What Is the Difference Between Cobblers, Crisps, and Crumbles?

Over the last 10 years, I’ve developed a real sweet tooth. And you know what I really like? Crumbles. Or is it crisps? Wait, maybe it’s cobblers. Uh oh, I might be mixed up. Looks like I’m going to have to figure out what the difference is between cobblers, crisps, and crumbles.

Cobblers

Chowhound’s Easy Peach Cobbler

The cobbler is a dish that originated in America. Well, more accurately put, cobblers came from the British settlers in America during colonial days. Apparently these British colonizers couldn’t rustle up the requisite ingredients to make their traditional puddings, so they had to improvise. Now, traditionally cobblers could be made of a savory or sweet filling. For my money, though, cobblers are a dessert made of fruit filling topped with biscuits, dumplings, or pie crust, and then baked. Where a pie has a bottom crust, the cobbler has its crust on top. Interested in making a cobbler? There’s nothing more traditional than a southern style peach variety. Try this old-fashioned peach cobbler recipe.

Crisps

Chowhound’s Easy Apple Pear Crisp with Oatmeal Streusel

Crisps are definitely in the same family as cobblers, but they have slight variations. Not only are they several generations younger than their cousins (the first crisp recipes likely were published somewhere in the 1920s), crisps almost always are sweet, leaving the savory stuff to cobblers. Like the cobbler, crisps rely on a topping, rather than a bottom crust. However, unlike the cobbler, the crisp’s topping (as the name implies) has a bit of a crunch to it, and is also sweet in and of itself. After all, a crisp’s topping often relies heavily on brown sugar and cinnamon (along with butter and flour). The thing that really sets a crisp apart, though, is the use of oats to create its topping. There are many types of crisps you can make. The old stand-by is apple crisp. Personally, I think blueberry is pretty boss and can give apple a run for its money. For a blueberry option, try this blueberry crisp recipe.

Crumble

Chowhound’s Slow Cooker Peach Crumble

If the cobbler was a cousin to the crisp, then the crumble is its sibling—and a younger one at that. Some accounts suggest the crumble has its origins in Great Britain, and enjoyed immense popularity during World War II. According to these accounts, the crumble was a wartime alternative to certain dishes, like pies, to adhere to rationing practices. Occasionally, the term “crumble” and “crisp” are used interchangeably. However, the crumble term does include savory dishes (though not a whole lot in the United States), and tends not to use as many ingredients in its topping as the crisp. For savory dishes, the toppings tend to be made from butter, flour, and cheese. As for sweet dishes, it’s butter, flour, and sugar. This is known as a streusel topping—similar to what you’d see on German baked goods like muffins and cakes. Of course, if apple and blueberry are solid options for crisps, they’ll work great for crumbles too. If you’re looking for something different, though, try this strawberry rhubarb crumble recipe.

Now that I know the difference, I was right all along. I really like crumbles. That sweet, buttery topping, sans oats, is right up my alley. Not that I’d turn down a cobbler or a crisp, though! Throw a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top of any of them, and you’re looking at a dessert that’s tough to beat.

Related Video: How to Make Easy Peach Crisp

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How to Pick the Perfect Pineapple

Pineapples are a vibrant taste of the tropics that are good for much more than garnishing piña coladas and mai tais and eating on their own or chopped up in fruit salad. But that’s only if you get one that is perfectly ripe—bright yellow, sweet, and so full of juice that, according to Chowhound user Veggo, “they almost explode like water balloons.” But since it’s so difficult to ship ripe pineapples, the ones we find in grocery stores are often at least somewhat hard and green. So how do you know which pineapple to pick?

The conventional classic signs of a ripe pineapple are a golden color (“You should see a healthy yellowing happening from the bottom to as much as midway up the pineapple skin,” says HillJ; the more uniformly yellow-gold, the better), a sweet aroma, a slight give to the skin, and a leaf that pulls easily from the crown. However, the Dole website says neither color nor loosely attached leaves are actually good indicators of ripeness, but you can pretty much always trust your nose.

Look for large eyes (the knots on a pineapple) as well, especially if they’re large near the crown as well as all around the body, as this indicates the fruit had a longer time to ripen on the tree—and once it’s picked, it won’t ripen any further. Instead, it will just begin to degrade, with the starches converting to sugar. If there’s already juice oozing from the bottom of the pineapple, it’s past its prime, and if it smells tangy or sharp, it’s probably begun to ferment and won’t taste good.

