Opies Fruits in Alcohol Review
DISCLOSURE – THIS ITEM WAS GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW. ALL THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS ARE THE REVIEWER’S OWN.
Reviewed by Alice Dixon
Opies has been in business since 1880 making them one of the oldest family owned food companies in the country. Their range of pickles and preserves are beautifully packaged making them wonderful for both giving as presents or enjoying at home.
I have tried their delectable range of prepared fruits soaked in alcohol. There are a number of varieties in the range and I was fortunate to try four of them. The baby pears, the forest fruits, the black cherries and the peaches.
All of the fruits in alcohol range are presented in beautiful glass jars. The jars are a lovely almost spherical shape with a screw on lid. The jar, lid and all labelling are fully recyclable. However, they are so pretty I plan on repurposing the jars. They would be lovely as a small vase, candle holder or just for storage. The labelling is attractive and so combined with the lovely shape they would make a beautiful gift, perfect with Christmas approaching. I served these when we had family visiting and they looked wonderful displayed on the table. The jar labelling also includes serving suggestions and further recipes can be found on the Opies website.
With them being one of my favourite fruits, I began by tasting the black cherries. These cherries are steeped in a syrup made with Kirsch. They are delicious and extremely sweet. I served them with simple Greek yoghurt to offset the sweet taste and they were fantastic. The Kirsch could be tasted without being too overpowering. They are very sweet and rich so I wouldn’t eat them as they are but are perfect added into a dessert or served with cream.
The forest fruits jar is a mix of blackberries, redcurrants, blackcurrants and sour cherries. These are steeped in a mulled gin. Gin and tonic is my go to drink and as a lover of berries also I knew I would enjoy this one. Again it is very sweet and rich so better accompanied by something else. It is delicious as a topping for a grown up cheesecake.
The jar of peaches are steeped in brandy which has matured for twelve years. These are large pieces and it is very hard to resist just eating them straight from the jar. The fruit used is such high quality, perfectly ripe and delicious. I used these to make a pear crumble to accompany our Sunday roast. It turned out delicious, with the brandy giving my usual recipe that extra boost.
Finally, I tried the baby pears. Again, with pears being less sweet, I was tempted to eat them whole from the jar. The baby pears are steeped in amaretto which had me thinking of Christmas again whilst I was eating. These are incredibly versatile. They are amazing straight from the jar as we used them as part of a spread laid out for a family lunch. They are also tasty served with cream or ice cream or again baked into a recipe.
Once opened, each jar needs to be stored in the fridge and used within one week. They are all so tempting though that none of our jars lasted a week. We easily used everything in time. The Opies Fruits with Alcohol jars are priced at £7.50 each making them an inexpensive yet luxurious present. For how high quality and delicious they are, I think the price is more than reasonable.
I will definitely be purchasing these again and trying more from the range. As well as enjoying them ourselves I am going to be buying them as presents as I think they will be very much appreciated.
Rating: 5/5
RRP: £7.50 each
These products can be purchased from selected supermarkets and more information can be found on the Opie’s website here.