Fruit in All Forms

Fresh - The most basic way to add fruit to savory cooking is to cut it into wedges or chunks and roast or saute with your dish. Caramelization is key to enhancing the sugars while bringing out a nuttiness that lends itself to savory applications. Consider the density of your fruit when prepping and adding to a dish. Sturdy fruit like apples, pears, and pineapple can cook for a while before breaking down, so they can be added earlier to the cooking process than delicate fruits like berries, cherries, or figs.

Dried - Perfect at any time of the year, dried fruit is a great pantry staple. But dried doesn't mean dried out and hard; if your fruit is no longer soft and pliable, it's better in your compost than in a savory dish. Make sure your sauce has sufficient liquid to allow the dried fruit to plump up, or allow the fruit to soften in hot water before adding to a dish. The flavor of dried fruit is more concentrated than fresh, so beware of adding too much. Also, check ingredient lists for added sugars that could affect the balance of the dish.

Zest contains the citrus oils, where the most concentrated flavor resides. For fine wisps of citrus zest, use a rasp grater. For bigger pieces of zest to use as an aromatic, use a vegetable peeler. A channel knife cuts a single, thicker ribbon of peel that's perfect to garnish desserts or cocktails.

Despite its reputation, the cottony white layer of pith on citrus fruits (grapefruit excepted) isn’t bitter. In fact, it’s completely flavorless. (It’s true—slice off a piece and try it for yourself.) And the zest tastes only subtly bitter. The real bitterness comes when the pith and zest are abraded. If you aren’t going to be rubbing the two substances together, don’t worry about leaving some pith on your zest.

You can always add a squeeze of citrus to punch up the fruit flavor and acidity in a dish, but for more depth of flavor in a sauce or braise, use fruit juice or *cider to replace some of the broth. For more intense flavor, reduce it before adding.

Confused about the difference between apple juice and cider? To make cider, apples are simply cored, chopped, mashed, and then pressed to extract their liquid (and sometimes pasteurized). Apple juice begins the same way, but the pressed liquid is then filtered to remove pulp and sediment. Apple juice is then pasteurized, and a preservative is often mixed in to prevent fermentation. Finally, apple juice is sometimes sweetened with sugar or corn syrup. Since apple cider has more apple flavor, higher acidity, and less sugar than apple juice, it's the better choice for savory cooking.

Jam is made from crushed or finely chopped fruit, which is cooked with pectin and sugar until thickened (jams traditionally contain more sugar than fruit by weight). Unlike preserves and jam, jelly contains no fruit bits; it almost always requires additional pectin to set up properly. The final ingredient is sugar, and like jams, jellies contain more sugar than fruit or fruit juice.

These sweet, concentrated forms of fruit can be a great base for a salad dressing or sauce. Adding a savory element like shallots or garlic will balance the sweetness. Then just whisk in liquid to break up the preserved fruit.

Fruit liqueurs and brandies usually result when fruit and sugar are macerated or distilled in alcohol or brandy. Cointreau (orange), creme de cassis (black currant), limoncello (lemon), and Chambord (black raspberry) are examples. Calvados, an apple brandy, is made from apples that are fermented and distilled (no grapes are involved). With their intense fruit flavor, these liqueurs and brandies can add a nice finish to the end of a dish. Just a small amount is all you need.

Deeply flavored fruit butters require long cooking times to achieve their heavy consistency. Apples and pears make popular fruit butters; their sweetness is complemented by spices and sometimes apple cider or brandy. Due to their long cooking time, their fruit flavor is more pronounced, even without added sugar. And their smooth, almost buttery texture makes them a great option for adding body and flavor to a sauce or braise.

Beware of fruit-flavored vinegars, which are often just infusions of fruit zest or juice in distilled or wine vinegars. True fruit vinegar is made from three things: fruit, salt, and a "mother" of vinegar with bacterial cultures and yeasts that encourages fermentation. Apple cider vinegar is a perfect example, although you can find true fruit vinegars made from all types of fruits. These can add a bright burst of acidity and fruit flavor to the finish of your savory dish.