HOLLIS, N.H. — The holiday season is here! Snow has started to fall and people are buying last-minute gifts and preparing for visits from family & friends. When making your holiday plans, don’t forget to include New Hampshire-grown fruit under the tree or on the table!
With less than a week to go until Christmas consider giving the gift of fruit! NH-grown fruit is a practical, usable gift that many will enjoy, especially if sending fruits to relatives and friends in places where they are not available. NH fruit products are also a good way to include fruit into gift giving. Local bakeries, restaurants, breweries, cideries, or wineries may use NH-grown fruits in their products. Giving gifts made by these kinds of business helps support your local fruit growers and local businesses in general.
Another way to incorporate NH fruit into your holiday festivities is through cooking. NH-grown fruits can be used in all kinds of ways from pre-meal drinks and appetizers to dessert. Fruits like apricots can add some sweetness to savory dishes by being turned into a glaze or sauce. Apples or pears can also be added to more traditional side dishes to add a new flavor to a well-known dish.
Baking desserts is the easiest way to enjoy fruit at Christmas time. Certain cookies like Thumbprint cookies use various kinds of fruit-based jams. Pies or cobblers are always a hit and can use any kind of fruit you like. The adventurous baker can put their skills to the test with an English Plum Pudding that is traditionally eaten at Christmas time. The greatly loved or greatly hated Fruitcake is another Christmas dessert that can use NH-grown fruit.
The possibilities are endless when it comes to using fruit in your bakes. In giving, receiving, or cooking, there are many ways to include New Hampshire-grown fruit into your holiday celebrations. To find an orchard or farm near you, or to find some dessert ideas visit the New Hampshire Fruit Growers Association website at www.nhfruitgrowers.org.
About the New Hampshire Fruit Growers Association:
The NH Fruit Growers Association (NHFGA) is a non-profit association made up of tree fruit farmers, commercial, and supporting members who share a passion for New Hampshire-grown apples, peaches, cherries, plums, and pears. Among the association’s approximately 30 member orchards and farms, there’s diversity in size, fruit, and farm products, but they all gladly share the hard work of taking great care to grow quality fresh fruit for their customers. Keep up with NHFGA on Facebook and Instagram (@NHFruitGrowers) for nutrition information, fun facts, recipes, and more!
–New Hampshire Fruit Growers Association