Blackberry Pate de Fruit are soft, melt-in-your-mouth jelly candies made with real blackberry juice. The candies are rolled in vanilla sugar for a pretty and tasty finish.
Pate de Fruit is a wonderful introduction to candy making. The french name sounds fancy, but they are, basically, fruit jellies. As long as you use real fruit puree, classic pectin and boil the puree to the correct temperature you should have no problems with this recipe.
It’s possible to use almost any fruit puree to make pate de fruit. But fruits do have varying levels of natural pectin and that can affect how the fruit gels.
I tried 3 times to make pate de fruit from pomegranate juice without success. I may revisit the idea in the future because I love the flavor of pomegranate. But pomegranates have very low natural pectin level so I need to work on the recipe a bit more.
I’m happy with these Blackberry Pate de Fruit. Blackberries are available year-round in the frozen food section so this is a very accessible recipe.
I love the way these candies look like little jewels when they’re all lined up in a box. They make such a pretty gift from the kitchen.
Tips for Making Blackberry Pate de Fruit:
Use either frozen or fresh blackberries to make the puree. Make sure to strain the puree to remove the seeds.
I tested this recipe with the Classic Ball Pectin. Pectin can vary by brand and type so I don’t recommend substituting another type of pectin unless you are already familiar with the product.
Whenever I use the seeds from a vanilla bean I save the pod to make vanilla sugar. Simply place the pod in a canister of granulated sugar and let it sit for a few days. As you use the vanilla sugar replace with more granulated sugar. Add pods as you use them.
To make a quick vanilla sugar scrape the seeds from a vanilla bean and rub the seeds into the granulated sugar. Save the pod and start a canister of sugar for future use.
Use a candy or probe thermometer to monitor the temperature of the puree.
Leave the coated squares out on a rack for a day to harden the sugar crust a bit. This helps prevent sticking when they are packed.
The candies will keep in a covered container indefinitely.
Spray an 8" square cake pan with cooking spray (not the baking spray with flour added).
Line the pan in both directions with parchment paper. Spray the paper too. Set the pan aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together the 2 oz of sugar and the pectin. Set aside.
In a medium sized saucepan, bring the blackberry juice to a boil. Whisk in the pectin/sugar and return the mix to a boil.
Add the remaining sugar and the corn syrup. Bring the mix to a boil. Stirring often, cook the mix to 225°F, about 10-15 minutes. Turn off the heat.
Add the lemon juice and stir until it settles. Pour into the prepared pan. Set the pan on a level, heat-proof surface and let it cool completely and set, about 6-8 hours.
Generously sprinkle a sheet pan with a layer of vanilla sugar. Sprinkle a cutting board with a layer of the vanilla sugar. Place the rest of the vanilla sugar in a small bowl.
Use the parchment paper to lift the jelly out of the pan and flip it onto the cutting board that has been sprinkled with vanilla sugar. Peel the paper off the back of the jelly. Sprinkle the top of the jelly with a layer of vanilla sugar.
To prevent sticking, lightly oil the blade of a long knife. Cut the jelly square into 1" lengths, gently separately the pieces as they are cut. Cut each length into 1" squares. Roll each square in sugar as it is cut and line it up on the prepared sheet pan. You should have a total of 64 1" squares. Sprinkle a layer of sugar over the candies then transfer them to a cooling rack set over a sheet pan. Leave the candies on the rack, unwrapped, at room temperature for 24 hours to dry the coating. Pack the candies in a covered container or a box, sprinkle a little sugar or use waxed paper between the layers to prevent sticking .
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Notes
I tested this recipe with the Classic Ball Pectin. Pectins can vary by brand and type so I don't recommend substituting another type of pectin unless you are already familiar with the product.To make blackberry puree: Completely defrost two 16 oz bags of frozen blackberries. Puree the defrosted berries in a food processor or blender until smooth. Strain the puree through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds.To make vanilla sugar submerge a fresh vanilla bean in a bin of granulated sugar for several days.
Spray an 8" square cake pan with cooking spray (not the baking spray with flour added).
