A Few Scandinavian Fruit Soups--a nod to Jessie and Lillie

Scandinavian Fruit Soup Recipes

Norwegian --Torret frugt suppe

1 pound dried apples, pears or apricots or combo of all three

¾ c. sugar

½ lemon,

3 quarts water

4 Tablespoons cornstarch

Soak the fruit in the water overnight. Cook it in the same water, adding more water to make 3 quarts if necessary. Cook until fruit is soft. Puree this all and add sugar, juice and grated lemon peel. Mix the cornstarch with a little cold water. Stir into soup and boil 2 to 3 minutes. Serve hot or cold.

Swedish --Sagosoppa

12 prunes

2 quarts water

1/2 c. raisins

1 piece stick cinnamon

1 cup any sour fruit juice

6 tablespoons minute tapioca

Cook the prunes in the water until tender, remove seeds. Cover the raisins with hot water until plump

Cook the tapioca in the 2 quarts water very slowly (simmer)

After 1 hour add the prunes and raisins. Add the fruit juice and sweeten to taste. The whole thing should cook for about 3 hours. Serve hot with small rusks.

Finnish--Hedelmakeitto

1/2  pound prunes

1/4 pound dried apricots

1/4 pound dried pears

3 fresh apples, cored, peeled and quartered

1 1/2 quarts water

3/4 cup sugar

1 cinnamon stick

1 to 2 tablespoons potato flour or cornstarch

Cover all the fruit with the water; add the sugar and let stand overnight. Cook in the same water and add the cinnamon stick. When fruit is very soft, strain it through a coarse sieve. Mix starch with a little cold water and stir into the soup. Boil 2 minutes. Cool. Serve cold with rusks.

*Note: instead of straining, I would use my blender wand and puree but not too smoothly.

Danish-- Blomme Suppe

1 1/2 pounds ripe plums , cut in halves and seeds removed

1/2 cup sugar

1 stick cinnamon

2 quarts water

5 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 cup white wine

Cover the fruit with the water, add sugar and cinnamon. When soft, strain through a coarse sieve. Heat again, and mix the cornstarch with a little water, add to the soup and boil, stirring constantly for 5 minutes. Add the wine (all right!) Serve hot with whipped cream and cookies.

(Ya gotta love those Danes--they know how to improve a recipe)

So now you can see that all you need is any combination of fresh or dried fruits, and some cornstarch. Actually potato starch is more authentic if you can get it.  Check out using cherries or dried crasins. Some people have been known to even use fruit cocktail.  Please don't!  Do not forget the whipped cream and cookies. Rusks are definitely not as good.