What Is Fruit and How Can I Use It?

If fruit has turned up in a recipe or caught your eye at the store, here's what you need to use it with confidence and how to choose it, cook it, store it, what to substitute, and 152 recipes to try it in.

What is fruit?

Fruit is the sweet, seed-bearing part of a flowering plant, and in the kitchen it covers a huge range. Berries, stone fruit, citrus, apples and pears, melons, grapes, and tropical fruit like mango and pineapple all fall under it.

As a recipe ingredient, "fruit" usually means a cook's choice of whatever is ripe, used fresh or cooked down.

Because the group is so broad, the useful way to think about fruit in cooking comes down to two levers: ripeness, and the balance of acid against sugar.

Cooking With Fruit

Ripeness is the first thing to judge.

A fruit at its peak is fragrant at the stem end and gives slightly to gentle pressure, and that is when its sugar and aroma run highest.

Underripe fruit is firmer and tarter, which is sometimes what you want, since it holds its shape in a tart or cobbler instead of collapsing.

The second lever is the acid-sugar balance. Most fruit carries both, and cooking concentrates the sugar while softening the acid.

A squeeze of lemon lifts a too-sweet fruit salad and keeps cut apples and pears from browning. A spoonful of sugar tames sharp rhubarb or a sour plum.

Heat changes texture as much as flavor. Berries break down fast into a loose sauce, while apples and firm pears hold up to long baking.

The acid in pineapple and citrus can also tenderize meat, which is why fruit turns up in marinades and savory dishes like Chiles En Nogada (Chiles in Walnut Sauce).

Fresh fruit goes raw into a Pineapple Fruit Salad or piles onto a Favorite Pavlova. Cooked, it becomes the filling in a Fruit Cobbler or the glaze on a Chocolate Mosaic Fruit Tart.

The Enzyme Problem

One failure mode is worth knowing.

Fresh pineapple, kiwi, papaya, and figs carry enzymes that break down protein. They will not set in gelatin, and over time they turn a dairy custard or yogurt loose and slightly bitter. Cooking or canning destroys the enzyme, so canned pineapple works fine in a jello mold where fresh fails.

Buying & Storage

Buy in season for the best flavor and price, and let your nose lead: ripe fruit smells like itself.

Stone fruit, pears, avocados, and bananas keep ripening after picking, so buy them a touch firm and ripen on the counter. Berries, citrus, grapes, and cherries do not ripen further once picked, so buy those ready to eat.

Most ripe fruit holds a few days at room temperature and longer in the fridge. Berries are the most fragile and mold within a day or two, so keep them dry and unwashed until you eat them. Bananas brown faster in the cold, so keep them out of the fridge.

Nutrition

Quick facts

Food group: Fruit is a member of the Fruits and Fruit Juices US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.

In Chinese

水果

British (UK) term

Fruit

en français

fruit

en español

la fruta

How much does fruit weigh?

Related

Fruits and Fruit Juices

Recipes using fruit

There are 152 recipes that contain this ingredient.

Jello Any-Fruit Cake

A soft cake bottom, with a fruit filled middle topped with a tantalizing cinnamon topping. Learning how to make Jello fruit cake that use any fruit you have on hand including summery rhubarb with strawberry gelatin.

Awesome Ginger Spice Waffles

Gingerbread-style waffles with molasses, ground ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg, half whole-wheat flour for body. Topped with vanilla yogurt and bright fruit, they taste like holiday morning.

Homemade Sweet Square

Homemade sweet squares, chewy cornstarch-set candy in the style of Turkish delight, flavored with pineapple and cinnamon, dotted with candied fruit, and topped with chocolate candies. A fun treat for kids.

Almond Tart with Lemon Curd

A sweet and sophisticated dessert that's perfect to enjoy when curled up around the fireplace.

Bohemian Apple Waffles

Bohemian apple waffles with chopped fresh apples folded into a cinnamon-spiced batter and lifted by whipped egg whites. Crisp on the outside, cloud-tender inside, served with maple syrup.

Paella with Shellfish & Lemon Aspen Fruits

Paella with shellfish and served with lemon aspen fruits

Fruity German Oven Pancakes

German oven pancake (Dutch baby) with a dramatic puffed shell, golden edges, and a fruit-filled center. Made with skim milk and egg substitute for a lighter version of the classic.

Fruit Peel Bread Pudding

A delicious bread pudding recipe, hope you like it!

