to cover with a coating of sugar crystals. There are two methods of doing this. The simplest is to roll a slightly sticky food, such as a candied fruit, in caster or granulated sugar. The second, more complicated, but technically more correct definition, is a process used during the manufacture of sugar confectionery. Sweets such as fondants are arranged in a layer on a grid, which is lowered into a sugar solution. This is left undisturbed for some time in a warm place. During this time, a layer of sugar crystals is deposited over the surface of the sweets, giving a sparkling appearance when they are drained.
‘Crystallized fruit’ is also a term used loosely to indicate candied fruits in general.
Laura Mason has written about several aspects of British food in books including Sugar Plums and Sherbet (1998), Farmhouse Cookery (2005), and Traditional Foods of Britain (1999), which she co-authored with Catherine Brown.
