Succade

Succade is the candied peel of any of the citrus species, especially from the Citron or "citrus medica" which is distinct with its extra thick peel, also the taste of the inner rind of the citron is less bitter than those of the other citrus [ [http://books.google.com/books?id=fhN0VK2608QC&pg=RA1-PA159&dq=succade&ei=xkafR8bNE4G4zASpu7SuDg&sig=g2c6B0imgrlemt6C9KLAc1xh_Og World Spice center] ] . However the term occasionally apply to the peel, root [ [http://books.google.com/books?id=1-sAOJoEWb0C&pg=PA278&dq=succade&ei=xkafR8bNE4G4zASpu7SuDg#PPA278,M1 The Fyrst Boke of the Introduction of Knowledge Made by Andrew Borde] ] , or even entire fruit or vegetables like parsley, fennel [ [http://books.google.com/books?id=sDwUYfZEm2oC&pg=PA278&dq=succade&ei=xkafR8bNE4G4zASpu7SuDg&sig=vORgeIWwevyScJJjtbrea4M5gJ0 The Fyrst Boke of the Introduction of Knowledge: A Compendyous] ] and cucurbita [ [http://books.google.com/books?id=H_MCAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA358&dq=succade&lr=&ei=zE-fR-KiN5HCzAS_qt3vCg The Treasury of Botany: A Popular Dictionary of the Vegetable Kingdom; with ... By John Lindley] ] which have bitter taste and are boiled with sugar to get the very special "sweet and sour" outcome. [ [http://books.google.com/books?id=AxsOAAAAIAAJ&q=succade&dq=succade&lr=&ei=a0ufR7aQJ5XaygTN-aD5CQ&pgis=1 Publications]
* [http://books.google.com/books?id=-KAMAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA283&dq=succade&lr=&ei=a0ufR7aQJ5XaygTN-aD5CQ#PPA283,M1 The Encyclopaedia Britannica]
* [http://books.google.com/books?id=o_o3AAAAMAAJ&pg=PA549&dq=succade&lr=&ei=a0ufR7aQJ5XaygTN-aD5CQ Pharmaceutical Journal By Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain]
* [http://books.google.com/books?id=CfDcl2m-6BMC&pg=PA104&dq=succade&lr=&ei=l02fR4_OFZGSzQTJufDrCw Select Extra-tropical Plants Readily Eligible for Industrial Culture Or ...]
* [http://books.google.com/books?id=hUF4ZOsq0vcC&pg=PA145&dq=succade&lr=&ei=406fR7vjF4nIyASg3Z2CBw The Life and Letters of Gilbert White of Selborne By Rashleigh Holt-White]
* [http://books.google.com/books?id=Sr383CDpNM8C&pg=PA37&dq=succade&ei=xkafR8bNE4G4zASpu7SuDg&sig=Hdmq3XI9ZV8LX-ciSKmajt-CFHc The Book of Marmalade: Its Antecedents, Its History, and Its Role in the ... By C. Anne Wilson] * [http://books.google.com/books?id=kU5EQlDwgdkC&pg=PA118&dq=succade&ei=xkafR8bNE4G4zASpu7SuDg&sig=YFOKiGPj8cWIns7zUnpxk4WnsqE The Queen of Subtleties By Suzannah Dunn] .]

Fruits which are commonly candied include also dates [ [http://books.google.com/books?id=ZcoEAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA120&dq=succade&lr=&ei=c1afR_j9MpfayASByZF9 The Dictionary of Trade Products, Manufacturing, and Technical Terms: With a ... By Peter Lund Simmonds] ] , cherries, pineapple, and ginger. [ [http://www.answers.com/topic/candied-fruit-candied-flowers Answers.com — candied fruit; candied flowers] . Retrieved on 2008-01-06.]

Name

The word succade is most probably derived from the Latin "succidus" [ [http://books.google.com/books?id=iZASAAAAIAAJ&pg=RA1-PA888&dq=succade&lr=&ei=a0ufR7aQJ5XaygTN-aD5CQ Das lateinische Sprachmaterial im Wortschatze der Deutschen] ] , but according to others the name may have originated from the Hebrew word sukkah, the temporary booth that Jews build on the holiday of Sukkot. The citron, known in Hebrew as an etrog, is one of the symbolic Four Species used on the holiday. After Sukkot, some Jews candy the etrog or make marmalade from it. [ [http://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/engl/Citr_lim.html Gernot Katzer’s Spice Pages] ]

While the word "Succade" was widely used in German [ [http://books.google.com/books?id=RF4SAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA505&dq=succade&ei=xkafR8bNE4G4zASpu7SuDg#PPA505,M1 Old Dictionary] ] , it was called by the French "Glacé fruit", and is also known as "Candied fruit" or "crystallized fruit", it has been around since the 14th century.

Production

The "citron" fruits are halved, depulped, immersed in seawater or ordinary salt water to ferment for about 40 days, the brine being changed every 2 weeks; rinsed, put in denser brine in wooden barrels for storage and for export. After partial de-salting and boiling to soften the peel, it is candied in a strong sugar solution. The candied peel is sun-dried or put up in jars for future use. Candying is done mainly in England, France and the United States. [ [http://books.google.com/books?id=26UTAAAAYAAJ&pg=PT108&dq=ordinary+citron&lr=&ei=tmYfSIaFOoiWzATanojWBg#PPT108,M1 Parliamentary Papers]
* [http://books.google.com/books?id=c_81AAAAMAAJ&pg=PA337&dq=ordinary+citron&lr=&ei=5GgfSNLaJYiWzATanojWBg#PPA337,M1 Citrus Fruits]
* [http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/citron.html The Purdue University]
* [http://www.cretancitron.gr/ The Citron in Crete]
* [http://www.vinetreeorchards.com/citron.htm Vine Tree Orchards] ] citeweb|url=http://www.foodreference.com/html/fcandiedfruit.html|title=Food, Facts, and Trivia — Candied Fruit|accessdate=2007-11-22]

The continual process of drenching the fruit in syrup causes the fruit to become saturated with sugar, thereby preventing the growth of spoilage microorganisms.citeweb|url=http://www.britannica.com/eb/topic-92425/candied-fruit|title=Britannica Online Encyclopedia — Candied Fruit|accessdate=2007-11-23]

Uses

Succade is sometimes used in cakes, as a filling for pound cake, oliebol, plum pudding, florentines, sfogliatelle, fruitcake or ontbijtkoek. It is also added to raisin bread. Succade is often combined with currants, raisins and cherries. Candied citrus peel is often coated in chocolate and eaten as confectionery.

Recipes

Recipes vary from region to region, but the general principle is to boil the fruit, steep it in increasingly strong sugar solutions for a number of weeks, and then dry off any remaining water.

The high sugar content of finished glace fruits inhibits the growth of microorganisms, and glace fruits will keep for a number of years without any additional methods of preservation.

Fruits that hold up well to being preserved in this manner include cherries, plums, peaches, apricots, pears, starfruit, pineapple, apples, oranges, lemons, limes and clementines. Angelica is rarely seen in western cooking except as a glace fruit.

ee also

* Mincemeat
* Candied fruit

References

* [http://www.oldandsold.com/articles06/groceries-14.shtml Old and Sold]
* [http://www.cretancitron.gr/ Crete Citron Growers]