Peach, Cherry & Blueberry Fruit Sauce or Fruit Soup

A summery sauce and/or fruit soup made from peaches, cherries and blueberries, sweetened with fruity wine and kissed with cinnamon. Slightly unusual but decidedly delicious, especially swirled into yogurt, drizzled over pancakes, or my favorite, paired with chocolate ice cream.

Real Food, Seasonal & Inventive. Weeknight Easy, Weekend Special. Easy DIY. Not just vegan, Vegan Done Real. Naturally Gluten Free.

~ Skip Straight to the Recipe ~

Summer Senses & Sensations

To experience summer in a single moment, take time to savor a piece of perfectly fresh fruit with all your senses.

Make it an apricot, a melon, a grape. Or a plum, a mango, a fig.

Examine the skin’s blush, the stem’s angle.

Brush it against your cheek. Is the flash warm? cool? firm? soft?

Twist it beneath your nose, then pierce the skin with a nail. Is the change in scent subtle? dramatic?

Now, at last, take a bite. What’s that sound, as your teeth break through?

And what is the first rush of flavor, how different is it from what lingers after?

Finally, close your eyes. Implant color, scent and flavor in the memory of your mind.

Ah yes. ‘Tis summer.

Summer's Best "New" Fruit. And Fruit Sauce. And Fruit Soup.

God has yet to propagate a "peacherry blue", that's a fruit with the nectar of peach, the tang of cherry and the depth of blueberry.

So for now we’ll cultivate our own, right in our own kitchens by combining, cooking and puréeing three ripe and juicy mid-summer fruits.

Is the result a fruity sauce? A cold fruit soup so loved by Scandinavians? An ice cream topping?

Yes. Yes. And yes.

And more.

What's In This Summer Fruit Sauce + Fruit Soup

In all my recipes and most well-written recipes, every ingredient serves a purpose. Each one matters. Each one contributes to the overall dish. Usually I'm a big fan of substitutes, in this case, I recommend sticking with the recipe, it just works.

• Three Summer Fruits Ripe peaches, juicy cherries and my always-and-forever favorite, blueberries. Together, the three fruits become something altogether distinct and individual, not a big muddle.
• Water + a Fruity Wine + Sugar These lighten the texture and sweeten the sauce. Not into wine? Just use more water.
• A Little Salt Just a touch of salt can make such a difference in sweet foods.
• A Little Cinnamon & Vanilla These brighten and bring out nuances in the fruit. So good!
• Cornstarch Cornstarch thickens the sauce, giving it a silky texture.

Okay, Okay. But How Do You Eat This Concoction?

Here are a few summer serving ideas. I hope they spur your own imagination!

Your choices might skew one direction or another, depending on if you view it as a "fruit sauce" or a "fruit soup".

AS A FRUIT SAUCE
• Swirl a tablespoon of sour cream into a cup of the sauce and drape over a slice of pound cake or angel food cake.
• Substitute for syrup over pancakes, waffles or French toast.
• Mix some in a blender with skim milk and ice for a refreshing smoothie.
• Layer with rice pudding or custard or Greek yogurt in a pretty glass goblet.

AS A FRUIT SOUP
• Spoon into a shallow bowl, drizzle with a little cream (or a dollop of sour cream) and top with a few pieces of fruit.

MY PERSONAL FAVORITE
• Nestle a scoop or two of chocolate ice cream into some of the soupy fruit, then surround with small bites of peach and blueberry. Go ahead, put a cherry on top!

But What, Exactly, is a "Fruit Sauce" vs a "Fruit Soup"?

FRUIT SAUCE Imagine the texture of familiar applesauce, especially if it's homemade like how I make Homemade Applesauce. It's just "saucy", right? It's thin enough to spoon onto another food but too thick to drink.

FRUIT SOUP Fruit Soup is a "real thing" in European countries, especially in the northern Nordic countries. It often has the texture and consistency of very soft jello. Fruit soup isn't common in The States though not unheard of. I a-d-o-r-e fruit soup but haven't yet shared the recipe I adopted while living Finland. Someday soon, fingers crossed!

IN BETWEEN This peach-cherry-blueberry combination is somewhere in between sauce and soup. But the thing is? It's entirely delicious so I hope you'll trust me when I say that you'll have no trouble finding wonderful ways to serve it.

How to Make Peach, Cherry & Blueberry Fruit Sauce or Fruit Soup

The detailed recipe is written in traditional recipe form below but here are the highlights in just three easy steps. You can do this!

• STEP ONE: COOK ripe peaches, cherries and blueberries in a saucepan with water, wine, sugar, a little salt and a cinnamon stick until the fruit softens and sweetens, about 45 minutes. Once it's done, pull out the cinnamon stick, toss in a little vanilla and let cool a bit.


• STEP TWO: PURÉE the cooked fruit in a food processor or blender. If you do this while the fruit is still hot, beware! You'll want to read up first, How to Safely Purée Soups & Other Hot Liquids in a Blender. If you're worried about this, just let the cooked fruit cook to room temperature.


• STEP THREE: THICKEN the cooked and puréed mixture. Return the fruit to the saucepan. Stir together some it with some cornstarch, then stir the mixture back into the pot. Bring to a simmer, stirring often, until the mixture thickens.

What Makes This Recipe Special

• It's such an inventive way to use summer's ripe fruit, the combo is almost like an entirely new fruit.
• The sauce/soup can be used in so many ways, it's just great to have on hand.
• Such beautiful color!
• It evokes my favorite sound at the table: silence. After the first bite, that is!
• Ready to get started? Here's your recipe!

