Give Poached Fruit A Tropical Twist With This Underrated Liquid

Poached fruit deserves more recognition than it gets. The delightful, fresh treat that is popularly served for dessert consists of gently simmered fruit that gets softened and flavored with the spiced, sweetened syrup that it's cooked in. Many times, red wine is the poaching liquid of choice, but several other ingredients can be used, including tea, fruit juice, apple cider (we tasted and ranked the best brands), or even water. But if you're looking for something truly unique, unexpected, and delicious, try poaching your fruit in coconut water (an ingredient that also makes excellent cocktails).

If you've ever had coconut water on its own, you know it's super light and refreshing, with a delicate coconut flavor. However, it's not sweet, so you'll have to add some sugar or honey to it when you bring it to a simmer, along with any other flavorings you choose to add. Common additions are warm spices (like cinnamon sticks, star anise, whole cloves, cardamom pods, citrus peels, fresh ginger, and vanilla beans) and herbs (like mint and basil). As your fruit cooks, the coconut water liquid will reduce and thicken into a syrup, concentrating all these ingredients. Once your poached fruit is ready to eat, you can (and should) serve it with some of the syrup.

You can poach the same fruits in coconut water that you would in wine, juice, or any other liquids. Firmer fruits — such as apples, pears, peaches, nectarines, plums, and apricots — are generally best because they are more likely to become soft when cooked without completely falling apart. If your fruit has a thicker skin, it's best to peel them before cooking. Other tasty fruits options like cherries should be pitted but have a delicate enough skin that they don't have to be peeled.  It's up to you whether you poach the fruit whole or slice it into smaller pieces. Whole fruits make for a more dramatic presentation, but sliced or halved fruits will cook a little faster.

If you want to keep with the tropical flavor of coconut water, you can poach fruits like pineapple, mango, papaya, guava, or star fruit. For extra kick, add some spiced or coconut rum to the poaching liquid. To serve, creamy custard or tangy yogurt make great pairings, especially when topped with toasted shredded coconut or another dried fruit like mango (although it can be more expensive than its fresh counterparts).