Favorite fruits and recipes… berries included

last month

Tis harvest season in Maine. Blueberries and Blackberries are just past peak. I also just picked about 5 pounds of strawberries at a local farm from next years plants. They are small, sparse but easy to find among small plants and really good. Generally raspberries and blackberries are my favorites but blueberries are IMO the best for freezing. In that they have tiny seeds and keep their integrity when used in baking better than most. Pears and apples are coming along.

I have been thinking of making a berry/fruit dessert. My birthday is coming up this weekend and I just finished chemotherapy. It seems a good moment to celebrate. And my family will insist even if I didn’t want to. A few years ago I made a mixed berry granita and lemon verbena pannecotta. I was thinking something like that or maybe a chocolate pavlova… Any suggestions?

Featured Answer

plllog

last month

last modified: last month

Happy birtday! And happy be better weekend!

It's been bountiful here too. I've been trying to learn fruit leather designs. My oven has the perfect setting so the fruit leather part is a succrss. Over night at 140°F fan only. I did one batch on a substrate of pineapple and the other on pear. Both taste good. Strawberry is most cooperative. They do lose their individual flavors somewhat, though there's good contrast in sweet-sour. The pineapple pretty much took over, but in a good way. I've been using blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, golden berries (little sour nightshades), kiwi, plus the sweet pineapple or pear. I'm just working on neat application without manipulating the purees (like not reducing them). I'm also trying to make a birthday cake image out of thin slices, and have rambutan for white. The first try browned however, so I'm trying a lower temp, next...

I'm not much for pannecotta, but your lemon verbena sounds delightful! I like the idea of non-stringent herb. Re pavlova, IME chocolate/cocoa way changes the structure of eggs. A mere dusting of good cocoa powder in the mix is a lot easier, for me. How fancy do you want to get? I imagine a chocolate bowl of berries in the center of the pavlova ring... Do whatever is most fun!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (9)

Islay Corbel
last month
Happy birthday. And, happy end of chemo. Something to really celebrate.

I love fruit and meringues.

Lately, I've been trying to perfect, well improve my Normandy tart. So it's a pâte sablée and the fruit sitting in a mix of 100g sugar beaten with 2 eggs, 100g powdered almonds, 100g cream. Bake 20 mins, sprinkle with flaked almonds and bake 20 more minutes.
agmss15 thanked Islay Corbel
Related Discussions
Which minor/unusual fruits/berries are worth growing?
Q
Comments (49)
I have and tasted the following fruits from the list: Aronia: Productive, bit too tart to eat fresh. wonderful to add it into juice. Plant is easy to grow. Chinese Haw: Sweet ,but not too sweet. little tart and sour. The source tasted like cranberry source we use in the Christman dinner. Very popular in China, although the fruit size is a lot bigger. Street vendors string a dozens of them on a long wooden or bamboo stick and coat them with sugar to sale to the kids as snack. Goumi: sweet-tart. My has small fruit, about pea size. Can be eaten fresh. The flower is sweet, pleasant. The plants is easy to grow. Japanese Raisin Tree: Tree itself can grow very tallll. The fruit is very sweet, but not pure sweet like sugar. Its sweetness has some other taste in it. I can't descrip the undertone taste . When we talk about the sweetness of the plants, for example, Stevia's leaves is very sweet but many people do not like the undertone taste. I vote mulberry the #1 favorite minor berry. The tree is easy to grow, the fruit is abundant, and fruit is sweet and juicy. It tastes better than raspberry, backberry or, other commercially grow berries. For people who are lucky in the south, Loquat is a good choice too. The tree is about 10-15' tall, the fruit is a bit smaller in a size of pingpong ball. When it is ripe, it is sweet and juicy. I have current grow in my yard. balck, red, and white. They can be eaten fresh but not particular good taste. It is better to juice them and mix them with other sweeter fruit juice. Another minor berry I like to grow is gooseberry. Pick Poorman. The fruit is balanced sweet and tart, very flavorful. It definately can be eaten fresh.
...See More
Frozen Berries: Pie, Cake etc Recipes
Q
Comments (7)
I also made a lot of jams/jellies with my fresh fruit when I first became so "inspired" - thanks to so many helpful folks here. As time wore on, we found we ate fewer of them than anticipated. So what to do with frozen berries, fruits? Make juice. I use a stainless steel pot (for acids), bringing fruit to boil, using half fruit pulp to half water. When fruit has released juices, line a collendar with cheese cloth and strain juice into a new stainless steel, plastic or ceramic vessel. Cool. Wrap the cheese cloth around the pulp tying into a bag and allow pulp to drain, until the juices are extracted - save the pulp for later. You can hang the bag and catch drips - avoid contact with metal though, use non-reactive containers to hold dripping juices. I bottle the juice into plastic individual water bottle containers (after thorough washing and disinfecting with bleach water - (my GD uses a lot of these small water bottles in her "exercise" routines - and she will drink most of the juice as well). Taste the juices (GD drinks em, she usually tests em for flavor, sweet, etc.) I like added lemon or lime juice here to our liking with less on the sugar. I fill the bottles about 2/3rds full - mainly because they will expand when frozen, and sometimes like to add soda water to the juice after thawing or sometimes add it to teas (I know that sounds funny, but it tastes good on hot summer's day). These fresh-tasting fruit drinks are well-received and I can add more sugar or not - as preferred, rather than accepting the bottled commercial drink status quo. (Ack). I reserve the pulp - either freeze or use immediately for an addition to a sweet bread recipe. I use my zucchini bread recipe - here it is - so versatile: Zucchini Bread: (or Pumpkin, Hubbard Squash, Banana, Apple etc.) 3 C zucchini (or whatever pureed pulp you have) 1-2/3 C sugar (usually less). 2/3 C oil (soybean) 2 tsp vanilla (might try almond?) 4 eggs (beat slightly) 3 C flour (sometimes use a little whole wheat - sub about 1/3 C +- for white flour - other idea - brans,? etc.) 1 tsp salt 2 tsp baking soda 1 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 C nuts (toasted and ground) I used macadamias, almonds, walnuts - depending on whatever is available). 1/2 C raisins (sometimes use my own dried fruit - cut to size - fruit that I pureed and dried - fruit leathers, dried apple, pineapple - whatever I have lots of - and doesn't detract from recipe). Mix first 5 ingredients, then add flours, etc. Don't overbeat (it's not bread you know). Bake 350 degrees, 2 large buttered loaf pans. 50 to 60 minutes or when finger poke springs back when pressed to top of loaf. Cool on rack, run knife around edges before removal. Not too bad! My last effort involved cranberries with toasted - I think either almonds or macadamias - because that was what was in the freezer - and needed "using" at the...
...See More
Switching fruit in Jam recipe
Q
Comments (7)
Oh that's good. I am willing to take the risk of a runny or not so tasty combo. I know is always risk in fooling with a recipe, sometimes we are delighted, some times disappointed. I just bought a chunk of land next door to my yard, and in the deal have inherited a giant rhubarb plant that I have been coveting from afar for a few years. I will probably have to try all sorts of rhubarb combos.
...See More
Need help choosing unique fruits/berries for zone 6A
Q
Comments (38)
I was always curious about medlar. Does it really taste like apple sauce when properly ripened? I will use my fruits fresh and juices, jams, and jellies mostly. All the plants are small now, but I hope i'll get good yields in the coming years. Rose hip makes delicious jam. I bought some rose hip jam from Croatia in the ethnic food section of my grocery store and it's amazing. I love rose hip jam on a english muffin with butter. MMM :) I have a big freezer so that helps. I like driving up to Michigan to pick grapes. Sometimes I get 10 5 gallon buckets full of delcious Niagara and Concord grapes for juice, fresh eating, and jelly. This year I might make wine as I've been researching it a lot lately.
...See More
chloebud
last month
Wow, you’ve got some good reasons for celebrating! Your post is timely since yesterday I was talking fruit crisps with someone. More specifically, peach and blueberry or raspberry since I so love peaches and berries together. Also love berries with lemon.

