Fruit, which has a naturally high glycemic index, is the sweetest natural food available in the produce section. Some fruits, such as berries, pineapple, mango and bananas, possess more sweetness than others. Ripe fruit tends to be sweeter than unripe or hothouse-produced fruits and fruits which are in season will always taste sweeter than fruits enjoyed out of season. However, no matter how sweet fruit is naturally, there are ways to make it sweeter and perhaps more appealing.
Step 1
Choose the fruit you wish to sweeten; any fruit will work. However, fresh, unblemished fruit is more desirable than fruit chosen out of season.
Step 2
Slice the fruit into bite-sized portions with a sharp knife and place it into a bowl.
Step 3
Add vanilla extract, almond extract and unrefined sugar to the sliced fruit and mix gently to ensure total coverage.
Step 4
Sprinkle lemon juice over the sweetened fruit to prevent browning and stir the mixture gently and thoroughly to distribute the lemon juice evenly.
Step 5
Place the sweetened fruit into the refrigerator and allow it to sit for at least 20 minutes before serving.
Tips and Warnings
- Serve sweetened fruit over ice cream, angel food cake and shortening bread, or use it in baked goods for a delightfully sweet treat. Fresh whipped cream will also complement sweetened fruit beautifully for a simple and decadent treat.
- Individuals with blood sugar issues should not consume sweetened fruit. Instead, diabetics who wish to further increase the sweetness of small fruit portions may use small amounts of herbal stevia, which has a low glycemic index while being several times sweeter than natural sugar. Sweetened fruit is low in fat but is not a low-calorie food, nor is it ideal for dental health.
Things You'll Need
- Fresh fruit
- Sharp knife
- Bowl
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp. almond extract
- 1/2 cup unrefined, unbleached sugar
- 1 tsp. lemon juice
References
- "The Nutrition Almanac"; Luvanne Dunne; 2001
- "The Book of Herbal Wisdom: Using Plants as Medicines"; Matthew Wood; 1997
- "Julia's Kitchen Wisdom: Essential Techniques and Recipes from a Lifetime of Cooking"; Julia Child; 2009
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