How to make apple ‘smokva’, a fruit candy from Russia’s Middle Ages (RECIPE)
Thanks to the long drying process, the tasty and healthy “smokva” turns out to be elastic. This means that this delicacy can be rolled into tubes or used to form edible flowers. Therefore, it can be eaten as a snack or used to decorate pastries.
Smokva is an old traditional Russian treat that’s unfortunately been forgotten. A few centuries ago, however, it was very popular and was called "dry jam".
Our ancestors managed to create sweets without gelatin, thickener and flavors, using only the gifts of Mother Nature - fruits, berries, and honey.
Fig, or as it’s called in Russian, smokva, is an old name for a sweet treat, similar to a pastila. The consistency of smokva, however, is harder and the color is darker than that of pastila. And it doesn’t contain any eggs. Smokva is made from high-pectin fruits - apples, quinces, plums, and rowan.
The name “smokva” didn’t arise by chance. Previously, this was the name of the fig fruit, which was imported as an exotic treat. It was quite expensive, so chefs tried to create something of their own, similar to a fancy fruit. In the end, experimentation in the kitchen led to the fact that the sun-dried fruit purée began to resemble a sweet dried fruit. Subsequently, any candied fruits were called figs or smokva in Russian.
To this day, the recipe for this delicacy has been carefully preserved by several generations of housewives and now we can enjoy it ourselves.
Ingredients (for 8 servings):
- Apples – 1 kg
- Sugar – 800 g
- Water – 1 cup
- Optional: any berries – 200 g
Preparation:
1. The first step is to get mashed fruits and berries (if you want to add any). Wash the apples and remove the excess moisture. If possible, peel the apples and remove the seeds. Cut into large pieces.
2. Put 2 sliced apples in a saucepan, add water and cook until the apples are completely softened. This may take 20-25 minutes.
3. Using a blender, grind the mass into a purée or use a sieve.
4. Add sugar to the purée and put it back on the stove. It’s necessary to boil the purée with sugar over low heat until completely thick. The finished apple smokva easily separates from the bottom and sides of the saucepan. This can take up to 40-50 minutes.
5. Cover the baking sheet with parchment, or better with a silicon mat, and then lay out the resulting mass. Next, even it out until you have a thin layer that’s 2-3 mm thick.
6. Dry in the oven at 70-90°C until the smokva begins to separate from the mat. For the first two hours, dry smokva with the oven door closed; then, for another 8-10 hours, dry with the door ajar. In order to save energy, you can slightly dry the smokva in the oven for 3-4 hours, and then dry it at room temperature for two to three days.
7. After drying, shape smokva into a roll and cut into portions. I twisted the resulting strips into tubes and flowers. Hope you’ll enjoy it!
READ MORE: Kolomna pastila: An apple dessert with a longtime history and an unaltered taste (RECIPE)
