The Secret To Turning Canned Fruit Into Cobbler-Worthy Filling

If you love desserts, such as bakery-worthy blueberry pie and gluten-free peach cobbler, but never have the time or energy to follow multi-step, fruit-based recipes, there's one shortcut you need to consider: To avoid buying, cleaning, and chopping fresh fruit every time you want a freshly baked cobbler, use a few cans of pre-cut fruit instead. Thankfully, Chowhound staff was able to get the thumbs up regarding the use of canned fruit in bakery-style recipes from Dan Pelosi, author of the new cookbook, "Let's Party: Recipes and Menus for Celebrating Every Day."

When asked if home chefs could replace fresh fruit with canned in their go-to sweet treats, Pelosi states "you can, it just may be a bit on the sweeter side, so adjust the sugar levels across the rest of the recipe. Also, the canned fruit will cook faster than fresh, so keep that in mind as well." Since all varieties of canned fruit are packed in heavy or light sugar syrup, juice, or water, knowing which variety to choose for your recipes is essential. To minimize recipe adjustments, choose produce that's been packed in water and drain the liquid before using. On the other hand, if all you can find is fruit soaked in syrup or juice, Pelosi advises to both "drain and rinse it first." This way, you don't end up with cloyingly sweet cobblers and pies.

Believe it or not, there are many ways to use canned fruit to make multiple fruity, cobbler-style recipes. For example, you can make a mouthwatering peach cobbler with only canned cinnamon rolls and peaches canned in syrup. All you need to do is drain the liquid and use it to make a luscious peach-infused glaze. You can also use this convenient produce as an all-in-one cobbler filling by doctoring up syrup or juice-based cans of fruit with a small amount of additional butter and flour. Depending on the variety of canned fruit you use to make your next cobbler, you may need to make one or two additional recipe adjustments. For example, besides draining and rinsing, Dan Pelosi advises cutting larger portions of canned fruit into equal, manageable pieces before incorporating the produce into your dessert of choice.

Lastly, specific recipes aside, proper rest time is crucial when using canned fruit to make cobbler. According to Pelosi, "my number one tip is to let the cobbler cool before serving. This will allow the juices from the filling to get thick and perfect for serving." Whether you're subbing rinsed, canned fruit for fresh in a traditional recipe or using syrup-laden produce for a more makeshift filling, canned fruit is an easy way to craft tasty, homestyle pies and cobblers in less time.