If you’re not ready to eat your pineapple right away, store it in the fridge, then cut it up as suits your needs. In addition to using it in classic applications like pineapple cocktails and desserts, try mixing it into slaw, grilling it, turning it into edible flowers, and making homemade Dole Whip. Or try one of these easy pineapple recipes.

Pineapple Glazed Shrimp Skewers

Chowhound

Grilled fruit is great, and charred pineapple pairs especially well with plump, tender shrimp. Serve with rice and grilled peppers and onions brushed with the same simple, sweet-tangy soy-based glaze. Get our Pineapple Glazed Shrimp Skewers recipe.

Grilled Pineapple Daiquiri

Chowhound

Grilled again, but this time turned into a refreshing drink perfect for hot summer days. It’s worth seeking out the Rhum Clément Créole Shrubb liqueur (made with orange peel, spices, and rhum agricole, a Martinique-style rum made from sugarcane juice instead of molasses). There’s not really a good substitute for it, but grilling your pineapple would still add a nice smoky dimension to your standard tiki drinks. Get our Grilled Pineapple Daiquiri recipe.

Pineapple and Cucumber Guacamole

Chowhound

Make guacamole more interesting and extra-refreshing by adding diced crunchy cucumber and soft, juicy pineapple to the mix. Its chunky texture makes it just as good for using to top fish tacos as it is for scooping up with chips. Get our Pineapple and Cucumber Guacamole recipe.

Pineapple Braised Pork Sandwiches

Chowhound

Soy sauce and pineapple juice lend a lot of salty-sweet flavor to slow-braised pork shoulder, which you can use in all sorts of ways. We like shredding it for sliders on sweet Hawaiian buns, with fresh pineapple slices and bit of crisp jicama on top. Get our Pineapple Braised Pork Sandwiches recipe.

Pineapple-Coconut Tartlets

Chowhound

Frozen puff pastry makes these chewy mini tarts with fresh pineapple and shredded coconut easy to achieve. The sweet tropical flavor is accented with a little warmth from ginger. Get our Pineapple-Coconut Tartlets recipe.

Tacos al Pastor

Chowhound

In addition to tasting delicious paired with various kinds of meat, pineapple also helps tenderize it. Pair it with pork and smoky chiles for classic tacos al pastor, an unbeatable flavor combo that we’ve adapted for the home grill. Get our Tacos al Pastor recipe.

Spiked Pineapple Agua Fresca

Chowhound

A perfectly ripe pineapple doesn’t need a lot of dressing up. Here, it’s pureed with a little bit of sugar, lime juice, water, and rum for a thirst-quenching summer drink that you can also make non-alcoholic if you prefer. Get our Spiked Pineapple Agua Fresca recipe.

Pineapple Granité

Chowhound

This might be the lightest, brightest summer dessert you could possibly hope for—just pureed fresh pineapple with a little fresh orange juice and zest, plus enough sugar and water to help it freeze to the right fluffy, icy consistency. Get our Pineapple Granité recipe.

Related Video: How to Cut a Pineapple

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10 Summer Flatbread Recipes That Look Like Works of Art

The term “too pretty to eat” may be one of the most overused expressions among foodies. (“Foodies” is another great example of an industry word that deserves a premature death, but I digress). That being said, these sweet and savory flatbread recipes, most of which highlight the beauty of summer fruits, may actually live up to the cliché. From berries and peaches to pears and figs, the seasonal indulgences, utilized at the peak of their harvest, pair perfectly with cheeses, fresh herbs, and greens. Frankly, I’m not sure if I want to eat the dishes on this list or hang them in an museum. Scroll through and decide for yourself.

Strawberry, Pear, and Pesto Flatbread

Carl’s Bad Cravings

This is the best use of red and green I’ve seen since Christmas. Juicy strawberries paired with delicate pears and pesto is the flavor profile I never knew I needed in my life, but now can’t get enough. Get the recipe.

Grilled Flatbread with Potato, Chèvre, and Herbs

Chowhound

Tangy goat cheese and herbs make this masterpiece a perfect grilled treat for summer. Get our Grilled Flatbread with Potato, Chèvre, and Herbs recipe.

Peach, Basil, and Mozzarella Flatbread

Tastes Better from Scratch

Having this flatbread every day for lunch would be peachy-keen, but only during the summer months. If you’ve ever tried a peach during the winter, you know that it’s almost as bad as snow, ice, the flu, and every other horrible aspect of the season. Get the recipe.

