What happens when sugar is added to cooked fruit near the end of cooking process? Why sugar is added to cooked fruit near the end of the cooking process?
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I don't understand the question. Why are you cooking fruit at all? And why are you adding sugar? What dish is it that you are preparing? – rumtscho Jan 25 '16 at 13:15
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Making strawberry conserve – aqsa amjad Jan 25 '16 at 13:38
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thank you for clearing it up! I edited it into the title, so people will know what the question is about without having to read the comments. – rumtscho Jan 25 '16 at 17:29
3 Answers
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You need the juices from the fruit to release so the sugar can melt into it. If you add it before then the sugar will burn. In making preserves, there are only two steps, cook fruit till juices release, then add sugar and stir till dissolved.
NKY Homesteading
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If you are using pectin in your recipe, you want to minimize the the cooking time of the combined pectin and sugar (overcooking lowers the gelling power of the pectin). When using liquid pectin, you cook your fruit and sugar together and add the pectin at the end of cooking. If you are using powdered pectin, you cook the fruit and pectin together (so the pectin dissolves), then add the sugar at the end.
Debbie M.
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If you add lots of sugar to the fruit early (whether you are already cooking it, or before cooking), you will create osmotic pressure and draw the juice out MUCH quicker. This might be a desirable (if you want to just get the juice out and thicken it) or very undesirable (if you are trying to caramelize instead of stew the fruit).
rackandboneman
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