Disclaimer – We have received this item for free or on a loan basis for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
Opies have once again started their Christmas selection with their Fruits in Syrup. The range is extensive, but we were sent a delicious selection to start with. Succulent & Lavish Peaches, Indulgent & Luxurious Black Cherries and Luscious & Indulgent Baby Pears. Each of the jarred fruits are marinated in alcohol too, so this is not one for the children!
Starting with the Opies Baby Pears with Luxardo Amaretto, these are whole pears, peeled and in syrup. They don’t have much of the Amaretto taste to them but they are very textured, like very, very ripe pears. These would be great on their own, to accompany a main dessert or even better, as part of a main dessert display with lots of different fruits. I think these Baby Pears would also work well with a cheese board, as the central character and lots of different cheeses around it.
The Opies Peaches with 12 year old Brandy again don’t have an overpowering brandy flavour, but they do have the soft silkiness from the syrup which makes them my favourite. I really like these on their own just with cream and would be a great antidote to Christmas’s rich food. Perhaps in ‘Twixmas’; the time between Christmas and New Year? The jars make it easy to eat any of the fruits, I just keep them in the fridge and the syrup and the alcohol keeps them fresh.
Lastly, it’s the very Christmassy Opies Black Cherries in Luxardo Kirsch. These have more of an alcoholic tang to them, and you feel like you can eat more because they’re smaller! These are perfectly delicious to add straight to a trifle or a Black Forest Gateaux, or on top of a flan. The black cherries are very juicy, and have the flavour of the Kirsch, but the cherry flavour comes through as well. You can add these to just about any pudding or cake at Christmas time, and they certainly make desserts more festive!
Available online at: https://www.bennettopie.com/collections/all and available at www.waitrose.com and www.nisa.com from October.
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