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Tejocotes en almíbar
Hawthorn fruit in syrup
Tejocotes en almíbar: Mexican hawthorn fruits poached in spiced piloncillo syrup for autumn altars
Golden tejocotes, small tart hawthorn fruits from the highlands around Puebla and the State of Mexico, appear in market sacks for only a few weeks before Day of the Dead and Christmas. Poached whole in piloncillo syrup with cinnamon and a strip of orange, they turn soft and perfumed, a little like quince crossed with apricot, and are set on the ofrenda or eaten from a bowl with their syrup. Outside Mexico, look for them frozen or in jars at Latin grocers; small crab apples are the nearest swap. Chef's tip: blanch and peel them first, as the skins go tough and bitter in syrup.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ lb tejocotes (fresh or frozen)
- 9 oz piloncillo or dark muscovado sugarchopped
- 3 cups water
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Bring a pan of water to the boil, drop in the 1 ⅓ lb tejocotes (fresh or frozen) and boil 2 minutes until the skins split. Drain, cool in cold water and slip off the skins; cut out the flower end with a small knife.
15 minStep 2: Simmer 3 cups water, 9 oz piloncillo or dark muscovado sugar, 1 cinnamon stick (canela) and 2 strips of orange peel over a medium heat for 10 minutes until the syrup is slightly thickened.
10 minStep 3: Add the peeled fruit and simmer gently, uncovered, for 25–30 minutes until a toothpick slides in easily and the fruit looks translucent and amber. A common mistake is pulling them too early: undercooked tejocotes stay hard and sour at the centre.
30 minStep 4: Cool in the syrup. Serve at room temperature or chilled; they keep a week in the fridge in a clean jar, covered with syrup.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 210 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 52 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does tejocotes en almíbar take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of piloncillo or dark muscovado sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of cinnamon stick (canela)?
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon per stick.
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