We are separated from fresh Hoosier/Midwest fruits by several months
of blahs, but wintertime fruit salad, mostly from cans, is not a bad way
for taste buds to while away the time, especially when several canned fruits
are parlayed with available fresh fruit (say bananas) and nut meats, then
teamed with a good sugar sauce. Preparation is simple and fast (less than
30 minutes), not counting the cooling time in the frig.
The Players:
Mandarin Orange Slices, one 6-ounce can
Pears (sliced), one 15-ounce can
Peaches (sliced), one 15-ounce can
Mixed Fruit, one 15-ounce can
Strawberries (1-cup, fresh, chunked)
1 banana (cut into 1/8-inch rings)
Nutmeats (one cup, your choice, chopped)
Drain and mix fruit in large bowl, stir in chopped nutmeats. Stir in
slowly, 1 cup granulated (white) sugar, and ½ cup (one-half cup)
brown sugar. Cover and refrigerate . . . The sugar alone will make a thick,
sweet liquid.
The Sauce:
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Juice from cans of fruit
Making the Sauce:
Melt butter in medium-sized sauce pan. Stir flour into melted butter
over medium heat.
When butter and flour combine to make a putty-like substance, slowly
sir in fruit juice from cans, an ounce or two at a time, stirring constantly.
As sauce bubbles slowly and thickens stir in more juice until all of the
juice is gone, or when desired thickness and amount of sauce is achieved.
Allow sauce to cool, then ladle or pour it over the chilled fruit. Allow
fruit to chill a few hours to give fruit a chance to be saturated by sauce.
[To see the finished product, click here.]
Serve with sweet cream, half-and-half, whipped cream, ice cream, or
with the sauce alone. |
