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Stone Fruit
Synonyms: drupes = summer fruit
The family of stone fruits includes cherries, plums, apricots, nectarines, and peaches. They all arrive in the summer, though you can sometimes find pricey imports during the off-season. Stone fruits don't become sweeter after they're picked, but growers often harvest them while they're still a bit underripe so that they won't bruise during transit. At the market, select specimens that have the color, if not the softness, of fully ripened fruit, then take them home and let them soften at room temperature for a few days. Varieties:
acerola = Barbados cherry = Puerto Rican cherry = West Indian cherry Pronunciation: ass-ah-ROH-lah Notes: These are very rich in vitamin C, and somewhat acidic. You can eat them out of hand, but they're probably better suited for making preserves. Equivalents: 1 cup = 98 grams, 1 pitted acerola = 4.8 grams Substitutes: cherries
apricot Notes: Like other stone fruit, apricots are sweetest--and most prone to bruising--when they're allowed to ripen on the tree. But unless you can pick your own, you'll probably have to make do with the slightly underripe, more durable apricots sold in markets. Allow them to soften at room temperature for a few days before eating them. They're best in the summer. Substitutes: apriums OR pluots OR peaches OR nectarines
aprium Notes: This is an apricot/plum cross, with apricot dominating. Substitutes: pluots OR apricots OR plums Barbados cherry See acerola.
cherry Notes: There are three main categories of cherries: sweet cherries, which are for eating out of hand, sour cherries, which are best suited for making pies, preserves, and sauces, and tart chokecherries. Substitutes: stone fruit chokecherry Notes: These are too tart for most people to eat out of hand, but they make delicious preserves. Substitutes: sour cherries OR cranberries
donut peach = saucer peach Notes: These squat peaches have white flesh, and a very good flavor. Use them as you would ordinary peaches. Substitutes: peaches
green almonds Notes: Middle Eastern cooks use these in stews and desserts.
pie cherry See sour cherry.
plum = fresh prune Notes: Plums are juicier than other stone fruits, and have a longer growing season. There are many varieties, some sweet, some acidic, and some best suited for drying into prunes. They're often eaten out of hand, but they also work well in cobblers, compotes, and tarts. Substitutes: pluot (plum/apricot cross, with plum dominating) OR aprium (apricot/plum cross, with apricot dominating) OR loquat OR prunes (rehydrate first in water) pluot = plumcot Notes: This is a plum/apricot cross, with plum dominating. Substitutes: apriots OR plums OR apricots Puerto Rican cherry See acerola.
saucer peach See peach.
sweet cherry Notes: These appear in the summer, with the popular and exquisite Bing cherries arriving in June and July. Other varieties have the virtue of arriving before or after the Bings, but they're often not nearly as tasty. Select cherries that are large, deeply colored, and firm. Substitutes: sour cherries (These are the preferred cherries for preserves, sauces, pie fillings, and many desserts because they're more flavorful than sweet cherries when cooked. Add sugar to taste.) OR dried cherries (Soak these in cherry liqueur before using.) tart cherry See sour cherry.
West Indian cherry See acerola.
Copyright © 1996-2005 Lori Alden
http://www.foodsubs.com > fruit > dried fruit
Dried Fruit
Dried fruit is a terrific snack, but cooks also use it in everything from muffins to stews. Drying has the obvious advantage of letting us enjoy our favorite fruit when it's out of season, but it also serves to concentrate the fruit's flavor and sugar. Since high concentrations of sugar ward off bacteria, dried fruit can last up to a year without refrigeration. If you live in a hot, dry climate, you can dry fruit just by leaving it out in the sun for a few days. If not, you can use an oven or dehydrator. Sulfur dioxide is sometimes added to the fruit to improve its shelf life and color. If you're allergic to it, you can usually find unsulfured dried fruit at health food stores. In a pinch, you can remove some of the sulfur by boiling treated dried fruit for a minute or so, then draining off the liquid. Substitutes: nuts
apple, dried Notes: These are popular additions to trail mixes. They're often treated with sulfur to improve their color and shelf life. Substitutes: dried pear
apricot, dried Notes: Turkish dried apricots are lighter in color and milder in flavor than other varieties. They're often treated with sulfur to improve their color and shelf life. Substitutes: dried peach OR dried nectarines OR dried tomatoes
dried apricot paste = qamar el-deen = ameerdine Notes: People in the Middle East usually make a drink out of this fruit leather by putting it into boiling water. During Ramadan, it's often served before and after the day-long fast. Look for it in Middle Eastern markets. banana, dried Notes: These usually come in two forms: long spears, which are very sweet and best for cooking, and chips, which are fried in oil, crunchy, and best suited for trail mixes. Substitutes: dried coconut OR other dried fruit
cantaloupe, dried Notes: These are very sweet and have an intense cantaloupe flavor. Substitutes: dried papaya
carrots, dried Notes: These are used to make muffins and cakes.
