Confit de Fruits
Pectine NH fruit gel — raspberry, strawberry, fig, and any other fruit
Raspberry base — MDF
- 350 g raspberry purée
- 8 g pectine NH
- 100 g caster sugar
To adapt to any fruit
- Same ratios — adjust pectin if fruit is high or low in natural pectin
- Higher-pectin fruits (blackcurrant, quince): use slightly less NH
- Lower-pectin fruits (strawberry, mango): can use same or slightly more
A confit is a simple, flexible preparation: fruit purée thickened with pectine NH into a firm gel that slices cleanly, holds its shape inside an entremet, and brings an intense, pure fruit flavour without the heaviness of jam. Pectine NH (non-hydrolysed pectin) sets with heat but remains thermoreversible — it can be re-melted and reset, which makes it forgiving to work with. Unlike agar or gelatine, it produces a gel that feels alive and yielding rather than rubbery, making it the standard in professional French pastry for fruit inserts and tart fillings.
Method
Purée
- If using fresh fruit, blend until smooth and pass through a fine sieve or chinois to remove seeds and fibrous material. For frozen fruit, thaw completely, then blend and sieve. Weigh the purée after sieving to ensure the ratios are correct.
- Mix the pectine NH with the caster sugar in a small bowl. Combining them prevents the pectine from clumping when added to the hot liquid.
Cook
- Heat the purée in a saucepan over medium heat until it reaches approximately 40–50 °C — warm but not hot.
- Rain in the pectine-sugar mixture while whisking constantly. Bring to a full boil, whisking. Boil for 1–2 minutes to activate the pectin fully.
- Pass through a chinois into a bowl or directly into the mould, disc, or tart shell to be filled.
Set
- For an entremet insert: pour into a ring or disc mould and freeze until solid. Unmould while frozen and place directly into the assemby.
- For a tart filling: pour at about 35–40 °C onto a blind-baked shell or directly over a layer of crème d'amande. Refrigerate 2 hours to set.
- The confit can be re-melted gently if it sets before use — this is the advantage of pectine NH over agar or gelatine.
Background
Pectine NH is a modified apple pectin with a higher setting temperature than standard fruit pectin. It activates fully between 85–90 °C and sets between 65–70 °C. Because it is thermoreversible, it does not set permanently: bring it back above its melting temperature and it liquefies again. This property makes it essential for mirror glazes (nappage) and useful for confit, where you may want to re-warm and pour a partially set batch.
The ratio of pectin to fruit affects the texture. At 8 g per 350 g purée, the result is a firm but tender gel — it holds its shape when sliced but yields easily under a fork. Increasing the pectin (10–12 g) makes a firmer insert that travels well in a mousse. Decreasing it (5–6 g) makes a sauce-like coulis rather than a gel.
The sugar is not decorative — pectin requires a minimum sugar concentration to form a proper gel. Below about 55–60% total solids (fruit sugar + added sugar), NH pectin behaves unpredictably. This is why straight fruit juice sets less reliably than sweetened purée. The 100 g of sugar in this recipe brings the total solids well into the working range for most fruits.
For high-water content fruits like strawberry, the purée yields significantly less after sieving than the raw fruit weight. Weigh after sieving — this is non-negotiable for the pectin ratios to work correctly.
Mistakes I've Made
- Pectin clumped on contact with the purée. Added it directly without mixing with sugar first. Always pre-mix pectine NH with caster sugar before adding to hot liquid.
- Confit too soft, didn't hold shape. Didn't boil long enough — pectin needs a full minute at a rolling boil to activate. A quick simmer isn't enough.
- Confit set in the pan before I could pour it. Cooled too quickly. Re-melt gently over low heat — this is the beauty of NH. Don't boil again, just warm to 40–50 °C and pour.
- Seedy texture in the finished layer. Didn't strain the raspberry purée. Always pass through a fine-mesh sieve after cooking, before pouring into the mould.
Sources
- Confit de framboise —