What are comfits?

Answer 1

Comfits are sugar-coated seeds and nuts.

An early English recipe is in Goud Kokery, Book V, of Curye on Inglysch, and is entitled "To mak anneys in counfyte." They are also mentioned in the 1393 Le Menagier de Paris and in the 14th-century household accounts of Johanna of Valois (ginger, pine nut and anise comfits). Other accounts from the 1300s and 1400s include comfits of cubebs, cinnamon, caraway, fenugreek, cloves, grains of paradise and cumin. Coriander, fennel, almonds, cloves and filberts have also been "comfited" with cardamon being popular in the Georgian period.

Making comfits is a fiddly, time-consuming project. A sugar and water syrup is boiled to the consistency desired. The seeds are gently heated in a pan with a small amount of the hot sugar syrup being added. One then moves the seeds around in the pan using the hand (or, if tender-skinned, a wooden spoon or spatula) until the seeds have taken up the syrup and have thoroughly dried. Then, a second coat ("charge") of sugar syrup is added and the seeds are stirred until dry. Recipes from the 1600s say that some 10-15 charges can be added before setting the seeds aside for overnight drying.

The seeds are then gently re-warmed. More sugar syrup is added to them and stirred over gentle heat until dry. The process is repeated until the desired size is obtained. Sugar that has been boiled to a high temperature will produce "ragged" comfits. Sugar at a lower temperature will produce "smooth" comfits. One recipe says that when the syrup "runs like turpentine" it is ready to be added to the seeds.

Comfits were eaten by themselves or were added to marchpanes as decoration and even sprinkled on some "pottages" before serving.

Today, the modern version is represented by the tiny, colorful candied seeds that are often served in Indian restaurants. Jordan almonds represent the candied nuts of the Middle Ages.