Emptying the freezer, gradually… and finding bags of fruit… gluts from last year or maybe even older…
apricots, figs, blackcurrants, plums
I’d be grateful for some ideas of any “specials” that I can have a go at…
rather than just turning them into Jams
(the cellar shelves are already laden with jams going back rather a long way… )
cheers
Fruit sorbets…make a light sugar syrup, pop fruit in to cook a little, blend into mush, pass through a sieve to get seeds out, and freeze - breaking it up every 20 mins if you don’t have a machine. 500g fruit makes approx 1l of sorbet.
No… I don’t have a machine, so it would mean in and out of the freezer every 20 minutes.
It’s certainly a thought… I’ll have to check the sugar requirements as I keep everything as low as possible.
Then fruit syrups…alcoholic or non alcoholic. Alcoholic keeps longer. Not sure about fig tho’! Or fruit leather/pate de fruit. Useful for picnics, with cheese, or as gifts. I made a big block last year that I kept in a container and just chopped off a slice as and when needed, it lasted to christmas.
Or I’ll send my dog round and he’ll eat the lot. He has just stripped our raspberries!
Ha ha… I’ll pop your dog in the freezer… and he can eat his fill.
I’ve no idea how long this stuff has been frozen. I get given gluts and I move them on… keeping back some for us… and it normally gets made into jam/jelly and enjoyed by friends and family.
for this to have ended up frozen… obviously everyone was “up to here” with fruit… and it’s quite possible that some of this frozen fruit is about 5 years old… It looks OK though and I’m loathe to just chuck it on the compost…
Leave them for the birds, butterflies and other wildlife.
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](https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/richly-spiced-plum-chutney)
This is great with meats and cheese
The other Jane has given you great ideas. Make coulis for puddings with the blackcurrants and raspberries, or sauces to go with ice cream.
If I had a garden space where I could leave them for the wildlife… without attracting wasps to me and our neighbours… I would be happy to do just that.
I already put a few tiny pieces of fresh fruit on the “bird table” and it’s lovely to see what arrives… but not possible with these freezer stocks…
I use jams/jellies to make sauces etc… and add them to a wide variety of recipes as well
You’ve given me an idea… might try adding vinegar to some of my old jars of jelly to make a spicy sauce for ice cream… that’s an idea and will use up the cellar stocks… eventually.
(we don’t eat much ice cream 
)… but it could be tasty on yoghurt
Yes, yoghurt just as good.
useful link… thanks given me some more ideas…
I do make a tomato chutney… our American friends take home a jar or two every year … they eat it at Christmas and raise a glass to la Belle France… 
Hi Stella, I immediately thought of crumbles although it might be a bit warm where you are for a warming winter crumble. Alternatively, maybe try something like these overnight oats for breakfast. You can use any fruit, doesn’t have to be berries.
Izzy x
cheers Irene…
you’ve given me some ideas.
Certainly, much too hot for crumble… but that is a winter favourite.
Just goes to show, one should not “hide” stuff at the bottom of the freezer… we could have lived for weeks last winter on crumble of various sorts… 
If some of it has been there for 5 years check it hasn’t got freezer burn. Would be shame to fo to the trouble of making something only to find it tastes of eating iron filings.
The easiest thing is just blitz them into smoothies but the most appealing idea is for future surplus crops would be take them to you local licensed distiller and have them converted to eau de vie even if you don’t touch it yourself it could be a good present at Christmas 
I’ve a feeling that’s why some of it is in there… a chap comes once every few years and “does the necessary”.
We’ve enjoyed several gifts of this hooch over the years… phew… could sink the Titanic 
I think you could make some open tarts, esp with the apricots, plums, figs (separately)
Frangipan tarts are delicious:
Summer pudding - certainly for blackcurrants + add some other red fruits. Delicious!
I freeze my figs loose (flash freeze on pans first) in 1/2 - 1kg bags. I then dump a bag in the bottom of the slow cooker, add sliced onions / garlic etc, a lovely porc shoulder on top (generally give it a quick brown in a pan). Deglaze pan wiht some stock, add into slow cooker. I then usually make up a mix of honey or maple syrup, a splash of worster sauce, soy or whatever you fancy really and spread that over the pork. If you go asian flavours you can also add chilli / 5 spice / hoisin sauce etc. Slow cook all day, you end up with unctuous pork you can cut into hunks or shred for pulled pork. The figs and onions etc all cook down to a lovely sauce. If not thick enough, transfer to a pan and just reduce a bit.
One of my favorite winter dishes HOWEVER I had an epiphany in the worst of the heat last summer as I was so sick of BBQs and I hate cooking inside when it is super hot and it suddenly struck me my slow cooker can cook all day outside and heat up out there! Made a wonderful change, had it as pulled pork rolls with salads, coleslaw etc - yum!! I’d actually forgotten about that - might do that next week when it gets really hot again (roasting today but too late and cooling off tomorrow so can have normal food!)