Wash the fruit and remove any brown tips, then slice thinly to make disks from the fingers and base.
Place 2 cups of water and the sliced fruit in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Drain the water, and repeat the process twice more (for a total of three times).
After draining the water a third time, add the sugar to the saucepan with 1 cup of water and stir until the sugar dissolves.
Add the fruit slices and bring to a boil over medium heat. When it starts to boil, reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
Remove the fruit with a slotted spoon and separate the pieces on a cooling rack. Let sit for several hours or overnight to dry and set. Reserve the syrup for another use. (Its great to use in tea or cocktails visit the Extra Sauce section of saucemagazine.com for a recipe.)
The candied fruit can be eaten as is, rolled in sugar or dipped in melted chocolate.
7 cups cold water, divided
2 cups sugar, plus additional for coating
This article appears in March 2011.