It’s that time of year again. Summer is coming to a close, and a lot of you are getting ready to go back to school. I was one of those dorky kids that loved to go back-to-school shopping with my Mom. It meant new clothes, shoes, backpack, haircut, school supplies (Lisa Frank anyone?) and snacks! Getting ready for back-to-school was fun! One of my favorite parts was organizing my school supplies and picking out my first day of school outfit. The one outfit that stands out in my mind was my outfit for the first day of 8th grade. I wore a long sleeve purple tent dress with teal polka dots, bright color tights, lace-up boots and I even had a hat. I was trying to channel my style icon at the time, Blossom. Stop snickering! She was cool and yes, I also went through a hat phase.
Through the years, styles change, and technologies change, but one thing stays the same, kids get pretty excited about heading back to school. If they are anything like me, it’s not because they’re eager to get back to math or history, but because they get to see their friends and enter into serious lunch swap negotiations. As part of getting ready for back to school, I’m going to help you with mad lunch-swap clout.
We all know that lunch rooms work on a bartering system. You know my pudding cup for your pizza kind-of-thing. So, let’s talk about lunch room currency in the form of homemade fruit cups. These aren’t just any fruit cups. These fruit cups are made of whatever fruit is in season packed in a light honey and mint syrup and still cold when ready to eat.
Still, to this day I love a chilled fruit cup. They are just a little sweet and very refreshing. I like them so much I started making my own, and they make the perfect addition to a lunch box. This recipe yields 24 4-oz cups! That is almost five weeks worth of school lunches for one kid! They are made with fresh fruit and less sugar than your average fruit cup with no high-fructose corn syrup anywhere in sight. They can easily be changed up to make them your own.
The trick to these little treats is the mint infused syrup and freezer canning. Infusing the mint into the syrup gives it a more refreshing flavor. By freezer canning, your are preserving the fruit and by lunch time it thaws out but remains cool. Make sure your kid brings the jar home, and you can get ready to gear up to make more. Seriously, your kid will be getting three pudding cups for one of these gems. And, yes it’s ok to swipe some for your lunch bag.
Getting Ready for Back to School
Easy homemade fruit cups with honey and mint infused syrup. Great for lunches and snacks! (Adapted from Ball Recipes)
Ingredients
- 4 cups cubed pitted peeled peaches, about 5 large [i](see notes)[/i]
- 3 cups cubed cored peeled pears, about 5 medium [i](see notes)[/i]
- 2 cups blueberries
- 2 cups Mandarin orange segments, packed in juice
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup liquid honey
- 24 fresh mint leaves
- 24 4 oz glass freezer safe preserving jars with lids and bands
Instructions
Notes
Treat pears and peaches - Use Fruit-Fresh Produce Protector to keep from browning. 2 teaspoons powder to 3 tablespoons water for 4 cups of fruit.
Peeling Peaches - Heat a pot of water over high heat, cover to bring to a boil. Score the bottom of the peaches with an X and prepare an ice water bath. As soon as water comes to a boil set to low and add peaches to hot water. The peaches should be fully submerged. After about 40 seconds or when the skin begins to slightly pull away on the scored ends, remove the peaches with a slotted spoon or skimmer. Drop in ice bath and let them cool, about 10 - 20 seconds. Peel skin
Jars - Make sure that jars are freezer safe. You can also use small plastic containers.
Freezing - If your freezer has a power freeze setting use it! Rapid freezing helps create smaller ice crystals maintaining the natural color and texture of the fruit. It also helps for the foods to thaw more evenly.
My favorite memory was going back-to-school shopping with my mom. She took each of my siblings and I out separately to make it special.
https://twitter.com/thomasmurphy40/status/511638465298309120
My favorite back to school memory was the first day of 6th grade because I was so excited to go to a new big school.
https://twitter.com/aes529/status/511538151190700032
My favorite memory was taking back to school pictures on the front steps on the very first day.
tweet https://twitter.com/ChelleB36/status/511505124967997440
tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com
I actually went through the MC Hammer pants phase and I loved going to Rose’s department store with my mother and picking out school supplies
tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com
I didn’t have a Blossom hat phase, though I did love her! I had a jelly shoes phase 🙁 I’m talking every color imaginable!
i tweeted https://twitter.com/thepryfamily5/status/510232284197171200
[email protected]
i loved getting new clothes for school, only time we really got new clothes [email protected]
Wearing new clothes.
Tweet https://twitter.com/JalapenoMama/status/509174810275237888
I remember my sis and I walking hand in hand to the old country school – thank you.
https://twitter.com/MomOF2Boysz/status/508737665512919040
I didn’t go through a hat phase, but I can always remember having my outfit all picked out and ready to go for the first day of school. By the end of the school year I was waking up last minute and almost blindly picking something out so I wasn’t late for school!
Tweeted: https://twitter.com/orchidlady01/status/508704641052188672
My favorite back-to-school memory is my brother and I going in to 1st grade together – all dressed up in our special school clothes.
tweet–https://twitter.com/WildOrchid985/status/508244416168222720
My favorite memory was going shopping with my mom in August for everything back to school related. We would make a fun day out of it!
Thanks for the chance to win!
wildorchid985 at gmail dot com
https://twitter.com/susan1215/status/508003211937320961
I used to love shopping for school supplies, clothes and shoes when I went back to school.
I didn’t but I did love watching the show!
