The book of difficult fruit : arguments for the tart, tender, and unruly (with recipes) / Kate Lebo.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 359-368) and index.

A note on difficult fruit -- A. Aronia. Aronia smoothie -- Aronia dye for paper and cloth -- B. Blackberry. Blackberry mulch -- Blackberry shrub -- C. Cherry. "Almond" extract -- Real maraschino cherries -- D. Durian. Durian ice cream -- Durian lip balm -- E. Elderberry. Elderberry syrup -- Elderberry cordial -- F. Faceclock. Faceclock coffee -- Faceclock greens, fennel sausage, and barley soup -- G. Gooseberry. Gooseberry cheese -- Gooseberry elderflower frozen fool -- H. Huckleberry. Huckleberry pie -- Huckleberry gastrique -- I. Italian plum. Italian plum jam -- Persipan -- J. Juniper berry. Juniper jelly -- Juniper bitters -- K. Kiwifruit. The perfect peel -- Meat tenderizer -- L. Lump. Recipe for a long lost friend -- M. Medlar. Medlar jelly -- Medlar syrup -- N. Norton grape. Norton gelée -- Red wine vinegar -- O. Osage orange. Spider balls -- Osage centerpiece -- P. Pomegranate. Pomegranate molasses -- Semi-deathless pomegranate mask -- Q. Quince. Quince jelly and membrillo -- Bandoline -- R. Rhubarb. Pickled rhubarb -- Rhubarb root remedies for stomach and bowel complaints -- S. Sugarcane. Cane sugar scrub -- Sugar pills -- T. Thimbleberry. Thimbleberry kvass -- Hiker's toilet paper -- U. Ume plum. Ume/Shiroboshi -- Chicken katsu rolls with umeboshi and shiso -- V. Vanilla. Whipped vanilla body cream -- Vanilla bean cake with vanilla buttercream -- W. Wheat. Whole wheat pie pastry -- Wheat pasta -- X. Xylitol. Xylitol sinus wash -- Xylitol peppermints -- Y. Yuzu. Yuzu marmalade -- Yuzu bath and body oil -- Z. Zucchini. Zucchini blossoms with chèvre and herbs -- Garlicky fermented zucchini.

"A is for aronia, berry member of the apple family, clothes-stainer, superfruit with reputed healing power. D is for durian, endowed with a dramatic rind and a shifting odor-peaches, old garlic. M is for medlar, name-checked by Shakespeare for its crude shape, beloved by gardeners for its flowers. Q is for quince, which, when fresh, gives off the scent of 'roses and citrus and rich women's perfume,' but if eaten raw is so astringent it wicks the juice from one's mouth. In a work of unique invention, these and other difficult fruits serve as the central ingredients of twenty-six lyrical essays (with recipes). What makes a fruit difficult? Its cultivation, its harvest, its preparation, the brevity of its moment for ripeness, its tendency toward rot or poison, the way it might overrun your garden. Here, these fruits will take you on unexpected turns and give sideways insights into relationships, self-care, land stewardship, medical and botanical history, and so much more. What if the primary way you show love is through baking, but your partner suffers from celiac disease? Why leave in the pits for Willa Cather's plum jam? How can we rely on bodies as fragile as the fruits that nourish them?" --book jacket.