Blueberry, Feta, and Honey-Caramelized Onion Flatbread

Kitchen Confidante

You had me at honey-caramelized onions with this one. While feta and blueberries are certainly delicious ingredients, I just want more of the onions. (And a breath mint, please.)  Get the recipe.

Pear, Bleu Cheese, and Walnut Flatbread

The Novice Chef Blog

Pear with me as I devour this pear, bleu cheese, and walnut flatbread in less than 30 seconds. No matter the season, this classic combo never goes out of style. Just ask Taylor Swift. Get the recipe.

Grape, Brie, and Arugula Flatbread

Tidy Mom

While I certainly prefer my grapes in rosé, this is an excellent plan B. In fact, it probably pairs amazingly with rosé or any summer blend. Let’s get this happy hour started, like, yesterday. Get the recipe.

Blackberry, Basil, and Ricotta Flatbread

The Stay at Home Chef

If you’re reluctant to buy blackberries, pairing them with ricotta is the perfect introduction to the seed-heavy fruit. It will absolutely be worth the hour of flossing you’ll have to do after. Get the recipe.

Bacon, Onion and Fig Flatbread

Chowhound

The bacon craze is still out of control, which means I despise people who say “everything tastes better” with it. WRONG. In fact, let’s change things up a bit and make the following statement: bacon tastes so much better with figs. Don’t believe me? Try it yourself. Get the recipe.

Grilled Cherry, Goat Cheese, and Arugula Flatbread

Recipe Runner

The George Washington cherry tree incident may be a myth, but I can imagine a young future president chopping one down to make this recipe. How else was he supposed to reach the cherries? Either way, #worthit. Get the recipe.

Raspberry Nutella Flatbread

Go Go Go Gourmet

I obviously wouldn’t leave a dessert flatbread off this list. Do you think I’m crazy or something? Nutella is a no brainer, but the tartness of raspberries take this dish from delicious to death-inducing. And I say that in a great way, obviously. Get the recipe.

Related Video: Flatbreads Around the World

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Upgrade Your Taco Tuesday with These Fresh Fruit Salsas

Looking for a way to liven up your meals? Want something more than a condiment, but not quite a side dish? Salsa is the perfect solution.

Salsa manages to stay fresh even though it has an ancient history; it was first consumed by the Maya, Inca, and Aztecs way back when. The Spanish arrived on the scene in the 16th century, and they applied the term “salsa” to the existing concoctions of tomatoes, chiles, and squash seeds. “Salsa” actually just means “sauce” – and although many of us have a pretty specific idea in mind when we hear the word, it still applies to all manner of mixtures, from thinner, hot-sauce-like salsa roja to chunky pico de gallo.

While it is most often tomato-based, salsa is open to endless adaption – and good for so much more than dipping chips. One great way to bring extra flavor and freshness to grilled meats and seafood and numerous other dishes, is to make fruit salsa, especially when summer produce is at its best. (And yes, tomatoes are also technically fruit, but we’re primarily focusing on stone fruits, melons, and berries here.)

Peach, mango, and pineapple salsas are probably the most popular fruit versions – and we love them for sure – but there are many other options you might not have tried. If it grows on a tree, a bush, or a vine, you can probably make a salsa from it, and someone probably has. We’ve rounded up recipes featuring proteins paired with specific fruit salsas to give you inspiration, but virtually all of these salsas would be fantastic with lots of other things: most anything grilled, for instance, and of course with pretty much everything in the Mexican food pantheon (tacos, burritos, fajitas, quesadillas). Most would make great sandwich spreads and burger toppings. And yeah, okay, they’d all be fab for just dipping chips too.

Since you want to showcase your beautiful fruit’s texture as well as taste, make sure you’re using a nice sharp knife. If your blade is dull, you’ll be squeezing, crushing, bruising, and otherwise mangling your delicate produce rather than chopping it. The same goes for herbs, which show up in a lot of these recipes; you want clean cuts, and not just for aesthetic reasons! (Just remember to tuck and fold your fingers and you’ll be fine. A sharp knife is safer, anyway, since you don’t need to exert as much pressure. Though do beware of avocado hand.) While the fruit salsas here happen to be raw (to really highlight each fruit’s character), for a slightly different dimension, especially if you’re already grilling your meal, you could try throwing the fruit on for a few minutes too so it gets a little char, before dicing it up.