Bookmark! PIN! Share!

How do you save and share favorite recipes? recipes that fit your personal cooking style? a particular recipe your mom or daughter or best friend would just love? If this recipe for a summer fruit sauce hits the mark, go ahead, save and share! I'd be honored ...

---

PEACH, CHERRY & BLUEBERRY FRUIT SAUCE or FRUIT SOUP
(formerly called Peacherry Blues)

Hands-on time: 30 minutes over 75 minutes
Time-to-table: 3 - 4 hours
Makes 6 cups (easy to halve for smaller households)

Aim for a total about two pounds of prepared fruit.

FRUIT
• 2 large ripe peaches (about 225g after prepping), skins on, pitted and roughly chopped
• 1 pound (450g) sweet cherries, pitted
• 1 cups (275g) fresh blueberries
• 4 cups water
• 1 cup fruity wine (or more water)
• 1/2 cup (100g) sugar
• Pinch salt
• 1 cinnamon stick

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• Cornstarch (1 - 4 tablespoons, see ALANNA's TIPS below)

COOK THE FRUIT Combine all the ingredients except the vanilla and cornstarch in a large pot. On medium heat, cover and cook until the fruit is very soft, about 45 minutes. Watch the temperature carefully for the first while, it's easy for this to boil over and make a sweet and sticky mess!

When it's cooked, remove the cinnamon stick, add the vanilla. Let cool slightly.

PURÉE Run the cooked fruit through a food processor or a blender until smooth. Because the fruit is still hot/warm, you'll want to work in batches, filling the unit no more than half full. Curious why? It's to avoid bad burns and big messes! See How to Safely Purée Soups & Other Hot Liquids in a Blender.

THICKEN Return the puréed fruit to the same pot, again on medium heat. In a separate small dish, combine about 4 tablespoons of the fruit mixture with the cornstarch and then stir the fruit-cornstarch combo into the pot. Gently cook until the mixture thickens slightly, about 10 minutes, stirring often.

CHILL Transfer the sauce to a glass container (it'll stain plastic, sorry) and refrigerate until well-chilled.

KEEPS The sauce keeps/stays fresh and lively for about a week in the refrigerator.

CORNSTARCH My recipes are nearly always precise about ingredient amounts. For this recipe, I quote a range of cornstarch, 1 to 4 tablespoons. How much should you use? Well, it depends. That's because there are several variables. First, fruit varies in moisture. Second, how much the fruit cooks down will vary. Third, you may prefer something thinner (use less cornstarch) or something thicker (use more cornstarch). So what's a cook to do? Start the thickening process with a single tablespoon of cornstarch (mixed with four tablespoons of the puréed fruit), stir it into the pot and bring to a simmer and check the consistency. If needed, repeat the process a time or two or three. My last batch? I used three tablespoons cornstarch, it was perfect.

ALANNA's TIPS A cherry pitter & olive pitter (affiliate link) comes in handy, making quick work of both cherries and olives. They're inexpensive, take up little room and totally worth the investment. This sauce is especially good with chocolate ice cream!

FOR MORE INFO If you "skipped straight to the recipe," please scroll back to the top of this page for ingredient information, ingredient substitutions, tips and more. If you print this recipe, you'll want to check the recipe online for even more tips and extra information about ingredient substitutions, best results and more. See https://www.kitchenparade.com/2005/07/peacherrry-blues.php.

NUTRITION INFORMATION Per Half Cup (assumes wine): 100 Calories; 0g Tot Fat; 0g Sat Fat; 0mg Cholesterol; 1mg Sodium; 22g Carb; 2g Fiber; 18g Sugar; 1g Protein. WEIGHT WATCHERS Old Points 2 & PointsPlus 2 & SmartPoints 5 & Freestyle 5 & myWW green 5 & blue 5 & purple 5 & future WW points CALORIE COUNTERS 100-calorie serving = 1/2 cup (1g protein).

---

When There's "No Getting Enough" of Summer Fruit

more
~ peach recipes ~
~ cherry recipes ~
~ blueberry recipes ~

• THE RECIPE Naked Peach Cobbler Peaches so good, who needs a topping?
• ANOTHER TAKE Peach-Pie Pudding It's peach pie without the crust!

• THE RECIPE Finnish Fruit Tart For sweet cherries, blueberries, lingonberries, sour cherries, rhubarb, raisins, figs and more ...
• THE BITE-SIZE VERSION Mini Blueberry Tarts With a "pop" of fresh blueberry right in the middle.

• THE RECIPE Blueberry Cake Simple and rustic, topped with jammy blueberries.
• ANOTHER TAKE Peach Blueberry Cake Country-rustic and delicious!

---

Shop Your Pantry First

(helping home cooks save money on groceries)

~ peaches ~
~ cherries ~
~ blueberries ~

~ All Recipes, By Ingredient ~
~ How to Save Money on Groceries ~

---

Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences. Quick Suppers are Kitchen Parade favorites and feature recipes easy on the budget, the clock, the waistline and the dishwasher. Do you have a favorite recipe that other Kitchen Parade readers might like? Just send me a quick e-mail via recipes@kitchen-parade.com. How to print a Kitchen Parade recipe. Never miss a recipe! If you like this recipe, sign up for a free e-mail subscription. If you like Kitchen Parade, for more scratch cooking recipes using whole, healthful ingredients, you're sure to like my food blog about vegetable recipes, too, A Veggie Venture. If you make this recipe, I'd love to know your results! Just leave a comment below.

---

© Copyright Kitchen Parade
2005, 2009, 2015 & 2022 (repub)