Tutti-fruity, a colorful combination of chopped and candied fruits are used in cake decoration and ice creams. In India, tutti-fruity is made from raw papaya. Here is the step-by-step instructable on how to make tutti-fruity at home.
Step 1: Raw Materials
Raw Papaya: I got this one from my neighbor’s home garden. It weighed about 750 grams. After chopping and cleaning, I got about 500 grams of papaya cubes.
Vanilla Essence: Adding a few drops will enhance the flavor.
Different food colors
Sugar 500 grams, which is equivalent to the weight of papaya cubes
Step 2: Equipment
A knife to chop the papaya
Peeler to remove papaya skin
Strainers
A large spoon
About six (equal to the number of colors) metal or glass containers
One large vessel with lid for blanching papaya cubes
Step 3: Prepare the Papaya
Before peeling and cutting the papaya, we need to drain out the milky sap from the fruit.
Keep the raw papaya on a metal plate and make thin incisions along the sides as shown.
The sap will start oozing from the incisions as soon as they are made.
Leave it on the plate till the sap stops seeping out from the cuts.
Step 4: Peel and Slice
Peel the outer skin using a vegetable peeler or a sharp knife.
Slice the papaya with the knife
Remove the seeds and inner tissue with the knife
Wash the slices in running water to remove any sap sticking to the surface
Step 5: Make Cubes
Cut the papaya slices into cubes of about one fourth inch size
Step 6: Blanch the Cubes
Take sufficient quantity of water in a large vessel and bring it to a boil
When the water starts boiling, add the papaya cubes to the water
Keep boiling for about two to three minutes
Turn off the flame and cover the vessel with the lid
Keep the papaya cubes in hot water for five more minutes with the lid on
Drain out the water and store the blanched cubes separately
Step 7: Candy With Sugar Syrup
Boil about half a liter of water in the large vessel. You can wash and use the same one used for blanching
Add 500 grams of sugar in the water. Heat till all the sugar dissolves
Add blanched papaya cubes to the sugar syrup
Keep the flame on till the papaya cubes are softer and sweeter. You can take out samples at intervals to check this
When the papaya cubes are candied to satisfaction, put off the flame.
Add two to three drops of vanilla essence or any flavoring agent of your choice
Step 8: Coloring the Papaya Cubes
Add a pinch of different food colors in the six containers
Using a ladle pour out equal amount of papaya cubes with sugar syrup in each container
Mix well each container separately using the large spoon. Wash and dry before using the spoon in different colors
Leave this mixture for about 10 to 12 hours undisturbed
Step 9: Drain and Dry the Cubes
After about 12 hours, strain colored cubes from each container separately
Spread the cubes on a piece of cloth. Here I have used a layer of news paper also under the cloth so that the cloth and paper can absorb the moisture from the cubes.
Keep the cubes under a fan for drying.
Once the cubes are somewhat not so sticky to touch, you can transfer each color separately into plates and allow them to completely dry without any moisture
The left-over sugar syrup can be reused for other projects
Step 10: Our Tutti-Fruity Is Ready
Our tutti-fruity is ready once the cubes are completely dried and not sticky to touch. Press random cubes with your fingers. The cubes may be soft but there should not be any liquid oozing out from the cube.
Store the tutti-fruity in clean glass bottles in your refrigerator. These colorful candied fruits can be used in cakes, bread, cookies, buns and as topping for ice creams.
courtesy: instructables
