Sweets from the Vosges

Let it melt slowly on the tongue, with a lot of greediness, a little sweetness with the delicious tangy notes of raspberry... Or, under the pretext of having a scratchy throat, a mountain honey candy...

How can you resist these small candies made by hand in Gérardmer, giving pride of place to organic and local ingredients?
La Confiserie Géromoise is one of the last producers of Vosges sweets in the massif. Because not all sweets that qualify as "Vosges" are made in the region. A resolutely contemporary building houses the studio of Justin and Manuel Wexler. The only “unusual” note, the magnificent red armchair, a nod to the two brothers' grandmother.

Five years ago, Justin, a chocolatier-confectioner pastry chef, sold his pastry to return to Gérardmer.
“I aspired to a more regulated life, I did not see my two daughters growing up. So I decided to retire and set up a confectionery in the heart of these magnificent landscapes! ". His brother Manuel, a consultant in a large company, joins him in this great adventure. Their goal: to offer organic products at a fair price. For this, they work with Vosges producers certified AB (organic farmer). “All of our candies, gummies and gummies are organic, with no coloring or chemical flavorings,” says Justin. “To give a little color, we use carrots, beets, blueberries. Fruits and fruit juices are used to flavor the sweets”.

During a (free) visit to the workshop, the visitor can follow all the stages of candy making. That day, they are honey. In a copper cauldron, the artisan-confectioner heats the basic ingredients to 140°C: water, cane sugar and a little glucose syrup to prevent crystallization.

After the water has evaporated, he pours this sweet mass onto a table cooled by a water circuit and brushed with a little coconut fat to prevent the mass from sticking to it. He then adds honey and propolis. He divides this enormous 12 kg lollipop into three parts to pass through the bronze cylinders which give shape to the candies.
See the video

After passing under several “fans”, the temperature has dropped to 35° and the plates are broken, releasing the candies. A delicate "icing" with sugar gives them a perfect finish and prevents them from sticking together. All that remains is to taste them!

≪ 12 kilos, that's about 5000 candies, explains Justin Wexler. Each year, we produce around 35 tonnes.≫
In the shop, you can find the whole range of candies, gummies and other jelly candies, as well as caramelized or chocolate-coated peanuts.
As much as broken fir candy, eucalyptus and mountain honey, just dilute them in hot water to obtain an excellent herbal tea.

INFO

Confiserie Géromoise
680 route d'Épinal
Store open every day (closed Mondays outside school holidays) from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 6.30 p.m. (5.30 p.m. on Sundays).
Free guided tour and tasting from 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

www.confiserie-geromoise.fr