Fruit salad canned in own juice

Tip it into a sieve over a bowl and leave it to drain for a few minutes; shake the sieve gently once, rather than pressing the fruit. Save the juice for smoothies, jelly or a fruit punch.

Yes. It is already cooked during canning, so you can serve it chilled or at room temperature without further preparation.

Transfer leftovers, including the juice, to a clean covered container and refrigerate promptly. Use within three days, and discard it if it smells fermented or the fruit becomes unusually fizzy or slimy.

You can, but thawed pieces are usually softer and best used in smoothies, sauces or cooked desserts. Freeze the drained fruit in a sealed container, leaving a little room for expansion, and use it within a few months for best quality.

Fold well-drained pieces into yoghurt, porridge or a sponge-cake trifle, or spoon them over pancakes. For fruit jelly, add the fruit only after the jelly has cooled enough that the pieces will not break up.

Its sweet, soft fruit pairs well with plain yoghurt, fromage frais, custard or a little lemon zest. Add crunchy contrast with toasted oats, chopped nuts or crushed biscuits just before serving.

The similar canned fruit cocktail in syrup has 63 kcal per 100 g, compared with 106 kcal per 100 g for canned fruit salad in its own juice. Drain it if you want to leave some of the juice behind.

It contains 25 g of carbohydrate per 100 g; this includes the fruit’s natural sugars and sugars released into the juice, not just added sugar. Check the ingredient list to see whether sugar has been added.