Tricks to avoid wasting fruit

Fruits can cease to be ephemeral and become everlasting thanks to a few culinary techniques. Then we'll eat them with a different texture, spreadable, stored in airtight glass jars that preserve their aromas. But then we won't call them fruits, but rather jams, preserves, jellies, or chutneys. In the pantry, they become the lifeline for a hastily prepared breakfast. Or what we treat ourselves to on a holiday, when the hours pass slowly and the bites into the colorfully spread slice of bread are accompanied by a leisurely rhythm. Preparations based on fruits, vegetables, and aromatic herbs have evolved, as have many other recipes. These preparations no longer mask the taste of the raw ingredients with large amounts of sugar. Today, the use of less sugar and, above all, the use of other alternative ingredients have made them suitable for every hour. And not just for sweet breakfasts, but for savory dishes of all kinds. This is what the late Georgina Regàs, founder of the Confiture Museum in the town of Torrent, said. To remember her and, above all, to honor her great legacy, the publishing house Planeta Gastro has just published the book Jams and preservesAnd, among the big changes, there are combinations that have shown us that we need to break the molds or the fixed ideas we've had until now, such as lemon and celery jam, pickled gherkin jam, or blueberry and violet jam. A few years ago, we might never have thought we could spread calçot or chanfaina jam on breakfast toast, but now we've accepted it. All fruits and vegetables can be encapsulated in a jar. Here are some recipes.

Jam

A jam is considered a jam if it's made from vegetables and fruits other than citrus fruits. This is the main difference from other possible preparations for reusing fruit, and it's also the definition approved by the European Union.

Pear, almond and Amaretto jam

• 1.5 kg of clean pears
• 500 g of clean apples
• The juice of 2 lemons
• 900 g of sugar
• 100 g of raw flaked almonds
• 15 cl of Amaretto liqueur
• 20 cl of water

1. Cut the pears and apples into small cubes and place in a saucepan with 20 cl of water.
2. Simmer covered over low heat for 15 minutes. After this time, uncover the pot, increase the heat to evaporate the liquid, and stir everything with a spatula for another 5 minutes.
3. Once the liquid has evaporated, add the almonds, sugar, and lemon juice and stir again for another fifteen minutes.
4. Remove from heat and add Amaretto while stirring.
5. Pack the jam into jars, cover them, and sterilize them in a pot with water at 90°C for 35 minutes.

Jelly

It is a gelled mixture of the juice of one or more fruits or vegetables, filtered and sugared. This preparation does not contain the pulp and has a clear, gelatinous consistency. To extract the juice, the fruit is cooked, crushed, and strained. It is used in cakes, mixed with yogurt, or even added to infusions.

Pomegranate jelly

• 1 l of pomegranate juice
• 1 l of apple water
• 3 l of water
• 6 apples
• 2 lemons
• The juice of a lemon
• 1 kg of sugar

1. Prepare the pomegranate juice: Boil the pomegranate seeds until they split. Turn off the heat and let them steep overnight.
2. Prepare the apple juice: Place three liters of water, the unpeeled and chopped apples and lemons in a pot, boil for 30 minutes, and let it marinate overnight. Strain the juice the next day.
3. In a saucepan, place the pomegranate juice, apple water, sugar, and lemon juice and heat for 15-20 minutes, stirring constantly. Let it simmer until the mixture reaches a gelatinous consistency.
4. Fill the jars quickly and cover them with a tray or flat plate, then let them sit for 24 hours. The next day, replace the lid and sterilize in a pot of water at 90°C for 35 minutes.

Chutney

The meaning of the word is "sweet delight" and comes from the Indian word catniThese are sweet and sour jams with a base of onion, vinegar, and spices. Depending on the type of sugar used, white or brown, the chutney will be lighter or darker. It pairs very well with savory dishes such as rice, chicken, lamb, fish, vegetables, or pasta.

Fig chutney

• 800 g of figs
• 500 g of onions
• 400 g of pears
• 300 g of apples
• 40 cl of wine vinegar
• 900 g of brown sugar
• 100 g of pine nuts
• 5 g of powdered ginger
• 5 g of curry
• 5 g of nutmeg

1. Clean the fruit, chop the onions and add everything to a pot in the following cooking order:
2. First, add the onion and let it cook with 25 cl of water and a pinch of salt for 10 minutes. Then add the apples, pears, and figs with the vinegar. Cover the pot and cook for 15 minutes over low heat. Let it rest for another 60 minutes. After the rest time, heat everything for 10 minutes, add the lightly toasted pine nuts and sugar. Cook everything together for another 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the spices.
3. Pack the chutney into jars, cover them, and sterilize them in a pot of water at 90°C for 35 minutes.

Jam

It's a sweet preserve made solely from citrus fruits. It contains the pulp, puree, juice, and peel of these fruits, along with sugar. marmelo, which in Latin designated an apple that was cooked with honey.

Lemon and Mariallussa Marmalade

• 2 kg of clean lemons
• 4.5 l of water
• 2 infusions of Mariallussa
• 50 cl of lemon juice
• 2 kg of sugar
• Salt

1. Clean the lemons and cut off the ends.
2. Cut them into thin slices and place them in a lunchbox covered with water and salt in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, replace the salted water and leave them for another day. On the third day, remove them from the refrigerator and drain them.
3. Cut the slices into quarters and remove the seeds. Heat a pot with 4.5 liters of water, the sliced lemons, and the lemon verbena infusion bags. Cover and let the water simmer for 30 minutes.
4. Uncover the pot, let the water evaporate for 10 minutes, and add the sugar. Stir well and cook for another 15 minutes. Add the lemon juice and cook for another 5 minutes.
5. Turn off the heat and immediately store the jam in airtight glass jars. Sterilize them in a pot of water at 90°C for 35 minutes.

Infographic on the role of the ARA Domingo