I love these as they remind me of Fruit Jubes, which I loved when I was a child.
The great thing about making your own is you can do any flavour that tickles your fancy. Peach, elderberry, raspberry, lemon etc.
They make a colourful gift, and I bet people will be astounded that you have made them yourself.
Home-made fruit pastilles
Ingredients
225g of blackcurrants, plums, peaches, berries etc
185g jam sugar, (added pectin) plus extra for dusting
dash of water
50g of liquid glucose
1½g of citric acid
Method
Make a blackcurrant puree by gently heating the blackcurrants, 85g of the sugar and water in a pan. Stir slowly until the sugar has dissolved, and then strain through a fine sieve. Allow to cool.
Put the blackcurrant puree and glucose in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Add the remaining caster sugar, citric acid and pectin and mix until lump-free. Add this to the saucepan with the blackcurrant puree mixture.
Double line a 10cm square container with cling film.
Using a sugar thermometer, cook the blackcurrant mixture until the temperature reaches 116degC, then pour the mixture into the container. Place in the fridge for around 30 minutes until set.
Once set, remove from the container and cut into 1cm squares (approx). Lightly dust with caster or demerara sugar.
Store in an airtight container layered with baking paper between layers. Lasts five days.
