In the summer I love making these sauces/spreads which are thinner than jams and less sweet and use them on top of desserts but they are also perfect for breakfast.
We left quite unexpectedly for a long weekend and went to a nearby island. It was a decision we took on Friday afternoon and we left early on Saturday morning and came back yesterday. We are having really high temperatures here in Athens and until we leave on vacation in August, we shall be doing this as often as we can.
I will be having some guests staying with us for the next two weeks starting on Wednesday, so I will not be spending time on the computer and It’s really difficult now with high temperatures to stay at home.
Yesterday when we returned there were some apricots and plums I bought at the farmers’ market last week and as today we shall be buying some fresh fruit, I made them into a sauce.
The cooking time is usually about 10 – 15 minutes on medium heat depending how juicy the fruit is and if the fruit is wet it will take more time. The more time you keep mixing it will become into a jam. The amount of sugar is up to you if you want this sauce to be very sweet, increase the amount of sugar or if you want it low calorie you may use splenda. The liqueur added is optional but you can use any other liqueur you like to flavour the sauce.
These sauces are better preserved in the refrigerator.
The Cherry and apricot sauce is the one I made last week and I used it in the Lizertorte.
Cherry and Apricot Spread – Recipe by Ivy
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time:15 – 25 minutes
Ingredients: |
||
10 |
Apricots, pitted |
|
25 |
Cherries, pitted |
|
1 |
Cup |
Sugar |
1 |
Tbsp |
Cherry brandy |
Directions: |
||
1. |
Wash and pit the fruit |
|
2. |
Place in a saucepan with other ingredients and at boiling point simmer for 25 minutes.Allow to cool before serving. |
|
Apricot and plum spread – Recipe by Ivy
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time:15 – 25 minutes
Ingredients: |
||
7 |
Apricots |
|
7 |
Plums |
|
1 |
Cup |
Sugar |
1 |
Tbsp |
Mastic liqueur |
Directions: |
||
1. |
Wash and pit the fruit |
|
2. |
Place in a saucepan with other ingredients and at boiling point simmer for 25 minutes.Allow to cool before serving. |
|
Raspberry Sauce – Recipe by Ivy
When my son came from Switzerland I asked him to bring along some raspberry preserves but as he could not find any preserves he brought some fresh raspberries. Unfortunately they did not make the trip 🙂 so again the best solution was to make them into a sauce. The procedure is the same as above, et voila…
Cranberry Sauce, Recipe by Ivy
Preparation time:about ½hour
Ingredients
- 250 grams of fresh or frozen cranberries
- 2 tablespoons brown muscovado sugar
- ½ cup red gooseberry liqueur
- 1 cinnamon stick
- A few cloves and peppercorns
Directions:
- Wash the fruit and place in a frying pan.
- Add sugar, liqueur and spices.
- Mix continuously until sauce reduces to half.
- Let it cool down and then serve on your favourite dessert.
- Store leftover in refrigerator.
Peach sauce
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
- 4 cups diced peaches
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup water
- 1 cinnamon stick (about 3 cm / 1 inch)
- ½ tsp vanilla essence
Directions:
- Peel the peaches and cut them into smaller pieces.
- Put them in a non-stick frying pan, together with sugar, water and cinnamon stick.
- Mix continuously until sauce reduces to half.
- Discard the cinnamon stick and mix in vanilla.
- Let it cool down and then serve on your favourite dessert.
- Store leftover in refrigerator.
Kopiaste and Kali Orexi!
See also:
Ron
Wednesday 24th of November 2010
Excellent recipes. The cherry apricot spread would be great for a unique Thanksgiving addition alongside the traditional cranberry sauce.
maria
Wednesday 10th of June 2009
it has been too hot to stay even on crete! lucky you for getting out of athens at this time
maria's last blog post..Winner! (Νικητής!)
Ben
Tuesday 9th of June 2009
I wish I could just leave one weekend to a beautiful Greek island, hehe. Enjoy your summer as much as you can and I'll make one of these spreads/sauces for my ice creams. They look really good
lisaiscooking
Tuesday 9th of June 2009
Both sound delicious! And, they can be used so many ways. On a croissant looks great!
lisaiscooking's last blog post..Grilled Stuffed Jalapeños and Banana Peppers
Soma
Tuesday 9th of June 2009
Fruit spreads are so versatile.. have some in stock & may be used any place. what a beautiful way to enjoy the summer abundance!