Brian Mitchell writes
Is there any way of reducing the acidity of fruit other than by
smothering it with pounds of sugar? I'm wondering if there's any cooking
method or other treatment available to the ordinary person. I like the
very tart fruits like gooseberries, blackcurrant and rhubarb (nominal
fruit) for desserts and jams but worry about the amounts of sugar I take
in.

Chervil is supposed to reduce the need for sugar - according to a friend
who uses it, it's the leaves that you use.. Think elderflower may be the
same, but I'm not sure about this.

Rhubarb tastes a lot less acid if you smother it with a lot of custard.
Yogurt, creme fraiche or proper custard made with eggs rather than
powder are also good. Then you can start worrying about your fat intake
instead ;-)

I'd never thought of blackcurrant as tart. It's got a strong taste, but
much smoother than rhubarb or gooseberry. If you don't do it already,
grow your own gooseberries, and let them fully ripen. Bought
gooseberries never seem completely ripe.

I'm not sure whether there's much point worrying about the added sugar,
as fruit has high sugar levels anyway, and presumably the less tart
fruits have higher levels than the tart ones - in other words, you may
be merely topping up to te same level as you would have in a sweeter
fruit. I don't know. Just a thought.

--
Kay