Picking out that first day outfit…put so much time into it in middle school!
tweeted
https://twitter.com/rubylorikeet/status/506687294212804610
I remember I always like getting a new lunchbox each year.
https://twitter.com/disneyfan40/status/505891743192330240
My favorite back to school memory is when my grandmother would take me school shopping for clothes at the mall and we would stop to eat at Coney Island.
I used to love shopping for school supplies! I know I was a nerd. lol. I loved having fresh supplies and picking out everything myself. I thought it was fun.
Tweeted – https://twitter.com/dmarie824/status/504330890323832833
I love all the new school supplies…still, even as an adult! And my birthday always fell right around the first day of school.
I loved back to school clothes shopping!
One thing I liked about going back to school was covering my books with brown paper and then decorating them.
I loved shopping for school supplies. I’m an organization nut and I love all the binders and folders. Actually, I still love hitting the school supplies aisle at this time of year. The stuff they have now is WAY cooler than what I had 30 years ago.
-https://twitter.com/tcarolinep/status/503738894350041088
My favorite memory of back-to-school time was the school supply shopping process. It was always a thrill to pick popular cartoon icon supplies.
tcarolinep at gmail dot com
https://twitter.com/susan1215/status/503656797404954625
My favorite back to school memory is seeing my friends again.
Tweet link: https://twitter.com/shala_darkstone/status/503652434619547648
I liked getting new clothes for school and some pens.
My favorite back to school memory was getting new crayons, I love crayons…
A favorite memory it’s coming home from school to find that my mom had baked my favorite cookies!
I shared on Twitter: https://twitter.com/dandidaffyhill/status/502655241473777665
My favorite back to school memory was getting some brand new black boots that I’d been wanting all year.
tweeted: https://twitter.com/KerryBishop/status/502614577524121600
I liked getting to see all my friends again.
My favorite memory was always laying out my new outfits for the first week! I had the entire first week planned out way in advance.
Tweet
https://twitter.com/clc408/status/502057424564809728
I remember going shopping for new school clothes and shoes. I really enjoyed that.
I just loved going back and learning, I know I was kind of a geek and still am. I loved going to school and couldn’t wait for suggested reading lists and the like.
Tweeted
https://twitter.com/mummytotwoboys1/status/501797808538546176
My favorite back to school memory was when I came back from a big vacation and was desperate to tell my friends.
tweet
https://twitter.com/MeandBells/status/501786807848411136
i remember being so nervous for back to school. we would set out our clothes and not be able to sleep the day before!! so glad it’s all over!
I’m going to make a bunch of these fruit cups for my kids! Okay, and for me 😀
https://twitter.com/LuLu_Brown24/status/501761153991602179
i always enjoyed buying new clothes and lunch boxes
Great combination of fruits in there and I love JCPenny clothes!
Homemade fruit cups…. Awesome! I actually really like those fruit cups from the stores but I avoid them at all costs so making my own would be so ideal!
I really never liked hats, so I did not go through that phase. My best memory was stepping onto my first school bus in first grade!
I tweeted on twitter and my twitter id is @yarbr012 : https://twitter.com/yarbr012/status/487281653635497984.
I’d have been a happy camper to receive these in my lunch box when I was a kid!
Lunch room currency! Love that! These are so fun and such a great idea! I use the mini mason jars all the time to send things in with the kiddos as well!
Great idea to make your own fruit cups! What a money saver!
Back to school shopping is still a favorite of mine. And my kids love it too. There is something about the smell of fresh crayons … but I digress. These fruit cups? Genius!
My favorite is when I grew about 7 inches over the summer my freshman year.
I loved going back to school shopping with my mom when I was a kid one of my best memories.
tweet
https://twitter.com/kellysaver/status/501517070240997376
I remember buying the clothing with the neon gel writing on it for back to school one year, oh and the neon laces, which I loved too!
https://twitter.com/ElenaIstomina/status/501506830455955456
I loved back to school shopping
I tweeted here: https://twitter.com/lil_lady_dz/status/501505963992424448
My favorite back to school time was picture day! I always loved getting ready and all dolled up.
I used to eat fruit cups all the time growing up but never thought of making my own! Looks like such an easy recipe.
Ah, the scent of a brand new notebook and pencil shavings… Now that I’m a grownup it means so much more to me – Means the kids are back in school getting their learn on! I love these homemade fruit cups – Genius!
tweet–https://twitter.com/mami2jcn/status/501464235491471360
I always enjoyed decorating my locker and my trapper keeper when the new school year would start.
Love this idea for home made fruit cups! I might have to make these for us grown up kids for work! 🙂
My favorite back-to-school memory was when the new books would arrive. I loved the smell of books!
I ate fruit cups like it was my job back in the day….I need to bring ’em back! Love this.
My daughter loves fruit cups but hates the store-bought ones because they leak all over once opened. It will be great to send her with these!
Homemade fruit cups? I adore these!!!
LOVING the mint syrup with the fruit! I can easily see myself doubling this recipe to have healthy snacks ready for my crew.
The outfits are all so cute and, yes, you have to have jeans!!! Yep, the boys are cute too! These fruit cups are so smart. Thanks!
i loveddd back to school shopping! for both clothes and school supplies 🙂
This looks wonderful! I love that you added mint 🙂
I still love back to school season – the crisp autumn air, the excitement of starting a new year and all the things yet to learn!
Thanks for the recipe 🙂