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BJ Pemberton
Preserving Fruits
Preserved fruits have been an important part of our diet for thousands
of years, especially in colder northern climates where preserving and
storing foods of all kinds was necessary to survive the harsh winters.
Over the ages many methods of preserving fruit have been developed by
people from all climates eager to extend the availability of fruits
beyond their short natural season.
The high sugar content of most fruits makes them excellent candidates
for many types of preservation, but their high water content also
makes them excellent candidates for spoilage, as we have already
discussed. Most methods for preserving fruits, therefore, aim to
eliminate as much of their water content as possible. A thorough
discussion of these various techniques is beyond the scope of this
little essay, and I suggest that you consult a good cookbook devoted
to the subject for complete instructions on preserving fruits.
That said, here is a quick look at the many methods of preserving
fruits:
Dried Fruits
Many fruits, including apples, pears. peaches, nectarines, apricots,
figs, grapes, berries, and bananas can be dried and stored almost
indefinitely. Apples should be peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
before drying. Pears and stone fruits such as peaches need only be
halved and cored or pitted, and bananas should be peeled and thinly
sliced prior to dehydration. Grapes, figs, and berries can be dried
whole. Commercial dehydrators are available to the home cook, but you
don't need a special appliance to dry fruits at home. You can place
the prepared fruits on a wire rack and dry them in an oven set on the
lowest setting.
Fruit Leathers
A variation on drying, any fruit can be peeled, seeded, and pureed in
an electric blender or food processor. The resulting puree is then
spread in a thin layer on parchment or wax paper and air dried or
dried as described above.
Candied Fruits
Also known as crystallized or glace fruits, this process involves
cooking fruits in a sugar syrup before drying. Suitable fruits
included citrus (both the flesh and rinds), stone fruits, and
pineapples.
Fruit Jams, Jellies, and Preserves
Most fruits can be cooked with sugar (and sometimes some pectin to
aid thickening) to make jams, jellies, and preserves. If done properly
and stored in sterilized containers, these will last almost
indefinitely. They can be eaten as spoon sweets or used as toppings
for toast or bread and as fillings for pastries. Jellies are made
only with the juice of the fruits, while jams and preserves are made
from the entire fruit. The difference between jams and preserves
varies depending on whom you ask, but the general consensus is that
preserves have larger pieces of fruit than jams, which are more like a
fruit puree.
Fruits in Alcohol
Eighteenth century seafarers discovered that the fruits they were
transporting could be preserved in barrels of rum during their long
voyages. Any fruit can be preserved if stored in an airtight
container and covered with rum, brandy, vodka, or other distilled
spirit. These will last for many months, and new fruits can be added
to the container as its contents are consumed.
Pickled Fruits
Pickling fruit is largely a forgotten art, but in the past many fruits
were preserved in a sweet vinegar solution, often with spices such as
cloves and cinnamon added. Suitable fruits include stone fruits,
figs, berries, and of course, watermelon rind.