Red Wine Macerated Winter Fruit Recipes

RED WINE MACERATED BERRY SHORTCAKES

Steps:

• In a saucepan, combine the Chianti and the sugar. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and reduce by 2/3. Remove from the heat and cool completely. In a large bowl, combine the berries, the lemon juice and the cooled wine syrup. Refrigerate for 2 hours, up to 24 hours. Whip the cream to soft peaks. Add the confectioner's sugar and vanilla and whip to medium stiff peaks. Place one slice of pound cake on 4 plates. Top each slice with 1/2 cup of the red wine macerated berries. Place another slice of pound cake on top of the berries. Top with another 1/2 cup of berries. Top each with a dollop of whipped cream. Garnish with 1 whole strawberry.

RED WINE-MACERATED WINTER FRUIT

Steps:

• Remove zest from lemon with a vegetable peeler and squeeze juice from lemon. In a saucepan bring water to a boil with zest, lemon juice, wine, sugar, and cinnamon stick, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Simmer mixture 15 minutes.
• While mixture is simmering, peel and core pineapple and cut into bite-size pieces. Halve figs if using. Pour hot syrup through a sieve into a bowl. Stir pineapple and dried fruit into syrup and cool. Chill fruit, covered, at least 8 hours and up to 2 days.
• Serve fruit with mascarpone or crème fraîche and biscotti.

MACERATED FRUIT

Steps:

• Combine your ingredients of choice in a medium bowl and toss together until the fruit is evenly coated. For inspiration, try some of my favorite fruit, herb and spice combinations, such as Peach and Ginger, Blackberry and Mint, Cherry and Cinnamon and Strawberry and Vanilla.
• Cover the bowl with reusable or regular plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours, stirring about halfway through and gently pressing the fruit with a rubber spatula until the liquid completely covers the fruit.
• After the 24 hours, strain the liquid through a fine-mesh sieve, gently pressing on the fruit with a rubber spatula to extract as much juice as possible. Reserve both the fruit and the liquid. Discard any other solids, such as herb sprigs, whole spices or aromatics.
• Serving suggestions for the macerated fruit: Serve immediately on top of yogurt with granola, or desserts, such as grilled pound cake or ice cream. You can also muddle the fruit into cocktails or add it to sangria. The fruit can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 or 4 days or frozen for up to 6 months. Thaw before serving.
• The macerated liquid can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week or frozen in an ice cube tray. Once frozen, cover with reusable or regular plastic wrap and freeze for up to 6 months. You can use a small offset spatula to help remove individual cubes from the tray, then thaw the macerated liquid as needed.
• Serving suggestions for the macerated liquid:
• Homemade soda: For 1 serving, pour 1/4 cup macerated liquid in a tall glass filled with ice, top with 12 ounces sparkling water and serve.
• Fruit shrub: For the shrub base, combine 1 part macerated liquid with 1 part apple cider vinegar (for example, 1/2 cup of each). Mix to evenly combine. For 1 serving, pour 1/4 cup of the shrub base into a tall glass filled with ice, top with 12 ounces sparkling water and serve.
• Fruit vinaigrette: Turn your shrub base (see above) into a vinaigrette. Whisk 1 part shrub base with 1 part neutral oil (such as canola, grapeseed or vegetable oil; for example, 1/4 cup of each) in a bowl until emulsified. Season the vinaigrette with salt and pepper. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
• Fruit syrup: Bring the macerated liquid to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook until reduced by half and thickened to the consistency of maple syrup-it should coat the back of a spoon without running off very quickly. Let the syrup cool completely, then serve over ice cream, pancakes, oatmeal, or yogurt and granola. The syrup also makes for a great gift when poured into a jar. It can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

MACERATED FRUIT

Steps:

• Stir together fruit and alcohol in a jar. Cover, and let stand for at least 2 hours.

RED-WINE-MACERATED PEACHES, BERRIES, AND ORANGES

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine red wine, brown sugar, and star anise and bring to a boil over medium-high. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes (you should have 1 cup).
• Arrange fruit in a 1 1/2-quart shallow dish. Discard star anise from wine mixture, then pour over fruit. Let sit at room temperature until fruit is thawed, about 1 hour.

PRUNES IN RED WINE

Steps:

• Combine wine, orange peel, peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon sticks and allspice in a 2-quart saucepan. Bring to a simmer. Stir in sugar. Simmer 10 minutes. Add prunes, simmer 10 minutes more. Remove from heat. Stir in triple sec.
• Transfer to a bowl, cover and set aside up to 3 hours before serving, turning prunes in wine syrup from time to time. Strain, reserving syrup in a bowl. Return prunes to syrup and discard spices. Serve at once, with a dollop of cream if desired, or refrigerate until ready to serve.

MACERATED DRIED FRUITS AND NUTS

Steps:

• Mix all the ingredients together; add more water if necessary, enough to cover the fruit by an inch or two. Cover and put aside (if your house is very warm, refrigerate).
• Stir every few hours, for 12 to 24 hours. Serve when the fruits are tender.