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Bringing Out the Best in Fruit BY DANA JACOBI FOR THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE FOR CANCER RESEARCH

The Vernal Equinox on March 20th marks the first day of spring. I celebrate its arrival by serving steamed, tender asparagus and lightly buttered, sweet green peas, two of the season’s earliest vegetables.

For dessert, though, I pass up the picture-perfect, California-grown strawberries that glow prettily at the market. Glorious though they look, their taste is often so disappointing that I prefer to serve canned pears.

It may surprise you to learn I sometimes prefer canned over fresh fruit. But, at this time of year, it makes sense to use canned or frozen fruit. Although many people disdain them because they are processed, they taste better than most of the fresh fruit available in the early spring. They also maintain their nutritional value.

That fresh fruit isn’t always the best tasting is easy to forget. Today’s agricultural giants truck in apples from cold storage and haul strawberries to market where snow still blankets the ground. They bring apricots, nectarines and cherries from Chile, and kiwi fruit from New Zealand. When it is still freezing outside, wheeling a cart down a produce aisle can make one feel like Alice going through the looking glass into Wonderland.

But the fantasy doesn’t last long. Many fruits fare poorly in shipping unless rock hard, especially pears. Some fruit is so hard, it crunches when you bite into it. Picked long before reaching its sweet but fragile peak, its flavor is modest.

By contrast, fruit for processing is picked fully ripe, then handled quickly to maintain its luscious flavor and nutritional content. These hard realities are why canned fruit is a great choice.

Fortunately, you can make out-of-season fruit shine by providing some simple attention in the kitchen. Sprinkle peeled, sliced navel oranges with chopped candied ginger. Float thawed frozen berries and halved, pitted cherries in orange juice spiked with a touch of vanilla extract. Give canned pears gourmet appeal by gently simmering them with dried cranberries and spices. The result is so good people will think the recipe came from a celebrity chef.

Spiced Cranberry Pears - Makes 5 to 6 servings.

3 cups cranberry-raspberry juice
1/2 cup dried cranberries
2 strips orange zest, 2-inches x 1-inch
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
Pinch of ground cloves (or more, if desired)
Two cans (15 oz. each) pear halves in concentrated juice

Place cranberry-raspberry juice, cranberries, zest and spices in a deep saucepan. Bring to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and cook until mixture is reduced to about 2 cups, about 10 to 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, drain pears, reserving liquid for another use. (The juice makes a refreshing beverage mixed equally with club soda.) Place pears in a serving bowl. Pour hot liquid over pears. Set aside to cool and let sit 20 minutes at room temperature before serving. (Pears keep 3 to 4 days, refrigerated.)

Per serving: 183 calories, less than 1 g. total fat (0 g. saturated fat), 46 g. carbohydrate, less than 1 g. protein, 3 g. dietary fiber, 8 mg. sodium.

"Something Different" is written by Dana Jacobi, author of 12 Best Foods Cookbook and contributor to AICR’s New American Plate Cookbook: Recipes for a Healthy Weight and a Healthy Life.

The American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) offers a Nutrition Hotline online at www.aicr.org or via phone 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET, MondayFriday, at 1-800-843-8114. This free service allows you to ask questions about diet, nutrition and cancer. A registered dietitian will respond to your email or call, usually within 3 business days. AICR is the only major cancer charity focusing exclusively on how the risk of cancer is reduced by healthy food and nutrition, physical activity and weight management. The Institute’s education programs help millions of Americans lower their cancer risk. AICR also supports innovative research in cancer prevention and treatment at universities, hospitals and research centers across the U.S. Over $85 million in funding has been provided. AICR is a member of the World Cancer Research Fund International.

ARTICLE POSTED MARCH 17, 2003

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