cherry, dried Notes: These are large and sweet, and they can serve as a refreshing alternative to raisins in many recipes. Substitutes: dried cranberries (not as sweet) OR raisins OR dried apricots OR currants
Chinese date = Chinese red date = red date = senjed = Chinese jujube (dried) = jujube (dried) Pronunciation: JEW-jewb Notes: When fresh, these fruits are crisp like apples and have a mild, sweet flavor. In the United States, they're most often available dried. Substitutes: dates (sweeter) OR dried apples OR prunes OR raisins
Chinese jujube See Chinese date.
Chinese red date See Chinese date.
citrus peel, dried = fruit peel, dried To make your own: Begin with orange, lemon, tangerine, or grapefruit peels, scrape off and discard as much of the bitter white pith as possible, and dry what's left in the sun until hard. Substitutes: grated zest from a fresh peel (Fresh peels are better than dried peels since they have more aromatic oils.)
Craisins See cranberries, dried.
cranberries, dried Notes: With their flashy color and tangy flavor, dried cranberries are a good alternative to raisins in many recipes. Craisins is a well-known brand. Substitutes: raisins (not as tart) OR dried cherries OR currants
currants = Zante currants = Zante raisins = dried Corinth grapes Notes: These dried Zante grapes look like tiny raisins. Don't confuse them with the fresh sour berry that also called a currant. Substitutes: raisins (larger) OR golden raisins (for baking) date, dried Notes: If you plan to chop them, look for cooking dates, date pieces, or pressed dates--they're a lot cheaper than the exquisite dessert dates that are intended to be eaten whole. Substitutes: dried figs OR raisins OR fresh dates (crunchier and not as sweet)
ghora angur See sumac berries.
jujube See Chinese date.
kokum = kokum ful = cocum Notes: This Indian souring agent is made from dried mangosteen peels. It's often used in fish dishes. Look for it in Indian markets. Substitutes: tamarind paste (Substitute one teaspoon for every piece of kokum call for in recipe.) leechee nut See litchi nut.
lichee nut See litchi nut.
lichi nut See litchi nut.
lychee nut See litchi nut.
mango, dried Notes: These are sometimes coated with sugar. Substitutes: dried papaya
mulberries, dried = toot Notes: These are the size of large raisins, and they taste like very dry figs. Look for them in Middle Eastern markets. muscat raisins Notes: These are large and very sweet. Substitutes: raisins (smaller and less sweet) OR golden raisins (golden color, smaller, more tart) OR dried dates
nectarines, dried Notes: These are similar to dried peaches, but often a bit more expensive. They're often treated with sulfur. Substitutes: dried peaches OR dried apricots papaya, dried Notes: These are sometimes coated with sugar. Substitutes: dried cantaloupe OR dried mango
peach, dried Notes: These are similar to dried apricots, only larger and milder. They're often treated with sulfur. Substitutes: dried nectarines OR dried apricots
pear, dried Notes: These don't have the cloying sweetness of some dried fruits. They're often gassed with sulfur dioxide in the drying process in order to improve their color and shelf life. Substitutes: dried apples
persimmon, dried Substitutes: other dried fruit
pineapple, dried Notes: These are sometimes coated with sugar. Substitutes: dried papaya OR dried mango
plum, dried See prune.
prune = dried plum Notes: In a marketing makeover, producers are starting to call these dried plums instead of prunes. Whatever you call them, they're sweet and just loaded with dietary fiber, iron, and other nutrients. You can eat them whole, chop them into sauces and stews, or make a compote out of them. Substitutes: raisins OR dried figs
raisins = dried grapes Notes: The common raisins we see on supermarket shelves are usually dried Thompson seedless grapes. Golden raisins are amber in color and somewhat tart--many cooks prefer them over ordinary raisins for baking and cooking. Muscat raisins are dark and very sweet, and they work well in fruitcakes. Currants are about one-quarter the size of ordinary raisins, and are typically used in baked goods. Store raisins in the refrigerator after you open the package. Substitutes: prunes OR dried cranberries OR dried apricots OR dried dates OR dried cherries OR chocolate chips OR nuts OR dried figs (stronger flavor) red date See Chinese date.
senjed See Chinese date.
somagh See sumac berries.
sour prunes Notes: Look for these in Middle Eastern markets. Substitutes: Soak ordinary prunes in vinegar overnight. OR tamarind paste strawberries, dried Notes: These are sweet and chewy, and they're great in trail mixes or granola. Substitutes: dried cherries Zante currants See currant.
Zante raisins See currant.
Copyright © 1996-2005 Lori Alden