The season of fresh fruit — and the urge to preserve it — will soon be upon us. Strawberries and rhubarb open the season, their bright red signaling the official stop to winter.
Preserve recipes are all over the place, and most are satisfying, to be sure. But I’ll let you in on a secret: Starting with dried fruit will give you preserves with uncommonly deep flavors. Dried fruit has much of its water removed, leaving only concentrated essence of fruit. Steep that dried fruit in highly seasoned sugar syrup with a little butter added to carry the flavors, and you’ll have preserves unlike any other you’ve made before.
Practice with already-dried fruit, such as apricots and dried cherries. Then, when the strawberry season has arrived in its bounty, dry some for some extra-special strawberries with balsamic vinegar and black pepper syrup.
Each of the preserves here will become quite thick after resting. To use them, thin with a bit of boiling water to get the consistency you prefer.
Robin Mather is a senior associate editor at Mother Earth News and the author of the cookbook and memoir “The Feast Nearby.”
Apricot preserves with Moroccan spices
This savory condiment has a lot of flavors going on at once: Sweet and hot, savory and exotic, it’s meant not for breakfast toast but as a companion for roasted meat, especially lamb or pork. Split the batch after its refrigerated rest and freeze half for another time.
Boil: Grind or chop 1 pound dried apricots into coarse pieces and set aside. A food processor is good for this. In a large heavy saucepan, combine 1 cup sugar, 2 cups water, 1 tablespoon turmeric, 2 teaspoons each cinnamon and ginger, 1 teaspoon each cumin and ground cardamom, 1/2 teaspoon each cayenne pepper and white pepper, a pinch of saffron threads and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until bubbles are mostly about 1/4-inch in diameter, about 10 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons unsalted butter and cook until butter is melted. The syrup will have thickened slightly, but will not be thick.
Mix: Stir in apricots. Remove saucepan from heat and let stand, stirring occasionally, until slightly cooled. Transfer mixture to a bowl or quart canning jar and let stand at room temperature until completely cooled.
Chill: Refrigerate, covered, for several days, stirring once or twice a day. The apricots will drink the syrup and rehydrate a bit.
Makes: about 2 cups
Strawberries in balsamic-black pepper syrup
Dehydrating the strawberries concentrates their flavor, so this recipe is good for nonlocal strawberries and those that are still firm but a bit past their prime. The chewy strawberry bits will rehydrate a little in the intensely flavored syrup, making a savory condiment that’s just right with roasted poultry. Freeze half after its refrigerated rest for later use.
Dry: Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or foil. Heat the oven to its lowest setting. Cut 2 quarts strawberries into bits about 1/4 inch on each side. I find it easiest to do this directly over the lined baking sheets, cutting the berries horizontally and then into smaller pieces. Aim to get the pieces about the same size, but don’t obsess over it. Larger pieces may take longer to dry. Place the baking sheets into the oven, propping the door open with a wooden spoon. Let the strawberries dry until shriveled and shrunken, 6 to 8 hours. Remove from oven.
Boil: Combine 1 cup sugar, 1 cup water, 1 cup balsamic vinegar and 2 teaspoons black pepper in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until syrup thickens slightly and bubbles on the surface have a diameter of about 1/4 inch, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons unsalted butter and cook until butter is melted. Remove from heat.
Mix: Stir in strawberries and let stand until cooled.
Chill: Transfer to a bowl or quart canning jar, cover and refrigerate, stirring once or twice a day, for several days.
Makes: about 2 cups
Brandied cherry conserve
A conserve features nuts in addition to fruit, and almonds make a natural pairing with cherries. Much of the alcohol will cook off as the syrup simmers, leaving only the lovely brandy flavor behind. Try this conserve with roast pork or duck, or spread over a mild creamy cheese such as brie and serve with crackers.
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Boil: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine 1 cup sugar, 2 cups water and 1/2 cup brandy. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, and reduce heat to maintain a low boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until syrup thickens slightly and bubbles are about 1/4 inch in diameter, about 10 minutes. Stir in 1 teaspoon crumbled dried rosemary and 2 tablespoons unsalted butter. Cook until butter melts, about 1 minute.
Mix: Stir in 2 cups dried cherries and 1/2 cup slivered almonds. Remove pan from heat and let stand until cooled.
Chill: Transfer to a bowl or quart canning jar, cover and refrigerate, stirring once or twice a day, for several days.
Makes: about 2 cups