oven, mix to combine and bring to a boil. Make sure not to mix the syrup after the initial stir, otherwise the syrup could crystallize. The pot matters here, you want to make sure that your syrup will heat evenly!3 cups Water, 1 ½ cups Granulated Sugar
- Prepare a cooling rack with parchment paper underneath the rack to catch any syrup drippings.
- Once the syrup has reduced and reached a temperature of 218-220F/104C (this should take about 20 minutes using a gas stove), place the citrus slices in the syrup.
- Continue to heat the syrup and grapefruit slices until it reaches 245F/118C and starts foaming (this should take an additional 20 minutes using a gas stove, but make sure to stay nearby in case caramelization starts to happen), then turn off the heat. Remove the slices one by one using a fork, food tweezers or a utensil that feels natural to you and place each slice on the prepared cooling rack.
- For easy cleanup, add about a cup of water into your saucepan with the leftover syrup and continue to heat for a few minutes. The added water will help to dissolve any crusted sugar bits that are clinging to your pan.
- Let the slices cool for 2 hours before enjoying.
- *Noticing that your grapefruit slcies are still quite sticky? I've found that usually means the temperature of the syrup & citrus didn't reach the candying stage at 245F! Not to worry - you can dry them out in the oven on your lowest temp if you’re finding that yours came out too sticky - just make sure to check/flip them frequently so they don’t burn!
Notes
Expert Tips
- Mind your thermometer! Sugar goes through several stages during the candy-making process. You don’t want to add the grapefruit slcies to the syrup until it hits about 220F (the thread stage), and you want to heat the candied citrus slices until they hit 245F (the firm ball stage). If you don’t have a candy thermometer, you’ll need a bowl of cold water.
- Prevent crystalization in the sugar syrup by leaving it alone. After the initial stir to incorporate the sugar and water, don’t stir it any further.
Nutrition
Calories: 175kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 0.2g | Saturated Fat: 0.01g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.02g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 5mg | Potassium: 119mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 44g | Vitamin A: 147IU | Vitamin C: 35mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 0.1mg
