Using fruit as a healthy substitute in cooking

Being an avid user of Twitter I tend to be logged on to the site all day every day.  I find it a fascinating way to keep up with the goings on in the world.  During a regular day of being nosey and seeing what everyone had to shout about I noticed a tweet that took my interest.  It mentioned that fruit can be used as a substitute for certain ingredients in baking.  This struck a particular chord with me because here at Simply Nectar we know only too well that fruit can be used instead of sugar.  Simply Nectar drinks don’t contain any refined sugars.  If the drinks need sweetening at all we just add a dash of grape juice.  That is all they need.   Knowing this I was then intrigued to find out more about other ways fruit can be used to sweeten products and what else it can replace.  My curiosity encouraged me to delve deeper into the subject and this is what I found out.

Fruit can be used to replace artificial sugars and sweeteners in most recipes.  You can swap about half a cup of fruit for one cup of sugar.  It can be used in all forms too – from liquid to solid.  Fruit juice – such as Simply Nectar (of course!) – can be used to add sweetness to food.  If you want to juice your own fruit then you can obviously do this but make sure you use the fruit pulp as well as the juice because this can thicken as well as sweeten.  Another thick liquid you can use is apple sauce.  This can be used as a healthy replacement to butter and oil as it has similar properties to these ingredients.  It allows the finished product to retain its moisture so deducting oil or butter from the recipe won’t dry it out.

Image courtesy of Ambro / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Purees are also a good way to add sweetness and the trusty apple can be used once again.  An apple puree will work especially well in many baked goods.  Pear and prune puree can also work well as they can replace a significant amount of sugar in cake mixtures in particular.  You can even play around with sweet vegetable purees like pumpkin, sweet potato or butternut squash.  They all add nutritional benefits.  You could try using the purees with spices such as cinnamon or nutmeg.   You can make your own puree or sauce by simmering one cup of water with around a quarter of a cup of fruit for about an hour.

Image courtesy of Bill Longshaw / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

As well as pureeing the fruit, you can use overripe fruits such as pears, bananas, figs and mangoes.  If you drain off the excess juice from these fruits then you can usually use an equal ratio of fruit to sugar.  Overripe fruit doesn’t just have to be added to recipes either.  Why not mash it up to form a paste which can then be used as a topping.  Smother it on toast, bagels or muffins instead of jam or chocolate spread.

Image courtesy of Grant Cochrane / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Another option is to use the zest of a lemon, orange or lime to add sweetness and enhance the fruitiness of a dish.  Dried fruits also work well.  Try fruits such as plums, apricots, raisins and cranberries.  When fruit is dried it retains its natural sugars and so can provide bursts of sweetness if used in baking.  Take caution though.  Dried fruit is very dense so it needs to be used in small quantities in particular recipes, otherwise it may ruin the end product.  It may sink to the bottom of the mixture or not get distributed equally. 



Image courtesy of Rawich / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

So there we have it; the proof that fruit can be used in lots of ways and can be used to replace many ingredients.  We all for getting rid of added sugar in food and drinks and now you can help us.  Stop including artificial sugars and sweeteners in your recipes and start using fruit.  It’s pure, natural goodness and by the sounds of it it’s also very easy to use.  Give it a try and see for yourself.

Simply fruit,

Simply Nectar

Funny looking fruit? We respect it all

I have heard recently that wonky fruit is rife across supermarket shelves at the moment.  Hurrah!  Let’s hear it for the fruit!  Apparently because of Britain’s unpredictable weather of late all our fruit is growing a little strangely.  And best of all is that people are buying the fruit regardless of how it looks.  That’s what we like to hear!  At the end of the day, the fruit is going to get eaten so why does it matter what it looks like?

We at Simply Nectar are rather pleased that the fruit being sold at the moment is mishappen.  Why?  Well, because we are never prejudice against the fruit.  We happily take all shapes and sizes of fruit for our drinks.  Besides, it’s not the look that counts but the flavour.  We do nothing but respect the fruit and that shines through in all our drinks.  We only take the juice and pulp after all.  The rest is fed to our livestock.  Plus, it’s not like our drinks come out looking like this, is it?! 

But perhaps they should?!

Supermarkets across the country are having to relax their rules on what fruit looks like in order to take on all the strange shaped stock.  A campaign by farmers means that supermarkets are not allowed to waste perfectly good food just because it looks a bit odd.  “Hear, hear,” that’s what we say.  All fruit should be allowed on the shelves if it is perfectly tasty and in date.  Surely we are not a nation to judge fruit on its appearance?  Apparently we are.  EU rules on fruit that is out of shape were relaxed in 2009 but some shops and supermarkets still want high standards so, according to them, all fruit must be the so called right colour and right shape.  Some farmers are forced to throw away up to 40 per cent of their stock because of these strict rules.  This isn’t good because it’s putting some farmers out of business.  This is something we need to try and banish as soon as possible.

Luckily it seems that a lot of consumers agree with us because many people are still buying fruit, regardless of whether it is a little (or a lot) out of shape.  Good on you Britain – support your farmers and don’t judge the fruit based on its shape.  They’re growing naturally into any shape they want – just as Mother Nature intended.  And come on let’s face it, some odd shaped pieces of fruit are rather funny to eat and look at.  Here are some good examples:

Photo: joannagoddard.blogspot.co.uk

Photo: carsickdave.blogspot.co.uk

Photo: onnthoughts.blogspot.co.uk

Photo:  forums.soompi.com

Photo:  fotozup.com

Photo:  www.sunlive.co.nz
 

So there we have some odd/rude looking pieces of fruit.  Have you come across any strange ones yourself?  Have you ever taken photos?  If so, let us know.  If not go hunting in the supermarkets for some - now is the time to do it after all!

