Candied Star Fruit & Vanilla Star Fruit Syrup

In my previous post, I featured Star Fruit Pickle. Here is another way of preserving star fruit: candying it in syrup. This Candied Star Fruit is made by cooking star fruit slices in a sugar syrup consisting of raw sugar, dark muscovado, vanilla paste, lemon juice, and water. This procedure yielded not only delicious candied star fruit slices but also an amazing star fruit-flavoured jammy syrup. The Candied Star Fruit can be used to decorate cakes, as add-in in baked goods, or as topping for desserts, yoghurt, oatmeal, or toast. It can also be eaten on its own as a treat. The Vanilla Star Fruit Syrup has a jammy consistency and can be used in place of jam. It is also wonderful drizzled onto pancakes, waffles, yoghurt, ice cream, or cakes.

Vanilla ice cream topped with candied star fruit and drizzled with syrup

Candied Star Fruit & Vanilla Star Fruit Syrup

Makes about 300 mL candied star fruit and 400 mL syrup

Ingredients

500 g star fruits

440 g raw sugar

40 g dark muscovado

480 mL water

1 heaped teaspoon vanilla paste

juice of 2 lemons (or less depending on degree of tartness of star fruit — mine was sweet with minimal tartness)

Method

Wash the star fruits. Trim off any brown bits on the ridges. Cut crosswise into 8-mm-slices.

In a saucepan, add the sugars and water. Stir. Bring the mixture to a boil. Add the star fruit slices. Add the vanilla paste and lemon juice. Mix well.

Simmer for about an hour until the star fruit is cooked and the syrup has thickened.

Using a slotted spoon, remove the star fruit slices and place in a clean bowl. Transfer into a sterilised glass jar. Cover with an airtight lid and let cool to room temperature.

Pour the syrup into a sterilised glass jar. Cover with an airtight lid. Allow to cool to room temperature.

Then, refrigerate both the candied star fruit and the syrup.

They will keep for weeks in the refrigerator.

I would love your feedback. If you try this recipe, please leave a comment in the Comments Section below or reach out to me on Instagram: @thelittlekatora