- For oranges and beans, it's the same. Start with a 2:1 water:sugar syrup, then raise the sugar content gradually over the days.
- For 甘納豆, I used kindey beans and that worked quite well in the 浮島.
Marron
- Like all candying, just with chestnuts. They need to be thoroughly cooked first before beginning the candying, they will not get any softer!
- Start with a 1:2 sugar-to-water syrup (it needs to be that low, otherwise the sugar won't start to osmosify!), then every day increase sugar by 50% for 3 days:
- For example: start with 500 gr sugar, 1 l water, then increase by 250 gr per day
- The syrup, of course, can be aromatised with vanilla or Scotch (highly recommended), for example.
- On day 4, add 250 gr of glucose instead of sugar. This will prevent crystallisation.
- On day 5, take them out, leave them to dry a few hours.
- Then, with a few Tbsp. of the syrup and a truckload of powdered sugar, make icing. Cover the chestnuts in it, then put them for 1' in the convection oven at 200° to dry.
- Next time, though, I might try to candy them in Champagne syrup aromatised with star anise.
甘納豆
Currently I'm trying:
- Start with boiled beans.
- Make a 20° Brix syrup (750 gr water, 150 gr sugar). Leave them overnight.
- Add 150 gr sugar to bring to 30° Brix. Leave overnight.
- Now switch to rock sugar. Add 100 gr to bring to 40° Brix. Overnight.
- Add another 100 gr of rock sugar and 25 gr of rice starch syrup (54° Brix). Overnight.
Flowers
- Here, it's different!
- Apply a thin layer of lightly beaten egg white, thinned with 10% water, or better still, thin gummi arabicum (let stand overnight to dissolve, 6 gr to 30 gr water). Either brush (I found a make-up brush is quite nice) or spray the back side of the flower.
- Sprinkle with normal sugar (not powdered, not blended). Don't sprinkle too much, lest you get a big cake. It can't be powdered sugar, but if you have superfine sugar, that'd be perfect. Normal caster sugar works, but it doesn't look as elegant.
- Let dry for about 15', then do the front side. Lay on a parchment paper front side up, and dry overnight.
- It's a nice sweet for autumn, when you have a 名残 for the flower's of summer.
