Strawberry Pâte de Fruits Recipe

Strawberry Pate de Fruits

The Spruce / Elizabeth LaBau

Prep: 2 hrs
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 2 hrs
Servings: 64 servings
Yield: 64 candy squares

Strawberry Pâte de Fruits are chewy candy squares bursting with fresh strawberry flavor. For best results, use fresh ripe strawberries, but if they are not in season, you can use frozen berries. Make sure to buy berries without additional sugar added, and defrost them fully before using. This recipe yields 64 small 1-inch squares.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound strawberries, fresh or defrosted from frozen

  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

  • 2 cups sugar, divided

  • 2 1/2 tablespoons liquid pectin

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Prepare an 8 x 8-inch pan by lining it with aluminum foil or parchment paper and spraying it with nonstick cooking spray.

  3. Place the strawberries in a blender or food processor and process until very well pureed.

  4. Pour them through a mesh strainer into a medium saucepan, discarding any remaining fruit chunks.

  5. Stir in the lemon juice and 1/2 cup of the sugar, place the pan over medium-high heat, and insert a candy thermometer.

  6. Cook the mixture, stirring constantly, until it is hot, around 140 F.

  7. Add the remaining 1.5 cups of sugar and the liquid pectin, and lower the heat to medium.

  8. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture registers 200 F.

  9. At this point, turn the heat to low and hold it at 200 F for 2 to 3 minutes.

  10. After this, return the heat to medium and bring it up to 225 F. This process will take some time, especially with the heat on medium, so have patience and be diligent in stirring frequently so the bottom doesn't scorch.

  11. Once the fruit paste reaches 225 F, turn the heat to low and keep it at that temperature for an additional 2 to 3 minutes.

  12. Remove the pan from the heat and scrape the strawberry pate de fruit mixture into the prepared pan, smoothing it into an even layer.

  13. Allow the pâte de fruit mixture to set at room temperature for several hours, until completely cool and firm. Use a sharp knife to cut it into very small squares, and roll the individual pieces in granulated sugar.

Tips

  • Pâte de fruits do take quite a long time to cook. If you think about what's happening, you're cooking all of the liquid out of the fruit puree and reducing it to a very thick paste. The exact amount of time depends on a lot of factors, like how much water was in your puree, to begin with, the capabilities of your stove, and the quality of the pan you use. But you can expect the process to take at least 30 minutes and sometimes up to an hour. This is easier on a gas range, but can absolutely be done on an electric stove. 
  • The strawberry pâte de fruits can be served immediately or refrigerated in an airtight container for up to a week. If refrigerated, the pieces may need to be rerolled in granulated sugar before serving.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
28 Calories
0g Fat
7g Carbs
0g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 64
Amount per serving
Calories 28
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 1mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 7g 3%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 7g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 4mg 21%
Calcium 1mg 0%
Iron 0mg 0%
Potassium 11mg 0%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)