The sauce that comes from ripe fruit

Fruit does not always disappear because it has gone bad. Very often it stays there, intact but out of focus. It sits for days in the fruit bowl or on a fridge shelf until it stops being part of kitchen decisions, simply because it no longer fits anywhere.

When that happens, the problem is not the fruit, but the way we insist on seeing it only as something to eat fresh. Changing how it is used changes its destination.

Turning ripe fruit into the base of a sweet and sour sauce is one of those simple ideas that fits naturally into everyday cooking. The fruit brings sweetness, a bit of acidity and body. With just a few adjustments, it becomes a versatile sauce that works with savoury dishes without stealing the spotlight, while adding depth.

This type of preparation adapts to whatever is at home and to what the season offers. It is not a fixed recipe, but a base that changes with context.

For this sauce, use:

• Seasonal ripe fruit, cut into pieces
• Onion
• Olive oil
• Vinegar or citrus juice
• A little sugar or honey
• Salt

In a small saucepan, sauté the chopped onion in olive oil until soft. Add the fruit and cook for a few minutes, until it begins to break down. Add a little vinegar or citrus juice to balance the sweetness and a touch of sugar or honey, just to adjust. Cook over low heat until the fruit is very soft and the mixture slightly thickened.

Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust salt, acidity and sweetness. If needed, add a little water to refine the texture or let it reduce a bit more over the heat.

The result is a simple sweet and sour sauce that keeps in the fridge for several days and adapts easily to vegetables, rice, simple pasta dishes or oven-baked meals. It is a discreet way to use ripe fruit and give it a new role in the kitchen, without complication or waste.