Cooking with Fresh Okanagan Fruit
The Okanagan is renowned for its wine and fruits – so what happens at the end of the season when you have a surplus of all this amazing fresh fruit? You certainly don’t want to let all that deliciousness go to waste! Did you know that there are a number of things you can make with fresh Okanagan fruit?
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Jam
When you think about berries, and fruit surplus, Jam is probably the first thing most people think to make. All kinds of berries, apples, apricots, peaches, pears, and cherries are used to make the best jams – and what a way to make your breakfast rich in flavor.
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Fruit spread
Spreads are similar to jam but have a lower sugar content. So, if you’re looking to curb the sweets this is a great option. Besides, most fruit is naturally quite sweet already!
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Fruit syrup
Not only a delicious topping for your pancakes and waffles, but also amazing for drizzling over crepes, ice cream or cheesecake.
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Fruit jelly candies
If you’re looking to get a bit more adventurous with your cooking try making fruit candies! Made from fruit purees, you can serve these as is or covered with a light berry sugar.
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Fruit leather snacks
Fruit leather snacks are a great lunch box addition! This delicious treat is all-natural and made from a mixture of fruit purees, with no added sugar.
And here’s a note about Apple Trees..
We all know that apples have a tendency to turn brown but have you ever wondered WHY this happens?
There are two types of browning in apples: primary (or enzymatic) browning and secondary browning. Secondary browning generally refers to rot.
Primary browning in apples takes place when the fruit’s phenolic compounds react with oxygen. This oxidation process is driven by an enzyme called polyphenol oxidase (PPO). When an apple’s cells are ruptured – by bruising, biting, or cutting – the browning reaction begins when PPO found in one part of the cell is able to react with phenolic compounds found elsewhere in the cell.
Okanagan Specialty Fruits Inc. (OSF) holds an exclusive worldwide license to technology for regulating expression of polyphenol oxidase (PPO) genes to control enzymatic browning in tree fruits. Using this technology, their expert science team was able to put PPO-regulation into practice in apples. And, while they have initially utilized this technique to develop nonbrowning Arctic® apples, reducing the expression of PPO in other fruits offers the potential for nonbrowning varieties of all kinds!
Interested in Okanagan fruit? Summer and early Fall are the best times to visit – and now is the perfect time to book your stay!
Be sure to check out our website to see our great selection of cottages!
Written by Natsumi Matsumoto
