Autumn is approaching and just like the weather, what foods are in season changes too. Here is a guide to what fruits are in their prime this time of year and how to utilise them in your cooking.
· Apples
Apples are a versatile ingredient, perfect for sweet and savoury cooking with their refreshing crisp sweetness. Apples stand out in cakes, pies, pastries and crumbles. Beyond desserts, apples bring natural sweetness to savoury dishes. Apples can be found in sauces, salads, stuffing, cheese boards or stews. Apples are also commonly used in the production of juice, cider and vinegar, showcasing their adaptability across various products.
Pairing suggestions:
o Pork
o Cinnamon
o Vanilla
o Ginger
o Blue Cheese
o Almonds or Walnuts
· Pears
Pears are lusciously juicy, bursting with fruity goodness, as well as being rich in fibre and essential vitamins. They are gorgeous in cakes, tarts, or when gently poached in wine and syrup. Pears add a lovely dimension to salads and chutneys. Pears also serve as a delectable choice for crafting juice or cider, offering a delightful alternative to apples.
Pairing suggestions:
o Cinnamon
o Cloves
o Fennel
o Walnuts
o Camembert or Goat Cheese
· Blackberries
Delicious in pies, cheesecake, tarts and crumbles. Blackberries add tartness and sweetness to many baked goods, and would also make a beautiful syrup that can be used in cocktails to add a slightly tart berry balance to the drink.
Pairing suggestions:
o Almonds
o Mascarpone
o Pears
o Lemon
o Vanilla
o Honey
· Figs
Figs with their delicate sweetness, are a versatile fruit that can be enjoyed either fresh, cooked or dried. Their subtle flavour compliments a dish without overpowering it, providing a delightful touch of sweetness. Figs are also an excellent addition to cakes, jams or chutneys. Figs can be enjoyed fresh in salads, in smoothies, tarts (sweet or savoury), as a compliment to a cheeseboard, caramelised with sugar or honey, dried and incorporated into granola or dipped in chocolate for a decadent treat.
Pairing suggestions:
o Honey
o Balsamic Vinegar
o Black Pepper
o Cured Meat (Prosciutto or pancetta)
o Thyme
o Goats Cheese
o Chocolate
· Cranberries
Cranberries are notoriously tart, fruity and have a lot of health benefits. Commonly consumed cooked, juiced or dried, there are many uses for them. these little flavour bombs can be used in sauces, crumbles, baked goods and dried eaten as a snack, coated in chocolate or incorporated into granola bars and biscuits.
Pairing suggestions:
o Orange
o Cinnamon
o Ginger
o Poultry (chicken, turkey) or Pork
o Dark Chocolate
o Pistachios
· Pomegranate
Extracting the seeds, known as arils, from a pomegranate may be a bit tricky and messy. The effort is well-rewarded when you taste these juicy, sweet and refreshing gems. Pomegranate is enjoyed raw, incorporated into sweet dishes, savoury dishes, or used in juices and smoothies. Pomegranate can also be utilised to make pomegranate molasses or grenadine syrup to add a fruity sweetness to cocktails.
Pairing suggestions:
o Mint
o Thyme
o Lamb
o Chocolate
o Orange
· Grapes
Grapes are a versatile fruit (botanically a berry) full of natural juices and sweetness. Aside from being enjoyed fresh, grapes can also be dried to make raisins and sultanas, juiced, made into jams and jellies, as-well as being used to make wine and vinegar. Often enjoyed in variety of savoury dishes, especially in the form of wine or vinegar, Grapes are a fantastic fresh addition to bring balance to a cheeseboard. Dried grapes add a fruity sweetness to baked goods such as oatmeal raisin cookies, bread and butter pudding or pain aux raisin. In many countries grape vine leaves are also utilised in cooking, commonly used to make vine leaves stuffed with rice and meat.
Pairing suggestions:
o Brie
o Honey
o Cinnamon
o Beef
o Pork