El cóctel de frutas enlatado parece uno de esos alimentos que existen por pura conveniencia. A pesar de su nombre evocador, no contiene alcohol (aunque las primeras recetas de cóctel de frutas casero sí lo llevaban). Fue inventado en la década de 1930 en la región frutícola del norte de California (que desde entonces se ha transformado en Silicon Valley) por fruticultores y empacadores que buscaban una forma de aprovechar la fruta comestible, aunque ligeramente magullada o poco atractiva.
Cutting off the wonky parts, cubing the rest, and canning everything as fruit cocktail proved to be a winning strategy as the product was had a global value of $23 million in 2022, according to DataIntelo. Contrary to urban legend, however, it’s never been made from fruit scraps from the factory floor – even the fruit in fruit cocktail had to meet certain standards. Grapes not deemed up to snuff, for example, were historically passed on to Gallo to be used in wine.
While it’s hard to imagine a time or place where canned fruit cocktail ever was (or will be) chic, it’s become a dependable pantry staple and a common ingredient in home desserts. And it’s more versatile than you think — you can do way more than simply fold it into a retro Jell-O mold. Here are some unexpected ways you can use it.