If you enjoy berries, this book is a favorite. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!
agmss15 thanked chloebud
Fun2BHere
last month
Congratulations on reaching your milestones! I like berries mixed or layered with whipped, sweetened mascarpone and some sort of cookie layer. After chilling for a couple of hours, it's light, fruity and cool, a good summer dessert.
plllog
last month
That sounds good. I love mascarpone.

You remind me of an on the fly dessert I made in someone else's house. Around half a dozen diners. My brief was : Make something. The ice cream was gross--scum coated and icy, and weird flavors. Not much fruit. No time to bake a cake. One was allergic to eggs. There were a few spoonsful each of various berries. There were 4-6 Milano cookies, less than perfectly crisp but not actually soggy. There was cream. I didn't want to wash stemware before and after, and while there really was enough to go around, there wasn't enough of anything to really make pretty portions except in small stems. So "deconstructed parfaits", with finger crushed Milano sand and lots of just slightly sweetened fresh whipped cream to extend the berries. Oohs and aahs were heard. I love it when a sloppy mess gets oohs and aahs. :) It did taste good....
Gooster
last month
Happy Birthday and congrats on your milestone.

I always liked the strawberries from the first year plantings (of those varieties that bear), even though they are often discouraged. All the ideas sound great, but you could do a three-fruit Pavlova, Eton Mess or layer it up cake style, if you are handy with a piping bag (stabilized with a blend of mascarpone) and rounds of swiss meringues.
Fun2BHere
last month
I'm with you, @plllog. Any sort of whipped cream dessert is a favorite of mine.
Olychick
last month
this is a favorite and very easy:

Barefoot Contessa, Berries with White chocolate
- 2 half-pints raspberries
- 2 half-pints blueberries
- 1 pint strawberries, hulled and sliced thick
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 10 ounces good white chocolate (not chips), chopped
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Early in the day, spread the berries on a sheet pan in a single layer and place them in the freezer. (This prevents them from sticking together.) Once they’re frozen, store them in a freezer bag.

In a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, heat the cream, white chocolate, and vanilla just until the chocolate melts. Don’t let the bowl touch the water. Heat the mixture until it’s warm to the touch, about 110 degrees.

Place the frozen berries in one layer on 6 dessert plates and allow them to sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes to defrost slightly. Pour the hot white chocolate evenly over the frozen berries and serve immediately.
fawnridge (Ricky)
last month
Congratulations on making through chemo and Happy Birthday!

The purple / white fruit on the plate is called cainito. Botanical name: Chrysophyllum cainito. It grows in tropical and subtropical climates. In Jamaica, where this photo was taken, it's called star apple, and it's available in the early spring and mid autumn. The flavor is unique. Not totally sweet, but addictive once you've tried it.

The yellow stuff that looks like scrambled eggs is ackee, another fruit and the Jamaican national breakfast. The round fried thing is a dumpling.

Favorite fruits and recipes… berries included

plllog

Comments (9)

Islay Corbel

Related Discussions

chloebud

Fun2BHere

plllog

Gooster

Fun2BHere

Olychick

fawnridge (Ricky)

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US