Line the pan in both directions with parchment paper. Spray the paper too. Set the pan aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together the 2 oz of sugar and the pectin. Set aside.
In a medium sized saucepan, bring the blackberry juice to a boil. Whisk in the pectin/sugar and return the mix to a boil.
Add the remaining sugar and the corn syrup. Bring the mix to a boil. Stirring often, cook the mix to 225°F, about 10-15 minutes. Turn off the heat.
Add the lemon juice and stir until it settles. Pour into the prepared pan. Set the pan on a level, heat-proof surface and let it cool completely and set, about 6-8 hours.
Generously sprinkle a sheet pan with a layer of vanilla sugar. Sprinkle a cutting board with a layer of the vanilla sugar. Place the rest of the vanilla sugar in a small bowl.
Use the parchment paper to lift the jelly out of the pan and flip it onto the cutting board that has been sprinkled with vanilla sugar. Peel the paper off the back of the jelly. Sprinkle the top of the jelly with a layer of vanilla sugar.
To prevent sticking, lightly oil the blade of a long knife. Cut the jelly square into 1" lengths, gently separately the pieces as they are cut. Cut each length into 1" squares. Roll each square in sugar as it is cut and line it up on the prepared sheet pan. You should have a total of 64 1" squares. Sprinkle a layer of sugar over the candies then transfer them to a cooling rack set over a sheet pan. Leave the candies on the rack, unwrapped, at room temperature for 24 hours to dry the coating. Pack the candies in a covered container or a box, sprinkle a little sugar or use waxed paper between the layers to prevent sticking .
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Notes
I tested this recipe with the Classic Ball Pectin. Pectins can vary by brand and type so I don't recommend substituting another type of pectin unless you are already familiar with the product.To make blackberry puree: Completely defrost two 16 oz bags of frozen blackberries. Puree the defrosted berries in a food processor or blender until smooth. Strain the puree through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds.To make vanilla sugar submerge a fresh vanilla bean in a bin of granulated sugar for several days.
Hello ma’am, I am in the beginning stage of jelly candy making. I made with water , sugar, citric acid , pectin and some flavour. We got the jelly candy but when we coated with sugar the jelly started to melt and sticky. We need a help in this regard. Thank you.
Are you using my recipe as it is written or a different recipe? My recipe does not include citric acid or flavor. If it’s a different recipe I couldn’t really comment on how to fix it. In general, if the candies are sticky leave them on a rack uncovered to allow them to dry. Also, if you’re in a very humid environment that could also be a problem.
Hello!
I made this recipe and it is lovely. The jellies are so pretty and delicious.
However as described they are somewhat soft… almost soft enough to spread.
My question is why not let the berry mixture cook just a little more—maybe early thread stage to 230F. I am curious why you chose 225F
Thank you!
For making the vanilla sugar, what size container do you recommend: 16 oz?
8 oz? fill to brim or leave 1/2″ to 1″ at the top of the container? Can’t wait to try this!
I just keep a quart canning jar of vanilla sugar in the pantry at all times. Each time I use a vanilla bean I add the spent pod to the vanilla sugar container. When the jar gets about 1/2 full I add more sugar. If you are making the vanilla sugar just for this recipe I would use about 2 cups of sugar (you’ll have extra but you want more than needed to toss the candies. If you have time just put a bean in the bin and leave it for a week or so. If you want to use the sugar right away scrape the seeds from a fresh bean and rub the seeds into the sugar with your fingertips.
So looking forward to trying this recipe. Food treats are our Christmas gifts amongst us siblings this year. would raspberries also be good to use since they are similar to the blackberries? could you use fresh fruit?
That worked great. I did a little ratio formula and just measured out the liquid on a scale with the substitution ratio. They turned out beautifully. Thank you!!
Liquid pectin is not a 1:1 substitute for powdered pectin. A pouch of liquid pectin is equal to 2 tablespoons of powdered pectin. I haven’t measured how much is actually in a pouch. This recipe has 5 teaspoons of powdered pectin, which is 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons. So you would need slightly less than 1 pouch of liquid pectin to equal the powdered pectin in this recipe. Also, liquid pectin doesn’t need to boil as long. So you can probably add it with the corn syrup just before the final boil to take it up to temp. I haven’t tried this so I can’t guarantee the results. But it should be possible.
