Summer is absolutely a time for incredible fresh, juicy, ripe fruit, ranging from peaches to berries. Think blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, these are all summer gems. So, fantastic baker, David Lebovitz has organized a stellar Berry Cobbler making use of all these great seasonal treasures. 

At this time of the year all fruit is fantastic straight from that farm stand or, for those lucky enough, from your very own backyard. Frequently, during summer months, I find myself with extra summer fruit and I always rack my brain for ways to prevent the fruit from spoiling.

Basically, I've found that once fruit starts to lose its firmness, it should be either eaten or cooked immediately. If you choose to cook the fruit, several different techniques exist that can expand your fruit's lifespan.

By simply crushing up leftover fruit, adding sugar, and pectin (a natural product made from apples), and boiling the mixture over a stove, you can create your own jelly. There are a multitude of great recipes out there, and regardless of the one you choose, your jelly could last up to 12 months!

Another option is to can leftover fruit. The goal of canning is to create an environment where illness-causing bacteria cannot grow. The two main types of canners are pressure canners and boiling-water canners. Foods that are low in acid must be canned in a pressure canner to be safe from botulism-producing bacteria. Fruits that can be safely preserved in a boiling-water canner include the likes of peaches, pears, tomatoes, apples. For anyone planning on buying one of these devices, go for the pressure canner. Although it tends to be a bit pricier, the pressure canner seals foods for a longer period of time and can also double as a boiling water canner.

To avoid spending money on a canner, drying fruit is another good option. Dried foods are lightweight, compact, and nutritious, and since they also don’t need to be refrigerated, they make great snacks. The goal during the drying process is to eliminate all the moisture so that bacteria, yeast, and mold can’t grow. If you’re beginning to think that this process is going to require another piece of expensive kitchenware, think again. Because of their high levels of acid and sugar, fruit can be dried outside in the sun or oven.

Also important to note, fruit can be frozen! Simply freeze and then use any of the aforementioned techniques when time permits. 

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