Everything you need to know about fruit paste

4 tips for making fruit paste:

Acidification consists of reaching a certain Ph (3.5°Ph +/-0.5) to encourage gelling and give flavor. Here are three suggestions for the successful addition of acid during cooking:

Do not add acid to fruits that are already acid (raspberry, cranberry-Morello cherry, redcurrant, apricot, citrus fruits, green apple, passion fruit, etc.) You will avoid adding further liquid.

Adding the acid at the beginning of the cooking process will give you the time to pour the mix into a mould (silicon or starch).

Adding again acid at the end of the cooking process will accelerate gelling and combine the fruit/acid taste, which is always beneficial.

The fruit paste can be frozen, lightly coated with starch and then covered with film (but without dipping in candying sugar). Thaw it while still wrapped in plastic film. Once it reaches room temperature, lightly moisten the fruit paste before dipping it in the candying sugar.

Try using a refractometer - you will finally succeed with your fruit paste! Of course the refractometer is fairly expensive, but this tool will help you to balance both confectionary and ice-creams and will soon become essential.

Ideal storage conditions for fruit paste are 15-18°C with 60-70 % humidity.

What the regulations say:
Legislation varies from country to country. In France, the birthplace of fruit paste, here is a rough guide to the restrictions imposed by the regulations.

Fruit paste must contain at least 50% fruit initial weight.

To be called apricot fruit paste, the fruit paste must contain at least 25% apricot pulp.

To be called apricot paste, the paste must contain 100% apricot pulp.

If flavoring substances are used, the fruit paste appellation must be accompanied by the mention "flavored" or an equivalent mention (taste, aroma, flavoring, etc.).

Source: Code for the use of fruit paste.