Pate de Fruit is a wonderful introduction to candy making. The french name sounds fancy, but they are, basically, fruit jellies. As long as you use real fruit puree, classic pectin and boil the puree to the correct temperature you should have no problems with this recipe.
It’s possible to use almost any fruit puree to make pate de fruit. But fruits do have varying levels of natural pectin and that can affect how the fruit gels.
I tried 3 times to make pate de fruit from pomegranate juice without success. I may revisit the idea in the future because I love the flavor of pomegranate. But pomegranates have very low natural pectin level so I need to work on the recipe a bit more.
I’m happy with these Blackberry Pate de Fruit. Blackberries are available year-round in the frozen food section so this is a very accessible recipe.
I love the way these candies look like little jewels when they’re all lined up in a box. They make such a pretty gift from the kitchen.
Hello ma’am, I am in the beginning stage of jelly candy making. I made with water , sugar, citric acid , pectin and some flavour. We got the jelly candy but when we coated with sugar the jelly started to melt and sticky. We need a help in this regard. Thank you.
Are you using my recipe as it is written or a different recipe? My recipe does not include citric acid or flavor. If it’s a different recipe I couldn’t really comment on how to fix it. In general, if the candies are sticky leave them on a rack uncovered to allow them to dry. Also, if you’re in a very humid environment that could also be a problem.
Hello!
I made this recipe and it is lovely. The jellies are so pretty and delicious.
However as described they are somewhat soft… almost soft enough to spread.
My question is why not let the berry mixture cook just a little more—maybe early thread stage to 230F. I am curious why you chose 225F
Thank you!
Can this recipe work for frozen raspberries too
Yes. See my answer to the previous question.
For making the vanilla sugar, what size container do you recommend: 16 oz?
8 oz? fill to brim or leave 1/2″ to 1″ at the top of the container? Can’t wait to try this!
I just keep a quart canning jar of vanilla sugar in the pantry at all times. Each time I use a vanilla bean I add the spent pod to the vanilla sugar container. When the jar gets about 1/2 full I add more sugar. If you are making the vanilla sugar just for this recipe I would use about 2 cups of sugar (you’ll have extra but you want more than needed to toss the candies. If you have time just put a bean in the bin and leave it for a week or so. If you want to use the sugar right away scrape the seeds from a fresh bean and rub the seeds into the sugar with your fingertips.
So looking forward to trying this recipe. Food treats are our Christmas gifts amongst us siblings this year. would raspberries also be good to use since they are similar to the blackberries? could you use fresh fruit?
Yes to both. Raspberries have a pectin content similar to blackberries. Just make sure you have 2 cups of puree whichever berry you use.
@Eileen Gray, Thank you as always. Love your recipes.
Can you substitute the corn syrup for something else (not processed) like honey?
I haven’t tested the recipe with honey. It’s a different type of sugar some I’m not sure it can be substituted 1:1.
is it possible to make these with agar agar?
I couldn’t say since I don’t have experience using agar agar.
That worked great. I did a little ratio formula and just measured out the liquid on a scale with the substitution ratio. They turned out beautifully. Thank you!!
Glad you like them. I think they are so pretty as well as tasty.
I have Ball Liquid Pectin. Do you think that will work too? And is it a 1:1 substitute?
Liquid pectin is not a 1:1 substitute for powdered pectin. A pouch of liquid pectin is equal to 2 tablespoons of powdered pectin. I haven’t measured how much is actually in a pouch. This recipe has 5 teaspoons of powdered pectin, which is 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons. So you would need slightly less than 1 pouch of liquid pectin to equal the powdered pectin in this recipe. Also, liquid pectin doesn’t need to boil as long. So you can probably add it with the corn syrup just before the final boil to take it up to temp. I haven’t tried this so I can’t guarantee the results. But it should be possible.
can these candies be poured into a silicon mold?
I don’t see why not.