550 fruit recipes

Polynesian yam casserole with bananas, crushed pineapple, and toasted coconut. A tropical sweet potato bake with just 5 ingredients and no added butter or sugar.

Lester's fruitcake is a heirloom holiday loaf: pounds of candied fruits, figs, dates, raisins, pecans, and walnuts bound in spiced molasses batter. Slow-baked, brandy-soaked, aged a month.

Moist carrot muffins featuring chopped apricots and avocado oil.

Peppernut pear tart with fanned ripe pears on a lebkuchen-hazelnut frangipane filling in buttery shortcrust pastry, spiked with ginger wine. A stunning British-style autumn dessert.

A raw, no-bake peach cobbler layered with coconut, banana, dates, and a fresh black raspberry topping. Naturally sweetened, vegan, and ready in 15 minutes.

Ensalada de Nochebuena, a traditional Mexican Christmas Eve salad with oranges, bananas, beets, jicama, pineapple, peanuts, pomegranate seeds, and sugar cane on a lettuce-lined platter.

Fiery chili salsa for canning: fire-roasted hot peppers and red bells blended with tomatoes, onions, garlic, and vinegar. Shelf-stable jars of serious heat for tacos, eggs, or chili bowls.

Traditional English plum pudding, a steamed Christmas classic packed with raisins, currants, apples, walnuts, and beef suet. Spiced, dense, and deeply boozy-optional.

Norwegian nut bread baked in cans with almonds, filberts, sunflower seeds, raisins, and orange zest. A dense, hearty Scandinavian quick bread with whole wheat and buttermilk.

Spicy Texas barbecue sauce simmered with beer, jalapeños, brown sugar, and lime juice. Bold, smoky heat that clings to ribs, brisket, and chicken.

Franks and beans cooked in the microwave with crushed pineapple, chili sauce, and onion. A sweet and tangy twist on the classic that's ready in under 15 minutes.

This relish is based on a prize-winning English recipe of more than a generation ago. It is less sweet than traditional chutneys; most of its sweetness comes not from sugar, but from apples, dates, and parsnips. I generally use Winesap apples but any well-flavored, crisp eating apple will do.

Barbadians make Black Cake for weddings, birthdays and at Christimas time. Indeed, no Christmas holiday is felt to be complete without black Cake. People from many of the islands make a similar cake. This Black Cake derived from the British Plum Pudding which is a must on their Christmas menu.

Pineapple carrot bread machine recipe made with whole wheat flour, buttermilk, and crushed pineapple. A lightly sweet, veggie-packed loaf with a tender crumb and tropical flavor.

Homemade granola with oats, slivered almonds, coconut, dried cherries, and golden raisins bound with apple juice concentrate and cinnamon. Crunchy, naturally sweetened, oil-free.

Apricot orange almond jam slow-simmers dried apricots with orange zest, cinnamon, lemon, and split almonds, then boils to a glossy preserve. A British-style jam for toast and scones.