Ideas for Fruit-Fresh

Canning season is upon us and seasoned canners probably have a can of Fruit-Fresh, the ascorbic acid fruit protector, somewhere amongst their canning equipment and ingredients.

Fruit-Fresh is used to preserve the color and flavor of fresh fruits and some vegetables. It can be used in canning, freezing or drying foods, or sprinkled over fresh fruits used in salads and desserts. Fruit-Fresh keeps these foods from turning that ugly brownish color and also helps to retain the fresh flavor.

The Fruit-Fresh brand has had several owners over the years. Merck & Co., Inc. applied for the Fruit-Fresh trademark in 1957. The present day owners are The Jarden Corp. (formerly Alltrista) who also own the Ball and Kerr glass canning jar brands.

Fruit-Fresh Ideas (24 pages) is a small colorful recipe booklet published by Beecham Products that gives recipes, tips and some basic food preservation instructions for use with the product. It's undated, but looks like it may have been produced sometime in the 1980's.

Here are a few of the special hints on using Fruit-Fresh from the booklet:

• Fruit-Fresh in frozen or canned juices. Fruit-Fresh is an excellent source of ascorbic acid. It gives frozen and canned juices a fresher, natural flavor, too. Add 1 teapsoon of Fruit-Fresh to a 6-oz. can of concentrated frozen juice or 2 teaspoons to a 12-oz. can. For canned juice, add 2 teaspoons Fruit-Fresh to a 46-oz. can.
• For potatoes. It's ideal for keeping them white when making potato pancakes. Grate 4 medium-sized potatoes and add 1 teaspoon Fruit-Fresh to keep them from darkening. Or when making French Fries, add 1-1/2 teaspoons Fruit-Fresh to each 1 quart water used to soak the potatoes.
• For avocados. Maintain the same tempting green shade and preserve the natural fresh flavor by coating all cut surfaces with a solution of 1 teaspoon Fruit-Fresh to each 2 tablespoons of water.
• For peach and apple pies. Combine 1 tablespoon Fruit-Fresh with the sugar. It will preserve both the color and the flavor of the peaches and apples. Serve the pie either fresh or tuck it away in the freezer for later use.
• For picnic packing. Peaches, apples, other fruits can be cut, tossed with Fruit-Fresh and kept fresh in covered-plastic containers until they go to the picnic table.