It's stone fruit season!

It’s well and truly stone fruit season in Canberra, with apricots and plums overwhelming us with their bounty.

It can take a bit of creative thinking to use up this produce while it is available. Stewing fruit is a quick and easy way of using large amounts of fruit quickly. It’s especially good for using fruit that is overripe, bruised or unattractive for eating.  Freeze the cooked fruit, eat it with yoghurt for breakfast, or make a crumble for desert.

Many varieties of fruit are delicious when stewed. Mixing several types of fruit can be a good way to use things up before they go bad. Adding a lemon or other citrus can add depth and flavour, and apples can be good to bulk out other fruits.

During a heat wave, we like to avoid putting the oven on at all costs – so how on earth to make a crumble?

1.       Place 500g seasonal fruit in a pan and cook on medium heat with the lid on. When the fruit begins to turn mushy add two heaped tablespoons of sugar, remove the lid and let the liquid reduce. When the consistency is fairly thick, taste and add more sugar if desired.

2.       Mix 1 cup oats, ½ cup plain flour, 2 tbsp chopped almonds, 2 tbsp desiccated coconut, 2tbsp brown sugar 1tsp cinnamon. Add 3tbsp softened butter and rub through the mixture with clean hands.

3.       Heat a large, heavy based frying pan and toast the crumble mixture until fragrant and brown. Stir continually to prevent burning.

Place the stewed fruit into a dish and sprinkle the crumble over the top. You just made a baked desert without using the oven!