Turn Stone Fruit Pits Into Your Favourite Dessert

August 4, 2016

Mid-summer is the best time to enjoy peaches, nectarines, apricots, plums, and cherries. These beautiful stone fruits are perfect for making tarts, pies, and even salads. After you’ve used up the juicy bits, you’ll find yourself left with a plethora of stone fruit pits.

What’s inside these stone fruit pits?

Before you toss these pits out, we’ve got a few ideas for you on how to infuse them into your dishes. These pits contain kernels, called noyaux, that are actually extremely usable and make delicious syrup, glaze, and even ice cream! To access the kernels, wrap the pits with a towel and hammer it open, or simply use a nut cracker.

What is noyaux? Is it safe?

The noyaux has an intense, yet smooth and bitter almond flavour with slight fruit undertones. Although noyaux contain amygdalin, which can be toxic, the levels found in noyaux are very low; in addition, amygdalin is not heat-stable, which means it does not survive cooking. So while it is considered safe in small quantities, it is still best to consume products with noyaux in moderation and avoid if you have any health concerns.

How do I use noyaux?

Try these recipes to make your own noyaux-infused syrup, crème anglaise, and ice cream!

Stone Fruit Pit Syrup

What you need:
1 cup kernels
2 cups sugar
2 cups water

How to prepare:

Simply place all the ingredients in a pan and bring to a boil. Once mixed, remove from heat, and let it cool. Store it in a refrigerator for up to three weeks with the pits in the syrup. Strain to serve. It’s great on desserts, on strawberries, and in cocktails!

Stone Fruit Pit Crème Anglaise

What you need:

1 cup milk
1 cup cream
1 cup kernels
4 egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar

How to prepare:

Bring the milk and cream in a pan to a boil then add the kernels. Remove the pan from heat and let the kernels steep for 30 minutes. Remove the kernels and place the pan back on simmer. Mix the sugar and yolks, and begin to add very small amounts of the milk and cream mixture to the yolks to slowly raise the temperature. While adding the remaining mixture, continue to whisk to make sure it is smooth and even. Crème anglaise is a delicious topper and goes well with brownies, chocolate cakes, and just about anything!

Stone Fruit Pit Ice Cream

What you need:

4 1/2 ounces of kernels
2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar
7 egg yolks
An ice cream maker

How to prepare:

Place kernels, milk, and heavy cream in a pan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, let it cool, and refrigerate overnight. Bring the mixture to a boil again and strain out the kernels. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar and the yolks until even and fluffy. Add just half a cup of milk and cream mixture into the yolk mixture to raise the temperature. Then whisk the yolk mixture into the milk and cream mixture. Place the combined mixture over low heat and stir constantly. Once thick and even, let it cool, and strain again. Pour into your ice cream maker, following the ice cream maker’s instructions, and let the magic happen!

Let us know how you plan on using these rich, intense, almond-flavoured stone fruit pits this summer! Check out our selection of stone fruits: peaches, apricots, nectarines, and plums!

Daniel Huang

Daniel is a Digital Marketing and Content Strategist at SPUD. He graduated from UBC with a degree in English and International Relations with a focus on environmental topics. A wordsmith by day and a bookman by night, he's a self-proclaimed gastronomic snob, a buck-a-shuck addict, a sub-par skier, and a devoted kingsguard of the oxford comma. He also frequents the dog park with a schnauzer named Duke. | Instagram: @dannnyellow