Fruit Paste by Hansells Recipes
Cakes and Tarts
Serves: 1
Ingredients:
Making a fruit paste usually involves long cooking times to get the fruit to a paste consistency. Hansells Jam Setting Mix will become your secret weapon for speeding up the process and producing a magnificent end result for a wide variety of fruits.
1 kg fruit such as grapes, pears or apricots
500ml water
1 packet Hansells Jam Setting Mix
Sugar
Method:
Prepare the fruit, removing stems but leaving the skin, cores and seeds in. Chop large fruit into pieces. Put the fruit in a saucepan with the water. Cover and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and cook for 30 – 45 minutes depending on the fruit, until it is soft. Sieve the fruit, retaining the puree. Measure the puree. For each ml of puree allow 1g sugar, then subtract 100g from your total sugar calculation. For example if you have 500ml fruit puree, you will need 400g sugar.
Return the fruit puree to a clean, deep saucepan. Mix the Jam Setting Mix into the puree until dissolved. Bring to the boil and cook for 5 minutes. Slowly mix in the sugar, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil, stirring regularly to prevent the paste from catching. Cook until the mixture becomes thick and the bubbles change their sound from a crackling bubble to a plopping, glopping sounding bubble. The mixture will feel thick. Spread the mixture into a baking paper lined sponge roll tin or pour into hot, clean jars. If using a tin, cut the mixture into squares and dust with caster sugar. Serve with cheese or cured meats such as prosciutto.
Makes about 2 1/2 cups
