The candied fruit is a fruit subjected to the operation of candying . It is used for the preparation and decoration of desserts. In particular, cherries, cedar and orange peel are used for their bright colors.

Candied fruit are very popular as a garnish or ingredient in traditional sweets (among the best known, the Sicilian cassata or the Milanese panettone). In the candying process, fresh and ripe fruits are pricked or cut into pieces (quarters, cubes, fillets, discs or peels in the case of citrus fruits), then blanched and immersed in a syrup with sugar and glucose for 7-15 days .

The water is then evaporated and, by osmosis, a high quantity of sugar is concentrated in the candied fruits (more than 70%), which is necessary to preserve them over time. The candied fruit can therefore be marketed with their own syrup (where they can also be kept for years) or covered with sugar (as in the case of citrus peel) or even be "frozen" (ie glazed) with the traditional "Parisian" method . With this process, the layer of sugar that covers them retains their moisture, keeping them soft inside, shiny and with the original color and flavor for up to 1 month.

Candied fruits with particularly bright colors or with a longer duration may have been processed with food additives (dyes, flavorings and preservatives). Those untreated, in fact, have a slightly browned color, due to the caramelized sugar.