USING UP FRUIT

Every day is Earth Day! It is now springtime in Kamloops and the trees surrounding our home are laden with tiny fruits. Summer’s bounty is not far away but for now, we are still buying fresh fruit from California. Fresh fruit is not cheap. With Jim being a fresh fruit addict and Olivia’s limited inclination to eat vegetables we always have a variety of fresh fruits on hand and invariably not all is consumed. Using up overripe bananas is a no brainer. You make banana loaf or muffins. But other fruits are a little more problematic. Particularly if you don’t have much to begin with. All of these are quick fixes for the smallest amount of fruits that passed their prime.

The end is never as glorious as the beginning of a pineapple. I cannot eat uncooked pineapple so we would feed the last bits to the composter. Then I started to make it into jam and now I look forward to the over ripening of each pineapple. Pineapple jam is easy to make and is one of the nicest of jams. I use no pectin and little sugar. The forgotten apples went wrinkled in the fridge, but they are not enough to make a pie. The cantaloupe was not ripe enough, but on its own would be watery. The wrinkled apples will give it bulk. We will have it with the pork roast on Sunday. Then there are the out of season strawberries some of them are soft and half of them are still green. They will make strawberry butter for breakfast tomorrow. 

Do you have fruit too ripe to eat? Don't throw it away. Add a little sugar and lemon juice and give it a second life. If the fruit is growing fuzzy things or already brown, compost it. But just because a fruit is no longer enjoyable to bite into, it can still give the enjoyment of flavour, even the picked over half green strawberries. None of these recipes meant to be preserves. The intent is to use up small amounts of fruit rather than tossing them.  

USING UP FRUIT

Pineapple Jam

Make Jam:

1 cup pureed fruit

1/2 cup sugar

lemon juice to taste

• Place pureed fruit in a deep, heavy pan.
• Add the sugar.
• Add lemon juice for taste.
• Slow simmer until the jam begins to splatter.
• With continuous stirring, cook for 4 minutes longer.
• Take the pot off the heat, and leave it for a few minutes.
• Pour the jam into a sterilized jar or container and store it in the fridge.

Cantaloupe Apple Sauce

Make Fruit Sauce:

1 cup crushed fruit

sugar and lemon juice to taste

1 Tbsp butter

• Place the crushed fruit in a sauté pan.
• Add sugar and lemon juice to taste.
• Add 1 Tbsp butter.
• Slow simmer until the sauce thickens.
• If not using right of way pour into a sterilized jar and refrigerate.
• Use over pancakes, ice cream, roasted meats or coffee cakes.

Strawberry Butter

Make Fruit Butter:

1 cups crushed fruit

1/2 cup sugar

2 Tbsp lemon juice 

1 Tbsp butter 

• Put the crushed fruit in a deep, heavy pan, with the sugar, lemon juice and butter.
• Gently simmer until it starts to splatter.
• Cook stirring for 4 more minutes.
• Take the pot off the heat, and leave it for a few minutes.
• Pour the fruit butter into a sterilized jar or container and store it in the fridge.