Most of these recipes are best made at peak summer produce season, but you can enjoy them all year-round – just account for the fact that when certain fruit is out of season, you might need to add a bit of sugar to mimic its summertime sweetness, and maybe bump up the other seasonings to make the flavors really sing. Taste and use your judgment – and maybe even use canned or thawed frozen fruit if that’s your best option. There’s no shame in being creative when it comes to salsa! Try these recipes and you’ll see what we mean.

Sweet Pork Mini Tostadas with Plum Salsa

The Complete Savorist

A fresh, juicy, and jewel-colored plum salsa is a great complement to shredded pork made in a slow cooker with an interesting brown sugar and root beer based sauce (cooking meat in cola is a thing). The onion and jalapeño in the salsa help cut the sweetness overall, but if you want to try a more conventional pork recipe (or even seafood), it’ll go just as well with the plums. Get the recipe.

Grilled Halibut Tacos with Watermelon Salsa

Heather Christo

Halibut is such a firm, meaty fish, it does wonderfully on the grill. Nestled into charred corn tortillas with creamy avocado slices and an ultra-refreshing salsa made with juicy, crunchy cubes of watermelon, this is summertime perfection. Get the recipe.

Summer Steak Salad with Blueberry Salsa, Jicama, Kale, Bacon, and Avocado

Green Chef

This one’s a mouthful—of deliciousness. A hearty kale salad with lots of components (crunchy jicama, salty bacon, creamy avocado, pungent Thai basil, and nutty sunflower seeds all included), the real takeaway here is the topping of seared steak paired with blueberry salsa. You can easily make that a recurring quick summer meal, and recreate the paleo-friendly salad in its entirety when you have more time. Get the recipe.

Chipotle Lime Shrimp Tacos with Strawberry Salsa

How Sweet Eats

Smoky chipotle-lime shrimp, sweet strawberry salsa with flashes of jalapeño heat, and crumbly, salty cheese, all wrapped up in a warm, soft tortilla. It can’t get much better than that. (Although these strawberry salsa stuffed avocados are pretty close competition.) Add some chips and guac and a margarita and you’ll want for nothing more. Get the recipe.

Apricot Salsa Quesadillas

Top With Cinnamon

Cheese and fruit are longtime friends, and these quesadillas are proof that they’re meant to be besties for life. The gooey sharp cheese melds into the sweet, sunny apricot salsa for an amazing flavor combo that’ll stand the tests of time and tastebuds. (For a doubly fruity option, check out these grilled pineapple quesadillas with strawberry salsa too.) Get the recipe.

Grilled Chipotle Pork Tenderloin with Fresh Cherry Salsa

Sweet Peas And Saffron

It was really tempting to go with another taco here (like, say, a salmon taco with cherry salsa), but this grilled pork tenderloin is so simple yet so stunning, it deserves the spotlight, whether as a weeknight dinner or a company’s-coming meal. The chipotle, lime, and honey marinade caramelizes on the grill and the fresh cherry salsa is fairly unadorned, letting the juicy fruit shine against the smoky, sweet, and spicy meat. Get the recipe.

Grilled Coconut Lime Tilapia Tacos with Kiwi Salsa

How Sweet Eats

Kiwi really comes into its own as summer is winding down, but it’s still bright and sprightly. Here, it brings a sweet green spark to grilled tilapia tacos. (Kiwi salsa also works well with crab, and really brightens up these vegan avocado black bean tacos.) The coconut, lime, and fruity kiwi flavors here combine for a decidedly tropical treat. Get the recipe.

Crispy Cinnamon Spiced Chicken Thighs with Peach Basil Salsa

Set The Table

How gorgeous is this? (SO gorgeous!) Perfectly ripe peaches are sweet and lush; mingled with balsamic and basil and toasted almond slivers, they’re on a whole ‘nother level of tastiness. What’s underneath (cinnamon-rubbed chicken, crisped up in a skillet) is just as impressive. (For something similar but pescatarian, look to nectarines and salmon.) Get the recipe.

Sweet Potato Quinoa Cakes with Blackberry Salsa

How Sweet Eats

While not billed as burgers, these fluffy yet hearty sweet potato and quinoa cakes would make great veggie patties at your next BBQ (but you’ll have to sub for the cheese and egg if you need ‘em vegan). The blackberry salsa makes a fine counterpoint, and would be divine on grilled fish or chicken too, not to mention duck. (And raspberries, blackberries’ flashier cousins, make a great tangy, ruby-red salsa for simple chicken tacos; use a rotisserie bird and dinner takes no time at all.) Get the recipe.