Low Fat Banana Muffins

An amazing recipe to make your breakfast more entertaining and scrumptious!

Applesauce Brownie Pizza

Moist and delicious. Applesauce really makes the brownies super moist and meanwhile lower the amount of fat. Using whole wheat flour adds more goodness. Enjoy these delicious dessert without feeling too much guilty :)

Fresh Fruit Ice Cream

No-churn fresh fruit ice cream blends pureed fruit with sweetened condensed milk and whipped cream for a creamy summer dessert. No ice cream maker needed, freezes in a loaf pan.

All-Season Quick Bread or Muffins

All-Season Quick Bread or Muffins: a flexible whole-wheat base recipe with six fruit and vegetable options (banana, zucchini, carrot, apple, orange, tomato). Loaves or muffins.

Brie & Bacon Omelet

Wow this was fabulous. The brie melts so beautifully inside the omelette. Super creamy with bits of salty chewy bacon and crunchy nuts created layers of textures. I used walnuts instead of pecans and served with orange wedges.

Cheesecake Cookie Squares

Like cookies and also like cheesecake, the combination of both cookies and cheesecake, wow, sounds a good idea for a sweet treat to satisfy the sweet tooth!

Valentine's Day Brownie Pizza

Chocolatly, moist and well balanced sweetness. Make this super brownie pizza for your loved one at Valentines' Day, hmmm...

Cooked Strawberry Jam - Certo Liquid

Cooked strawberry jam set with Certo liquid pectin and a hard one-minute boil. The classic no-fail method for a bright, spreadable preserve that gels every time, sealed in sterilized jars.

Pineapple Fruit Salad

Fresh pineapple fruit salad served in hollowed-out pineapple shells with a Grand Marnier lemon syrup. A stunning presentation with seasonal fruit, sliced apples, and fresh cream.

Chiles En Nogada (Chiles in Walnut Sauce)

Chiles en Nogada, Mexico's patriotic dish: roasted poblanos stuffed with a sweet-savory pork picadillo, draped in a cool, creamy walnut sauce and scattered with ruby pomegranate seeds. The green, white, and red of the flag on one plate.

Fruit Moos

Fruit Moos is a 3-ingredient frozen treat blended from fresh fruit, vanilla ice cream, and ice cubes. Kid-friendly and ready after just one hour in the freezer.

Breakfast Shake

A quick and healthy fruit breakfast smoothie recipe that's ready in under 5 minutes.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Dip

Creamy chocolate peanut butter dip with cream cheese and a hint of cinnamon. Ready in 5 minutes flat. Serve with fruit, pretzels, or cookies for dipping.

Summer Breakfast Sundae

A bright summer breakfast sundae layered with vanilla yogurt, cottage cheese, fresh seasonal fruit, and crunchy granola. This no-cook breakfast comes together in minutes and makes a beautiful, protein-packed start to warm weather mornings.

Grilled Seafood Kabobs

Grilled seafood kabobs with shrimp, sea scallops, and mushrooms marinated overnight in honey barbecue-Dijon sauce. Smoky, sweet, and done on the grill in under 10 minutes.

Peach Melba Layer Cake Supreme

Peach melba layer cake sweetened with apple juice concentrate instead of sugar, topped with fresh peaches, raspberries, and fruit spread. Refined-sugar-free homage to the Escoffier classic.

Light & Fruity Fruit Pie

No-bake fruity Jello pie with whipped topping and your choice of fruit in a graham cracker crust. Light, fluffy, and ready in 30 minutes with no oven needed.

Trail Mix Tin Can Quick Bread

Bread machine quick bread packed with dried fruit, nuts, and whole grains. Just load the ingredients and press start for a wholesome loaf studded with raisins, cranberries, blueberries, walnuts, and pecans.

Patelitos (Little Fruit Pies)

Pastelitos, little hand pies filled with mashed dried fruit, honey, and cinnamon in a flaky shortening crust. A traditional Latin American fruit turnover baked golden.

Decadent Whipped Cream & Biscotti

Crisp biscotti soaked in flavored simple syrup until soft, then topped with fresh whipped cream and fruit. A quick Italian-inspired dessert with endless variations.

Pistachio Cream Dessert Pizza

Dessert pizza topped with homemade pistachio custard cream and fresh fruit. A from-scratch pistachio milk custard spread over a baked pizza shell.

