Make most of mixed peaches, cherries, plums in easy conserve
Recipe: Tutti frutti summer conserve is versatile condiment
“Conserve” lives up to its name. This age-old technique makes the most of summer’s sweet odds and ends, creating a jammy condiment as versatile and varied as its ingredients.
Tutti frutti – or “all fruits” – combines an array of summer favorites – fresh or frozen. For this batch, I used fresh peaches, Bing cherries and frozen Italian purple plums (remaining from last year’s crop).
By tradition, conserve uses at least two kinds of fruit, cooked with sugar. A green apple provides any necessary pectin. Raisins and, if desired, nuts are added to the mixture along with orange zest and juice. The nuts provide texture to go along with the sweet-tart fruit.
If used, wine smooths out the fruit flavors and also helps meld the colors. Red wine intensifies the purple.
Some conserves are intentionally chunky and best used as a dessert topping or alongside grilled or roast meats. Ingredients in this conserve are finely chopped, allowing the fruit mixture and raisins to cook down into an almost smooth jam. That consistency also works on desserts or next to meats, but is just at home on toast, bread or crackers. Team it with brie for an easy appetizer, too.
The conserve can be frozen or water-bath
canned for later enjoyment.
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Tutti frutti summer conserve
Makes about 3 half-pints (3 cups)
Ingredients: