How to Make a Fruit Reduction

By: Aya Pauli

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A fruit reduction is a simple way to bring out the flavor of fresh fruits. Making a reduction involves boiling away the water in the fruit so that the flavor intensifies. Any fruit and fruit juice combination may be used to create a reduction, so it’s easy to customize. For the greatest ease, you don’t even have to use fruit -- reductions can be made with just juice. Either way, the thick concentrate is tasty as a sauce for everything from steamed asparagus to vanilla ice cream. It also pairs well with meats such as chicken and pork loin.

Step 1

Wash, peel, deseed and remove the stem from the fruit as needed. Cut the fruit into small pieces. Place the fruit in a small saucepan and mash into a chunky pulp with a fork.

Step 2

Place the saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir the juice into the saucepan. Bring the mixture to a high simmer, stirring frequently.

Step 3

Reduce the heat to low. Simmer the fruit mixture until the sauce has reduced by at least half, stirring frequently. Continue to simmer, stirring frequently, until the desired consistency is reached. Remove the sauce from the heat and let cool for a few minutes before serving.