As a matter of fact, candied fruit are "fruits confits", which are quite different from "pâtes de fruit". Candied fruit are whole or sliced fruit or even orange or lemon peel dipped into boiling sugar syrup until the fruit is imbibed to the core, whereas "pâtes de fruit" are made of very thick jelly, so solid that the jelly can be cut into bars and rolled in granulated sugar.
It doesn't solve the mystery of Nabokov's "candied fruit jellies" though...
Date: Sun, 11 Sep 2011 10:03:05 -0400
From: sblackwe@UTK.EDU
Subject: [NABOKV-L] candied fruit jellies
To: NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU
"Marmelady" are an old favorite of mine--they are usually made with a
high proportion of real fruit, berries, etc., along with sugar and
pectin. I discovered them in my study abroad days in St. Petersburg
(the term could be different in Moscow, in fact--I do not know).
Doing a quick search, I see that they are also called (in France, but
in fine candy shops and recipe books in the US as well), "Pâté de
fruits." A google image search for this term will give the basic idea.
However, the "Signs and Symbols" version, with "little jars" and the
absence of the word "candied", makes be believe that the items in that
story are not 'pate de fruits' or
marmelady but simply 'fruit
jelly' in the American sense. I've never seen "pate de fruits" sold in
jars.
SB
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