Simply odd looking fruit.

Simply Nectar

Uses for fruit juice in cooking

Great news for chocolate lovers!  Good news for fruit juice lovers too!  A new chocolate has been invented that will have less fat than normal chocolate.  Why?  Because the designers behind it have replaced the fat with fruit juice.  Hurrah!  In fact, according to chemists at the University of Warwick, the brains behind the new product, up to 50 per cent of the chocolate’s fat content has been replaced with the juice.  They also claim that they have spent months making sure the ‘mouthfeel’ of the chocolate is perfect.

According to the scientists, people crave the indulgent sensations of chocolate which are brought on by the fat i.e. the silky smooth texture and the way it melts in the mouth.  But Dr Stefan Bon from the Department of Chemistry at the University of Warwick has said he and his team have found a way to maintain those characteristics by using fruit juice.  Sounds delicious if you use us!

This got us thinking about other uses for fruit juice.  As well as drinking Simply Nectar you could use it for all manner of things.  Here is a little list of examples.

Ice lollies or frozen yoghurt

Fill some ice lolly moulds with Simply Nectar, add some water and stick them in the freezer for delicious ice lollies.  Or simply add some yoghurt to the juice and try making frozen yoghurt/ice cream.

Photo: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Cereal topping

If you’re not a fan of milk perhaps use Simply Nectar for cereal.  Pour it on and enjoy a fruity sensation for breakfast…or lunch, or dinner – whenever!

Cake ingredient

Perhaps add some Simply Nectar to cake mixture to give it a fruity kick.  Or alternatively add it to icing sugar or butter icing to give a flavoured cake topping or filling.

Photo: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Meat or fish flavouringRather than adding beer or wine to meat or fish, perhaps add a splash of Simply Nectar when it’s cooking.  It’ll soak into the meat/fish and add a fruity flavour.

Salad dressingCombine Simply Nectar with a vinegarette and drizzle over salad for an exotic twist on a regular dish.

Photo: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

So, what do you think?  Would you use Simply Nectar for any of these? If you have any other suggestions please do let us know.

Simply fruit juice uses,

Simply Nectar

(For more detail on the chocolate story, please see: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2188119/Good-news-chocaholics-Scientists-replace-fat-FRUIT-JUICE-create-healthy-chocolate-bars.html#ixzz252SGTST2)

New Year's resolutions made simple with Simply Nectar

Happy New Year everyone.  We hope you saw in 2012 in pure Simply Nectar style.  We did of course.  How else would we see it in?!  Now, as it’s the New Year we know that many of you will be making resolutions.  Whether you keep them up is a whole different thing but I’m sure the effort will be made – for the first few weeks at least!

We have been looking at the most common New Year’s resolutions and we have seen that they all revolve around looking and feeling good.  Some of the most popular resolutions include:
 

• Keeping a healthy diet
• Joining a gym
• Giving up smoking/drinking
• Spending time with family and friends
• Learning a new skill
• Enjoying life more
• Not getting stressed
• Achieving career goals

Courtesy of Ambro / freedigitalphotos.net

Now, we’re not claiming to be able to turn you into a buff, toned, health and fitness guru but we reckon we may be able to help.  How?  Well, by pushing Simply Nectar of course :)  Apologies for the shameless self promotion but we believe Simply Nectar really could help you keep to your resolutions – or some of them anyway.

We can help with the healthy diet goal and possibly the giving up drinking goal.  We can even help with enjoying life more because consuming more fruit means a healthier mind and body.  This means you’re set up to be happier, more confident and more ambitious.  

A daily intake of fruit can benefit the body in numerous ways.  It can aid weight loss, energy gain and the daily intake of water.  Fruit contains 80% water so adding more to the diet means an increased overall water intake.  Fruit can also help digestive problems, lower cholesterol levels and stimulate the memory.  Incredible huh?

Courtesy of Grant Cochrane / freedigitalphotos.net

Here at Simply Nectar we produce eight different flavoured drinks.  The drinks contain natural fruit and are free from pesticides and refined sugars.  If the drinks need sweetening at all only natural lemon or grape juice is added.  There are no other ingredients – the drinks are pure simplicity, hence the name, Simply Nectar.

The flavours are:

• Raspberry – raspberries are loaded with vitamins, antioxidants and fibre
• Citron Presse – lemons are high in vitamins, help digestion and prevent vomiting, throat trouble, acidity and rheumatism 
• Pear – pears are high in vitamins, fibre, antioxidants, folate and boron
• Mango – mangos are rich in pre-biotic dietary fibre, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants
• Apricot – apricots are low in calories and are a rich source of dietary fibre, vitamins and minerals. They are packed with numerous health promoting phyto-chemicals; that helps prevent heart disease, reduce cholesterol levels and offer protection against cancers
• Peach – peaches are a good source of many different vitamins and minerals, but one that is particularly important is potassium
• Orange – oranges are an excellent source of vitamin C and flavonoids.  One orange supplies nearly 100 percent of the recommended daily dietary intake of vitamin C.  They are high in fibre, potassium, folic acid, calcium and amino acids
• Apple – apples are a rich source of dietary fibre. They are also high in sources of antioxidant and the mineral boron, which helps to promote bone growth
  
  

Photo by Laura Collins

If you make virgin cocktails with the Simply Nectar you won’t crave alcohol because the taste of the fruit will be so good without it.  The fruit will enhance natural happiness and energy levels so alcohol will not be needed in this respect either.

Finally, if you drink Simply Nectar while reading a foreign dictionary you may even get to learn a language…that’s definitely attempting to get a new skill under your belt.

Sorted!

Simply resolutions.

Simply Nectar