cook's basics

all berries (excepet hawthorn) featured and more are available at fairprice finest outlets. visit www.fairpricefinest.com.sg for list of locations.

AllAbout berries

Words marisse gabrielle reyes styling yoyo Zhou photographs winston lo

rECipE muriel amable rECipE imagE 123rf

Looks can be deceiving! Learn more about this eclectic bunch of fruits

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When the average person thinks about berries, they might conjure up images of juicy, brightly coloured small spherical fruits which are perhaps crimson in colour - like strawberries or raspberries. But we hate to break it to you, real berries aren't all that sexy. Botanically-speaking, chunky produce like pumpkins, bananas, tomatoes, and avocados are the actual berries. Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries on the other hand, are just fruits. To avoid confusion, here's a guide to the real and not-so-real edible berries which are most commonly sold in town.

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4. RaspberryThe red versions of these fruits are

most commonly found, but black, blue,

purple, and gold varieties also exist and

can be eaten. These pretty non-berries

are exceptionally high in vitamin C and

Magnese, and are used in a variety of

confectionaries around the globe.

1. StrawberryThe sweet, juicy, and aromatic qualities

of this fruit help to make strawberries

amongst the most widely consumed

berries. It is not only used in desserts

and other sweet snacks, but it is also

used to fragrance a variety of cosmetics

and perfumes.

2. BlueberryBlueberries are said to contain the

highest amount of antioxidants amongst

fruits. They are low in fat, have a low

glycemic index, and have been proven

to boost brainpower. They are easy

to incorporate into your diet – throw

a handful of these fruits into salads,

yoghurt, oatmeal, and cakes.

3. BlackberryMexico is the largest producer of these

dark, sweet, and juicy fruits. When

buying blackberries, make sure they are

firm and that the box has no visible juice

– this means that the fruits are overripe

and risk containing mould.

5. CranberryBecause these small red fruits are so

tart, they're often found to be more

palatable when dried, made into sauces,

or mixed with lots of sugar and water

and turned into juice. They are low

calorie but are high in vitamins C and

K and are known to promote a healthy

urinary tract.

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5. CurrantCurrants come in a variety of different

colours: black, white, and red.. These

currants differ in flavour, but are

generally tart, fragrant, and packed

with vitamin C. They can be eaten both

raw and cooked and are lauded for their

antioxidant properties.

6. HawthornThese small red berries grow on

small shrubs in parts of Europe, Asia

and North America. There is medical

evidence to support the belief that these

are beneficial for the heart and the

circulatory system. In China, hawthorn

berries are commonly made into sweet

snacks like haw flakes and tanghulu.

7. Tomato This juicy red fruit, which is commonly

mistaken for a vegetable, is native to

South America, but was spread to other

countries during the time of Spanish

colonisation. It's an essential ingredient

in uncountable savoury dishes

throughout the globe, and is mostly

produced in China, India, the United

States, and Turkey.

8. GrapeThese vine-grown berries are

commercially prized for its use in many

food and drink products such as wine,

port, juice, vinegar, oil, raisins, jam, and

jelly. They come in a variety of shapes,

colours, and varieties – some utilized for

wine making and others for table-use.

1. Pumpkin These large, hardy berries are native

to North America, and like squash,

zucchini, watermelon and cucumber,

are part of the gourd family. Various

parts of the pumpkin plant are used

in cooking, such as the flesh, flowers,

seeds and leaves.

2. BananaSurprisingly, bananas, like plantains,

are considered berries. These exotic

starchy fruit were first domesticated in

Papua New Guinea and Southeast Asia

and continue to be part of the staple

diet in many Asian and South American

countries. Today, India, Uganda, China,

and the Philippines are the largest

producers of bananas.

3. GooseberryNative to Europe as well as parts of

Asia and Africa, these berries are most

commonly green, but they also come in

red, white, yellow and purple varieties.

The young fruit are often very sour and

are used in desserts like pies, tarts, and

cakes. This high in vitamin C fruit is

also used to make beverages such as tea,

soda, and fruit wine.

4. AvocadoAlthough these fatty fruits are native

to Central America, they are now used

in a wide range of cuisines across

the globe such as Indian, Ethiopian,

Australian, and Chinese. They are also

highly nutritious, boasting 35% more

potassium than bananas as well as high

levels of pantothenic acid, vitamin B6,

folate, and vitamin K.

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comes together. Do not overmix.

3 ) Tip dough onto a cling film and form a ball. Twist the ends of

the cling film and refrigerate the dough for 30 mins.

4 ) While the dough chills, combine the berries, sugar, flour and

lemon juice in a bowl. Mix gently and set aside.

5 ) Preheat oven to 200C. Unwrap the dough and place it on a

lightly floured parchment paper. Roll it out to form a circular

base with about 0.5cm thickness. To make two smaller galettes

instead, half the dough and roll into 2 smaller circular bases with

0.5cm thickness.

6 ) Spread the jam in the middle of the base with a border of

about 4-5cm (3cm for the smaller ones), and then spoon the

filling into the middle without the juice. Set juice aside.

7 ) Gently start folding over the edges of the dough towards the

filling. Make your way around and fold overlapping dough into

pleats as needed (no need to be equidistant; the uneven spacing

makes for a rustic look)

8 ) Add more berries, if desired and spoon 1-2 tbsp of the juice

from step 6.

9 ) Bake for 30 mins or until the edges of the crust have browned.

10 ) Allow to cool for at least 30mins. To serve, dust with icing

sugar and top with a dollop of vanilla ice cream, if desired.

Berries Galette

1 cup flour

2 tbsp sugar

a pinch of salt

125g cold unsalted butter, cut into tiny cubes

60ml cold water

2 tbsp berry jam of your choice (we used four fruits jam)

berries, to garnish

icing sugar, to garnish

For the filling1 cup raspberries (alternatively, use a mix of your

favourite berries like half raspberries, half blueberries)

3 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp cornstarch

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 ) To make the dough, combine flour, sugar and salt in a bowl.

Using your fingers or a pastry blender, mix in the butter with the

dry mixture for about 1 min or until crumbly.

2 ) Pour in half of the water and continue to mix. Add a

tablespoon of the remaining water at a time until the dough just

Can overripe berries still be eaten? Don't toss out your browning berries just yet! You can safely repurpose soon-to-expire fruit into a variety of delicious foods. Here are some ideas:

Are frozen berries just as good?

Berries ripened on the vine are always best. Since most of the berries available in town are imported, we often get sour, half-ripe fruit when we buy our berries fresh. This is where frozen fruit comes in handy. Frozen berries are often flash-frozen on the farm – meaning they're plumper, sweeter, more colourful, and contain more vitamin C than berries found in the produce isles. It's also said that frozen blueberries contain 50% less insecticide.

❆ Bananas Make a simple banana bread or mix mashed bananas into your pancake batter.

❆ Grapes If you have a dehydrator turn your juicy fruit into raisins. Otherwise, whip up a grape jelly for your next cheese party.

❆ Avocados Mash it up with some lime juice, cilantro, and diced tomatoes for a perfect guacamole.

❆ Strawberries Toss them into the blender with some frozen yoghurt for a sweet, healthy snack.

❆ Currants Make a simple jam or compote. Pour it into a mason jar, tie a bow around it, and gift it.

❆ Blueberries Brighten up your baked goods and throw them into muffins, scones, and cakes.

PreP 20mins +

30mins chilling cook

30 mins

serves6-8

easy

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