Slow Cooker Harissa Lamb Tacos with Pomegranate Salsa

Chez Us

This would be a great dish whatever the season (because, come on, slow cookers are a boon all year long), but the spicy lamb seems especially well suited to the coming cooler months, and pomegranate is more of a fall and winter fruit. Since pomegranate seeds are a traditional garnish on the Mexican classic chiles en nogada, it’s not that far of a leap to think of them in salsa. This one’s crunchy and sparkling, and a vivid partner for the rich lamb. Get the recipe.

Pollo Pibil Tacos with Citrus Salsa

Closet Cooking

Sunny citrus fruit is available (and delicious) all year, so let’s end with these vibrant tacos featuring chicken cooked in the style of pork pibil, with plenty of citrus juices, garlic, cumin, oregano, and achiote paste. Earthy and succulent and not at all spicy, despite the fiery color, this chicken is beautifully offset by pickled red onions and a bright orange, grapefruit, and lime salsa. Get the recipe.

Jicama-Mango Salsa

Chowhound

This citrusy salsa pairs perfectly with tacos, quesadillas, and fajitas. Get our Jicama-Mango Salsa recipe.

Related Video: How to Make Pan-Grilled Chicken with Peach Salsa

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Black Bean Burgers with Spicy Mayonnaise

Once upon a time, I ran a vegetarian restaurant in a college town, and one of its signature dishes was the “Big Veg.” The Big Veg was a scratch-made soy veggie burger.

As such, it was pretty good for its time, but it needed some serious updating. These days, I want something better than “pretty good.”

Continue reading "Black Bean Burgers with Spicy Mayonnaise" »

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Paratha (Flaky South Asian Flatbread)

Get Recipe!

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How to Make Fruit Cordial So You Can Enjoy Summer Flavor All Year Long

Peak-season summer fruit is so good and yet so fleeting, it’s a smart move to eat as much as you can while it’s here. Right out of hand is one way to do it, but you can also grill summer fruit, toss it into cocktails, or use it to top French toast. To extend your window of enjoyment, you can also freeze it and squirrel it away for later, or make jam, jelly, and chutney to hoard. But another, often overlooked, way to preserve summer fruit is to make cordial, a syrupy, sweet liqueur, which will let you sip a little sunshine even on the bleakest winter days.

I first became acquainted with cordial thanks to my boyfriend’s mom, who (before she moved away from a bountiful berry supply in Oregon) used to turn bunches of ripe summer blackberries into bottles of beautiful amethyst cordial to give as Christmas gifts. It was sweet and vibrant and packed a punch thanks to vodka, and the little bottle was empty all too soon.

In reading up on how to procure more of this lovely elixir, I encountered a bit of confusion, mostly owing to the fact that “cordial” describes two different drinks depending on whether you’re in the UK or America. In the UK, it’s also called “squash” and is a non-alcoholic fruit concentrate that’s used to make flavored waters or fruit soda. In the U.S., it’s the sweet liqueur I encountered, but it can also be made with nuts or spices as the base flavoring agent. In medieval times, cordials were used as medicine and often contained precious extras like gold leaf, yet flawless summer fruit can seem even more priceless.

There are countless different recipes—the easiest call for simply steeping sugar, fruit, and vodka in a jar for a couple months, occasionally shaking it so the sugar dissolves—but this cordial recipe seems to be in line with my beloved blackberry liqueur. It’s still more of a template, as you can use any berries or stone fruit you prefer, and add spices if you want, even try other spirits, like brandy or gin, as well as vary the quantity of ingredients, depending on how much cordial you want to end up with.

Here’s the basic formula for about a quart of cordial, which you can scale up or down as desired:

1. Sterilize a glass quart jar (or other glass container) with a tight-fitting lid.

2. Add enough fresh, ripe fruit (that you have picked through and washed, though no need to dry) to almost fill the jar—say, about 1/2 inch from the top—but don’t pack it in too tight, as you want the liquid to be able to get in all around it in order to extract its flavor and color. You can lightly mash your fruit before adding it, or even roughly chop it, to help the process along. If you want to add herbs or spices, you can do that now as well (think sprigs of thyme with blackberries, a couple star anise pods for peaches, or a split vanilla bean with anything, really).

