Authentic Dulce De Calabaza (Mexican Pumpkin Candy)
"This is the real candy you can find at the flea market or your grandma's house! Hard on the outside, sweet and juicy on the inside. I used about half of the sugar the recipe calls for and it was sweet enough--you can taste the freshness of the fruit in every bite! You may find the hydrated lime (or calcium hydroxide, or slaked lime) in specialty grocery stores (Mexican product is called Cal) or garden center."
- Ready In:
- 28hrs
- Ingredients:
- 4
- Yields:
-
60 wedges
ingredients
directions
- Cut pumpkin into uniform wedges or slices. Peel and cut pieces of desired size.
- Soak overnight in lime water to cover. (Use 1 tablespoon lime to each quart of water. Stir lime water well before pouring over pumpkin.).
- Remove pumpkin from lime water and wash thoroughly 3 or more times in clear water.
- Cover pumpkin with warm water and bring slowly to boiling point. Boil for 5 minutes.
- Drain and wash twice in clear cold water. Drain for an hour.
- Pierce each piece in several places with a fork so that sugar syrup can be absorbed.
- Weigh pumpkin and use equal amount of sugar. Cover pumpkin with sugar, moisten with water and bake at 300 degrees until pumpkin is crystalized, about 3 hours.
- Drain and place pumpkin on wax paper to dry.
- Will keep refrigerated about a week but you should double bag leftovers and freeze for later.
Questions & Replies
-
What do you mean sugar water after we boil let drain for hour . . . then we poke with fork and cover with sugar -
Finally a recipe! I have been looking all over the place on how to make this delicious treat. How much water and how much sugar and lime? All I see is the number 1 by the pumpkin. -
where can you purchase the lime?
Reviews
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excellent recipe, I am so proud of my dulce de calabaza, now I don't have to ask people to bring me dulce de calabaza from Mexico. It is important to know what kind of pumpkin to buy. I would not use the orange holloween type, I used the hard meaty pumpkin.
