Ways to Cook with Fruit Preserves

Fruit preserves are a great way to taste some of your favorite summer fruits in the winter months. Presently my cabinet holds an assortment of fruit preserves including apricot, orange marmalade, apple, and peach. In addition to spreading on toast, I use preserves in a number of unique ways.

Fruit Preserve Marinade Recipe

Chicken, pork and fish are delicious when grilled with a fruit based marinade. If you have preserves in your cupboard currently, consider using it as a marinade before grilling or broiling your meats. To make a marinade from preserves:

You'll Need:

1/2 cup of your favorite preserve
2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp of chopped onion
1/3 cup of apple, pineapple or orange juice (depending upon the flavor of preserves)
Salt/pepper to taste

Preparation:

Combine ingredients together in medium saucepan until mixed well. Pour over meat and refrigerate for about four hours.

Consider using an apricot or raspberry preserve with poultry, orange with fish or a peach preserve with pork.

Fruit Preserve Barbecue Sauce Recipe

Use fruit preserves to make your own personalized barbecue sauce. This sauce can be used as a dipping sauce for chicken nuggets or shrimp, or as a sauce for chicken, burgers or hot dogs.

You'll Need:

1/2 cup of your favorite preserve
2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp of chopped onion
2 tbsp of brown sugar
1/2 cup of ketchup
1 tbsp of cornstarch
Dash of red or green hot sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation: Combine ingredients together in sauce pan. Add cornstarch last as a thickening agent. Whisk/stir often to ensure cornstarch does not clump.

Some great preserves to use in a barbecue sauce include pineapple, mango, apple or cherry.

Fruity Sugar Cookie Recipe

Sugar cookies are a popular treat and dessert with both children and adults alike. Add lots of flavor and color to your sugar cookie recipe with fruit preserves. These cookies will not only taste good, but will also look pretty on the plate.

You'll Need:

sugar cookie dough
1 jar of your favorite preserve

Preparation:

Prepare cookie dough using just a tad bit less sugar than normal as the preserves will make the cookie slightly sweeter. Roll dough into small balls. Now, take your thumb and press in the center of each dough ball leaving an imprint. Fill the center with a teaspoon or so of your favorite preserve. Bake as normal.

Strawberry, peach, apricot or apple preserves are delicious in this recipe.