3. Pour in vodka to completely cover the fruit (if any fruit is exposed to air, it might get moldy), then seal the jar.

4. Store it in a cool area away from light (like a basement, or a cupboard that’s not near the stove) and let it steep for at least a few weeks. Every few days, flip the jar over (so it’s sitting on its head for a few days, then back on its feet, then head again, etc.), or if your container is only flat enough to be stable when sitting on its bottom, just turn it over in your hands a few times every now and then before setting it back down, to gently shake things up.

5. After anywhere from three to six weeks, gather a large glass measuring cup (or pitcher, or other vessel with a spout if you have one, since this makes pouring easier); a fine mesh strainer; and a double layer of cheesecloth large enough to cover the mouth of whatever jar you used to steep your fruit. Pour the steeped vodka through the fine mesh strainer into your measuring cup or pitcher to filter out the largest chunks of fruit and spices. Then, cover the mouth of your steeping jar securely with cheesecloth (use twine or a rubber band to hold it in place), and pour the liqueur back in to filter out the tinier bits remaining (before doing this, you can rinse your steeping jar to get rid of any matter clinging to the sides if you want an even clearer end result). You can also use a coffee filter to do this if you don’t have cheesecloth, or a nut bag.

6. Once your liqueur is strained and smooth, add sugar in the form of simple syrup. You can also try other liquid sweeteners like maple syrup, liquid stevia, or agave, to taste. Half a cup of simple syrup is probably about right for this quart-sized amount of liqueur, but you may want a bit more, or less (pour a little sweetened liqueur into a cup or use a clean spoon each time you taste, if it takes a few adjustments to get the level right). It should be quite sweet, though still tart and fruity too.

7. Seal the jar again and put it back in its cool, dry place for at least a couple months. If you want to decant it into smaller bottles to give as gifts, sterilize them first. Swing-top glass bottles are especially handy since they form an an airtight seal and you won’t lose track of the lid, but any glass container with a tight-fitting lid or stopper will work. Once they’re sterilized, use a funnel to fill each one with cordial, place a label on it and perhaps a pretty ribbon, and know that you’ll be making your recipients extremely happy. You can refrigerate these to be safe, but they should have enough sugar and high-proof alcohol to make them perfectly fine to store at room temperature.

We sipped our cordial straight in small doses, but since it is rather sweet by design, it’s often diluted—you can add it to sparkling water or seltzer for a tipsy homemade soda, stir it into cocktails (like the classic Kir Royale), or mix a little into tea for an extra shot of bright flavor. It also works as a dessert syrup drizzled over cake or ice cream. In any case, it’s a simple distillation of perfect summer fruit that will give you warm, sunny feelings even in the coldest months. Here are a few other types to try.

Raspberry Cordial

Tori Avery

This ruby-red cordial will delight “Anne of Green Gables” fans in particular, but even those who don’t recall the connection will enjoy the refreshing summer-in-a-bottle taste. This one is nonalcoholic, but if you want to use vodka in place of water, you certainly can. Just take much smaller sips in that case. Get the recipe.

Spiced Blackberry Cordial

Syrup & Biscuits

This beyond-the-basics recipe uses brandy instead of vodka and adds several other flavors to the berries, including bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, and a little black pepper, for a heavily spiced liqueur with a more caramelized sweetness thanks to brown sugar. It’s also a good demonstration of different technique, but if you prefer to macerate fruit without cooking, you can still use these flavorings to steep your berries. Get the recipe.

Peach, Cardamom, and Wine Cordial

Williams Sonoma

This honey-sweetened peach cordial combines vodka with white wine, and draws all the vibrant flavor from ripe peaches. The recipe suggests storing the cordial in the refrigerator for a maximum of one month, due to the wine used, but don’t automatically throw it out after that time; just check it for off smells and any obvious mold before you drink it, and trust your taste buds too, of course. Get the recipe.

Plum Cordial

The Practical Herbalist

Brandy and vodka join forces to preserve the sweet nectar of summer plums, plus orange zest, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, and ginger, for a richly spiced sip—but you can eliminate or cut back on them if you prefer something a little purer. Get the recipe.

Easy Homemade Fruit Liqueur

The View from Great Island

Because sometimes you just can’t wait! If you want a cordial-esque fruit booze to sip while the weather’s still hot, try this quick-and-easy method of boiling fruit with sugar and water, then pureeing and mixing with vodka before straining just 24 hours later. It works for pretty much any fruit, just like the longer method outlined above. Get the recipe.

Related Video: 5 of the Most Bizarre Fruit Hybrids

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