*Easy + Healthy Way To Thicken Fruit Jam* *Add Instant Flavor To Fruit Salad* *1-Ingredient Watermelon Pops* *Pretty Pineapple Infused Water* *Chill Wine With Frozen Fruit*
We just can’t stop blogging about summer fruit so today I bring you our second edition of Healthy Kitchen Hacks dedicated to summer fruit (–> here’s our Healthy Kitchen Hacks – Summer Fruit Edition Part 1 from last year.)
There’s SO much to celebrate in summer when it comes to seasonal fruit and these are my latest shortcuts, recipes and “ahas” when it comes to enjoying it over these next few months.
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1) Easy + Healthy Way to Thicken Fruit Jam
via Julie @RDelicious Kitchen
When it comes to making jams and jellies or even canning foods, I don’t usually go there because I’m overwhelmed by the process. Do I have the right equipment? How long do I have to sterilize the jars? Where do I buy pectin? Can I go curl up in a ball in a corner?
Now, I realize it does not have to be that complicated (basically I need to fly Serena out to Philly for the weekend to hold my hand through process or maybe re-read her stellar Canning with Kids post.) But in the meantime, I’m loving the easy – and the “no pectin required” – Raspberry Lime Chia Jam from RD blogger Julie @ RDelicious Kitchen.
This is a fool-proof, super easy jam recipe that uses chia seeds instead of pectin or extra sugar to thicken the jam. The whole process takes 15 minutes tops and you could easily swap in whatever summer fruit you like. And true dietitian confession: this is first time I’ve actually bought and used chia seeds!
2) Add Instant Flavor to Summer Fruit Salad
This is an embarrassingly easy tip – I almost hate to call it a hack but now I’m using it with almost any fruit concoction I’m making. Add a teaspoon or two of vanilla extract to your fruit cup or fruit salad recipe and wait for your family/guests/friends to ask for the recipe!
Try it: Honey Panzanella Fruit Salad
Add instant flavor to fruit salad! Learn the trick + 4 more summer fruit #HealthyKitchenHacks @tspbasil Click To Tweet3) 1-Ingredient Watermelon Popsicles
via @ChopChop Magazine
Over the years, I’ve professed my love for ChopChop magazine, whose mission is to inspire and teach kids to cook real food with their families. My daughter pours over each issue and she’s excited to get in the kitchen to try out the recipes even the simple ones like sticking a few vegetables on a straw and calling it Salad on a Stick.
Or in this case, cutting a watermelon into wedges, sticking popsicle sticks in the rind and freezing for an hour. We’ve made these Frozen Watermelon “Popsicles” 3 times already and she’s still totally into them. I’m bringing popsicle sticks to the beach next week so all her cousins can get in on the action, too.
4) Pretty Pineapple Infused Water
via @DolePics
A few Healthy Kitchen Hacks posts ago, I share the tip for adding a mango pit to your water pitcher for a lovely infused flavor. Now thanks to a IG post from Dole Pics, my new favorite water flavor is pineapple. When you add pineapple rings to a water pitcher, not only do they give a delicious hint of pineapple flavor, they also make a pretty presentation.
If you don’t have a pineapple corer (umm, who does?) and you are starting with a whole pineapple, cut the pineapple into slices (after removing top and skin.) Then take a melon baller or metal tablespoon and scoop out the tough core in the middle of each ring. You can always use canned pineapple rings, too.
5) Chill Wine with Frozen Summer Fruit
via @HouseBeautiful
The pros for using frozen fruit to chill wine are 1) it cools the wine down without diluting it (as ice cubes would) and 2) it sure looks pretty! Adding frozen grapes to white wine was a hack I featured last summer and now we take it a step further.
Check out this fun infographic via House Beautiful that gives suggestions on several summer frozen fruit and wine pairings. But when it comes down to it, you can’t go wrong with any summer fruit and wine combination IMHO.
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Would you try any of these hacks? Do you have any healthy kitchen or healthy living shortcuts to share? Shoot us an email (or share in comments below and we’ll try them out.)
Sarah Grace Spann
Sunday 17th of July 2016
I loved your first post, and now I LOVE this one too! Definitely love the frozen fruit in wine idea! genius!
xo, Sarah Grace
Deanna Segrave-Daly
Sunday 17th of July 2016
You've always been such a great support of our HKH series and for that we thank you! And definitely putting that wine tip to good use this summer :)
Meal Makeover Mom Janice
Sunday 17th of July 2016
Love your hacks, as always! I think I'll pump up my fruit salad first, then make the jam!
Deanna Segrave-Daly
Sunday 17th of July 2016
Whoot! LMK how the fruit salad and jam turn out :)