Barberries for Tartlets
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Pick barberries from the stalks, ensuring there are no stones.
In a stone pot, combine barberries and sugar, then set it on a hot hearth or in a saucepan of water.
Simmer slowly until the barberries are soft.
Make the syrup
Transfer the mixture to a preserving pan and boil gently for 15 minutes.
Candy the barberries
Tie the barberries onto the sticks, leaving an inch of space at one end.
Simmer the barberries in syrup for two days, covering them with syrup when cold.
On the third day, candy them like other fruits.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Barberries
- The fruit being candied; its flesh softens and its tartness is balanced by the sugar.
- Lump sugar
- Forms the syrup that penetrates the fruit, preserving it and giving it sweetness and a glossy coat.
The step that matters
Covering the barberries with syrup when cold. If the fruit is left exposed as the syrup cools, it can dry out and sugar can crystallise on the surface. Keeping the fruit submerged maintains moisture and lets sugar gradually replace the water inside.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
You might also like
White Cake431 recipes
Pound Cake373 recipes
Orange Bundt Cake349 recipes
Spice Cake344 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.