I’m someone who spent much of her childhood fishing all the cherries out of cans of fruit cocktail (and never really truly grew out of it). But apparently I’m in good company! Yes, even professional chefs look to all kinds of canned fruits to perk up their barbecue spreads, cocktails, and desserts in the summer.
Best of all, you don’t even need to schlep to a restaurant supply store or a charming French country store. At a time when any odd scroll down the ol’ Instagram feed yields all kinds of chef-favorite far-flung ingredients and urgings to only grab the “good” olive oil, it’s even more exciting that all seven of these canned fruits are easy to find, super affordable, and bound to make you look like a professional yourself. Let’s take a look.
1. Pineapple
In life, there are certain guarantees. For me, I have two: I’m really never going to buy a whole pineapple and break it down myself, and I will be making chef and TV personality Andrew Zimmern’s pineapple BBQ sauce all summer long. “Sure, you can grill it,” says Zimmern. But why stop there, right?
A restaurant-quality glaze for grilling chicken or pork ribs is within arm’s reach. “Take [a can of pineapple], purée it with 8 ounces of pineapple juice, one Serrano hot pepper, and two shallots. Place in a pot with a bottle of sake (750 milliliters), and reduce over the lowest heat until glaze-y.”
Buy: Dole Pineapple Slices, $2.09 for 20 ounces at Walmart
2. Cherries
It would appear I’m not the only one sneaking to the fridge to score cherries out of the jar. Both chef Andrew Zimmern and chef Joe Isidori, of Arthur & Sons, swear by Amarena cherries — especially those made by the Italian brand Fabbri. Although these cherries are a classic choice for garnishing an Old Fashioned, both Isidori and Zimmern urge you to use them (and the liquid gold they swim in) for savory purposes.
Zimmern mixes the cherries and syrup with pickle juice for marinating proteins before roasting or grilling, while Isidori can be found puncturing these tart-sweet cherries between pineapple rings for a kitschy, old-school Easter ham.
Buy: Fabbri Amarena Cherries, $15.99 for 8.1 ounces at Amazon
3. Apricots
Chefs, they’re just like us. They too have a tricky time tracking down fruit at peak season, which is why Lisa Steele, recipe developer of Fresh Eggs Daily and host of PBS’s Welcome to My Farm, keeps a few cans of apricots in the pantry. Not only a sweet, jammy addition to morning yogurt, lightly sweetened canned apricots (especially Del Monte’s Lite Apricot Halves) are also a favorite of Steele’s to grill and layer between slices of fresh mozzarella or alongside pork chops.
Buy: Del Monte Lite Apricot Halves, $3.00 for 15 ounces at Walmart
4. Peaches
Much like canned pineapple, juicy, summery peach slices have a bigger fate ahead of them in the form of a killer sweet-savory sauce perfect for grilling chicken, according to Zimmern. This peachy magic trick is simple, too. “Take a [15.25 ounce] can of peaches [like Bristol Farms or Del Monte] and puree it in a blender until smooth,” advises Zimmern. “Whisk in 2/3 of that volume of peaches of dijon mustard, season with salt and pepper, [and] place in a very large bowl.”
Now all that’s left to do is grill up a few dozen chicken wings (or 10 to 12 chicken legs or thighs) until cooked through and lightly charred, toss them in the peach sauce, and serve. Have some leftovers? Zimmern uses this same sauce for dipping fried foods, like shrimp or fish filets, egg rolls, and fried dumplings.
Buy: Del Monte Peach Halves, $1.48 for 15.25 ounces at Walmart
5. Lychees
These sweet, aromatic little fruits are easily found in their adorably poppable pinkish outer skin at your local asian market. You can also find them peeled and de-seeded in canned form for all kinds of desserts, which is the form Jessica Lee-An, executive chef and co-owner of SAE RON, opts for. “I love using canned lychee for its delicate, floral flavor and consistent quality,” says Lee-An, who uses it to create purées for sorbets and other light and delicate desserts. “It adds a soft, aromatic note while also contributing body and texture.”
Buy: Dynasty Lychees, $4.69 for 16 ounces at Instacart
6. Tamarind
Tamarind might not have made its way into your pantry quite yet, but this is a sign to add it to your list of staples. “I can’t make my chutneys, curries, pad Thai or a hundred other dishes without it. Full stop,” says Zimmern, who is a big fan of the concentrated tartness of the tamarind paste made by Neera’s.
Come summer, Zimmern also uses two teaspoons of this must-have ingredient in his go-to warm-weather drink: “Add honey [to the tamarind paste] and whisk into ginger ale. Pour over ice for a superb summer cooler,” Zimmern adds. But don’t stop there. “If you are adulting, add a shot of dark rum.”
Buy: Neera’s Tamarind Paste, $6.99 for 5 ounces at Amazon
Didn’t know pickled limes were a thing? Well, now you do! Chef Jason Lalacona of Miel Nashville leans on Patak’s spicy lime pickle when he needs to add big flavor in a pinch. Patak’s Lime Pickle is a chunky style of pickle that stars limes (rinds and all) along with classic Indian spices like fenugreek, turmeric, cumin seeds, and asafetida.
Jason highly suggests smearing it onto fresh naan for the full tart and spicy experience. Not too into heat? Lalacona has some more user-friendly suggestions for anyone who is sensitive to spice. “A quick stir into some softened cream cheese rounds out the aggressive edges, [and] another great use is to splash a tablespoon or so into a marinade for steak and chicken or even use the separated oil from the pickle to rub on pork before slow cooking or smoking.”
Buy: Patak’s Original Lime Pickle, $9.97 for 10 ounces at Walmart
What canned fruit do you stock up on during summer? Tell us about it in the comments below.
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