Eating cooked fruits has multiple advantages: cooking releases certain nutrients, notably vitamins A, B and C, reduces sugar levels, makes the fruits more digestible, changes the texture or even increases their flavor.
But to get there, you have to know how to cook them correctly.
We list the mistakes to avoid.
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Also read: The ultimate guide to fruit and cheese pairings
Grilled fruits: don’t forget the fat when cooking them
It is relatively easy to grill fruit, whether on the barbecue or in the pan.
This is the ideal fruit cooking method for beginners.
However, there are a few small rules to follow so that the fruit is grilled correctly.
First, they need fat.
So don't forget to brush the pieces of fruit (previously peeled and seeded) with coconut oil, sunflower oil, corn oil, butter or olive oil.
Otherwise, they could get stuck on the barbecue grill or the pan.
They would then become shapeless and this would complicate cleaning.
Then, you have to watch the cooking: overcooked fruit can quickly turn into compote.
This is especially true for yellow and juicy fruits.
By respecting these two rules, it is possible to make beautiful grilled fruit skewers, ideal for a summer dessert.
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Poached fruits: let the syrup soak in, the mistake to no longer make
Peaches in verbena syrup, poached fruit soup, wine-poached pear... The recipe possibilities are endless when it comes to poaching fruit.
But to succeed in these dishes, you must first master cooking.
Firstly, it is essential to sprinkle the peeled fruits with lemon juice to avoid oxidation.
Concerning the syrup, it can be flavored according to taste with all kinds of spices, herbs or bark.
It should be boiling when the fruit is immersed in it.
Once immersed in the syrup, cover everything with a sheet of baking paper perforated in the center to let the steam escape.
The cooking time of course depends on the fruit and their size.
For example, we allow 20 to 30 minutes of cooking for 150 gram pears.
The most common mistake is to immediately remove the fruit from the syrup.
You actually have to let them cool in the syrup so that they soak it up well and to avoid any oxidation.
We therefore remember to remove the fruits into a salad bowl, while keeping them covered with liquid.
Cooking fruit in a cake: mistakes to avoid
Preparing a fruit cake does not necessarily require prior cooking.
Raw fruit can be incorporated into the batter and then cooked with the whole cake.
On the other hand, to ensure that the fruit does not fall to the bottom, there are two methods: flour the fruit — by placing it in a freezer bag with flour and shaking — or place the dough with the fruit in the fridge a half hour.
Steaming fruit: pitfalls to avoid
Steaming fruit is only successful if the fruit is suitable.
In fact, particularly juicy or overripe fruits risk turning into compote.
Other fruits, such as apples, need to be sprinkled with lemon juice to avoid browning.
Regarding the cooking time, it all depends on the appliance used, but also on the size of the fruit.
For a whole fruit, it takes between 10 and 15 minutes.
For a small fruit (red fruit type) or fruit cubes, it takes 2 to 3 minutes.
If cooked for too long, the fruit may no longer maintain its shape.