3 Sweet & Simple Ways to Cook Fruit
Never waste a piece of fruit again! Transform leftover fruit into sweet toppings and side dishes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Here’s what to do with cooked fruit:
Make a Syrup
- Place 2 cups of berries into a medium-size bowl and sprinkle with 1/2 a cup of sugar.
- Pour enough lemon juice over the berries to wet sugar evenly (about 2 tablespoons).
- Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and stir to evenly coat.
- Warm a stainless-steel or ceramic-coated pot to medium-high heat on the stovetop.
- Simmer until berries are soft and the skin breaks (about 10 minutes).
- Use a kitchen strainer with a heat proof bowl underneath to drain the cooked berries.
- Mash berries with a sturdy cooking spoon to remove all of the juice.
Expert Tips:
- Drizzle syrup over desserts, like cheesecake and ice cream, or savory dishes, like roasted pork tenderloin or oven-baked pork chops.
- Berries are the best fruit for syrups due to their juicy structure. Avoid using firmer fruits like bananas.
- Add a sprig of rosemary or a dash of cinnamon for extra flavor.
Roast a Topping
- Preheat an oven to 375ºF.
- Cut fruit into even, bite-size pieces. Remove any seeds or pits that you can’t eat.
- Arrange fruit inside a casserole dish in an even layer.
- Sprinkle with about 1/3 cup of sugar and drizzle with balsamic vinegar.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes.
Expert Tips:
- Try this method with apples, peaches, plums, strawberries, and cherries.
- Enjoy on a tasty goat cheese and spinach salad or on top of Greek yogurt for a new spin on dessert.
Grill a Side Dish
- Preheat a grill pan or outdoor grill to medium-high.
- Cut fruit into matchbox-thick pieces yet wide enough not to fall through the grill. Remove any seeds or pits that you can’t eat.
- Using a pastry brush, coat each slice with olive oil.
- Grill on each side for 1 to 2 minutes until the fruit softens and has grill marks.
Expert Tips:
