As someone whose house goes through a mini mountain of fruit a week, I’m always on the lookout for good and tasty fruit. I often freeze my own strawberries as I tend to dislike the shop bought frozen ones as they somehow change the texture for me. When I freeze strawberries myself, they seem to stay the same once they’re defrosted. That’s if they get to the point of being defrosted, as they tend to end up on desserts or smoothies these days.
I had the pleasure of receiving a box of frozen gourmet fruit and some mushrooms, sent by the PR of a butcher, Donald Russell, to try. In the box, there were 300g packs of plums, dark sweet cherries, blueberries, apples and plums.
They’re called orchard fruits and wild berries. The fruit has quickly been turned into smoothies and desserts. The taste of good fruit is exquisite, and these fruits didn’t disappoint.
The cherries were my personal favourites, and I was glad to see they were already destoned, so they made perfect sweeties while they were still frozen for me. The restaurant quality fruit has gorgeous colours and beat anything I’ve bought from shops, hands down. There’s no need for peeling, stoning, washing or chopping to enjoy them. Perfect for baking and alone as treats, as they don’t need to be defrosted first.
I’ve added two recipes that I made very quickly, which included a Blueberry and Apple Pie, and Cherry Shots for the kids and I.
- 300g Blueberries
- 300g Apples
- 3 Tablespoons Caster Sugar
- 1 Roll of Light Puff Pastry
- 1 Egg
- Spread the apples and blueberries into an oven dish and mix with 2 tablespoons of caster sugar.
- Roll the pastry over the top and cut around the edges. Use your thumb or a fork to press it down around the edges.
- Beat an egg with 1 Tablespoon of caster sugar and brush it over the top of the pastry.
- Put your pie into a pre-heated oven at around 180 Degrees for a fan oven and 200 for a conventional. Bake for 20 minutes or until the pastry is an even gold colour on top.
- 200g Dark Sweet Cherries, destoned.
- 150ml Skimmed Milk.
- 200ml Water.
- Cut the cherries into quarters and add to your blender.
- Top up with milk and water.
- Blend until smooth.
- Put into small glasses, or dessert bowls.
- Pop into the freezer for ten minutes until serving.
In my box, there were also some lovely mushrooms, Ceps, Chanterelles and Morels. I’ve saved the gorgeous looking mushrooms for another day, as they’ll go well with a sunday roast I suspect. Mushrooms are perfectly suited to a little butter, lightly sautéed and added to onion and garlic.
The Ceps will be perfect for slicing and a cheeky sauté, while the Chanterelles, I plan on adding to a stir fry, with their floral and acidic taste adding to the mix of beansprouts, onion, red and green peppers, and a touch of soy sauce.
I’ve had Morels before. They’re a speciality, with a unique aroma and flavour that took a bit of getting used to. I’d be temped to add them to a creamy sauce with herbs, and possibly some red chillies alongside.
Apple & Blueberry Pie + Cherry Shots: Review: Frozen Fruit. https://t.co/3zaSZsHQYH @gourmetbutcher https://t.co/UssHxZkrGG