
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, July 12, 1995                   TAG: 9507130065
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: 10   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: ALMENA HUGHES FOOD EDITOR
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

SPREAD A LITTLE SUMMER

LOOK out for Mother Nature! She's brimming with an abundance of sweet and luscious summer fruits - right now especially fresh peaches, plums and nectarines. Wouldn't it be nice if you could savor that just-picked flavor of nature's incredible offerings all year long?

With convenient canning products and a little help from the kitchen freezer, creating healthy homemade fruit spreads has never been easier.

The benefits of no- and low-sugar freezer spreads are bountiful. A fruit spread is lower in sugar than jam. The reduced-sugar content of these recipes lets more of the natural sweetness of the fruit come through - a taste that no store-bought spread can capture. That's because the fruit isn't cooked in the preparation process. Freezer spreads also retain the true color of the fruit resulting in spreads that are visually appealing. And spreads made with fresh summer fruits are virtually sodium- and fat-free and provide almost 100 percent of their calories from carbohydrates in the form of natural fructose and dietary filler.

In addition to the nutritional benefits, homemade freezer spreads are economical. They make inexpensive gifts for family and friends. Also, glass jars are reusable and recyclable.

To sweeten fruit spreads with less sugar, don't just reduce the amount of sugar or add a sugar substitute without also using modified pectin products (available where you buy regular pectin). These pectins have been developed to jell properly with less sugar, alleviating the runny-spread syndrome.

While you're at it, don't discount other delicious fresh-fruit options, such as jams, butters, chutneys and pie fillings. Long after summer has ended, you'll be able to savor its memory with fresh-fruit flavors guaranteed to warm your heart.

To find out more about "putting foods by," get on the mailing list for the free "Consumer Newsline" newsletter, by writing to Alltrista Corp., Direct Marketing, Dept. CN, P.O. Box 2005, Muncie, Ind. 47307-0005.

For a free periodic newsletter from Kerr, write to: Kerr Kitchen Pantry, Dept. EC, P.O. Box 76961, Los Angeles, Calif. 90076.

To receive a free 96-page "Summer Fare" cookbook, full of summer-fruit recipes, write to: Summer Fare, Dept. EC, California Tree Fruit Agreement, 975 I Street, Reedley, Calif. 93654.

If you think your jam or jelly is good enough to rival the big guys', find out about entering it in the Virginia State Fair competition in Richmond from Sept. 21 - Oct. 1, by calling (804) 228-3200.

Or, locally, attend a free food-preservation workshop, presented by the Roanoke City Office of Virginia Cooperative Extension, covering canning, freezing, pickling and jelly-making. Testing of gauged canner lids (with dials and numbers) also will be offered.

The schedule is: July 19, 3-5 p.m., Norwich Community Center; July 21, 10 a.m.-noon, Eureka Park Community Center; and July 25, 7-9 p.m., Preston Park Community Center. For additional information, call 857-7915.

Recipes for:

LITE NECTARINE-PLUM FREEZER SPREAD

LITE PEACH FREEZER SPREAD

REDUCED SUGAR PEACH SPREAD

STRAWBERRY-RHUBARB JAM

PEACH BUTTER

PEACH CHUTNEY

FROZEN PEACH PIE FILLING

RICHMOND FRIED CHICKEN

by CNB