Individual Fruit Tarts

Individual rustic fruit tarts with shortcrust pastry, apricot jam glaze, and thinly sliced apples or pears. A French-bistro dessert that bakes in 15 minutes and looks gorgeous.

Cranberry & Fruit Layer (Marguerite Patten)

A classic British summer pudding inspired by Marguerite Patten, layering stewed fruit and cranberry sauce between slices of white bread. Chilled overnight and served with cream or custard.

Donna's Cheesecake

Rich, dense classic cheesecake with two pounds of cream cheese, sour cream, and butter, baked low and slow then cooled in the oven for a crack-free top. Crustless, ready for any topping.

Mix & Match Cereal Gorp

Mix and match cereal gorp is a no-cook trail mix with cereal, nuts, dried fruit, and chocolate chips. Build your own flavor combo and chill for an hour before snacking.

Monster Bread

Monster-shaped bread for Halloween made from store-bought dough with cinnamon sugar filling, raisin eyebrows, and candy decorations. A fun baking project kids can help shape and decorate.

Teisen Sir Fon (Anglesey Cake)

Teisen Sir Fon: a traditional Welsh fruit cake from Anglesey, made with lard, molasses, mixed spice, ginger, and dried fruit. Humble, deeply flavored, and rooted in North Wales tea-time baking.

Fresh Fruit Ambrosia

Fresh fruit ambrosia with a blended banana and orange juice dressing, spiced with nutmeg and cardamom, topped with coconut. No mayo, no marshmallows.

Barb's Fruitful Morning Meusli

Overnight muesli with rolled oats soaked in apple juice, vanilla yogurt, and fresh fruit. No cooking required, just mix, refrigerate overnight, and top with toasted nuts.

Phyllo Fruit Nests

Phyllo fruit nests are an oil-free, low-fat dessert: torn phyllo sheets baked into crisp golden cups, then filled with poached pears or apples and a drizzle of fragrant syrup.

Fruit Soup #2

Fruit soup thickened with tapioca, sweetened with honey, and topped with sliced banana. Serve hot or chilled as a dessert, appetizer, or over cornbread.

Banana 'N Walnut Lite Delight

Layered banana, mixed fresh fruit, non-fat vanilla yogurt, and chopped walnuts assembled in 10 minutes. A light, no-cook dessert or breakfast parfait with no added sugar.

Sparkling Fruit Smoothies

Sparkling fruit smoothies blend yogurt, fresh fruit, and a pinch of nutmeg, topped with champagne, sparkling water, or ginger ale. A fizzy brunch drink ready in minutes.

Sparkling Fruit Smoothies

Sparkling fruit smoothies blend yogurt, fresh fruit, and a pinch of nutmeg, topped with champagne, sparkling water, or ginger ale. A fizzy brunch drink ready in minutes.

Summer Pudding

Classic British summer pudding made with softened berries and white bread, chilled overnight until the juices soak through. Unmold for a jewel-toned dome of fruit served with whipped cream.

Queen of Muffins

Light, tender fruit muffins made with egg substitute and low-fat milk. A versatile base recipe that works with blueberries, cranberries, or any fruit you have on hand. Gentle mixing is the secret to a fluffy crumb.

No-Guilt Cheesecake

Low-fat cheesecake made with overnight-strained yogurt and blended cottage cheese instead of cream cheese. Dense, silky, and tangy on a graham cracker crust with no cream cheese at all.

Heavenly Angel Food Cake

Frozen angel food cake layered with frozen yogurt and frosted in whipped topping, then garnished with fresh fruit. A light, easy ice-cream-style cake you can customize to any yogurt flavor.

Island Fruit Cooler

Island fruit cooler mixes pineapple juice, papaya or mango nectar, and lemon-lime soda over ice for a refreshing tropical drink ready in 5 minutes. Non-alcoholic.

Mulled Summer Fruits in Chenin Blanc

Mulled summer fruits in Chenin Blanc, a make-ahead dessert of peaches, berries, and apricots soaked in spiced white wine syrup. Served chilled with sorbet or whipped cream.

Yogurt Shakes

Yogurt fruit shakes blended with plain yogurt, orange juice, banana, and your choice of fresh or frozen fruit. A creamy, naturally sweetened smoothie base you can customize endlessly.

Fruit Bars Part 1 - Dough

Fruit bar dough: a chill-and-rest whole wheat cookie dough that pairs with any fruit filling. The hearty, wheat-germ-boosted base for homemade fruit-filled bar cookies.

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