Giangi's Kitchen

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There is nothing more satisfying and refreshing than a fresh frullato or Italian fruit smoothie.

My mom had a gelateria in Italy and during the summertime, patrons would stop by in the morning to have a frullato di frutta or Italian fruit smoothie as part of their breakfast right before hitting the sandy beach.

All the fruit ice creams were made with fresh fruits which were selected early in the morning from the farmer’s market.

Therefore each time you peeled a peach, apricot, or squeezed lemons, the beautiful fragrance will give your sense of smell a beautiful treat.

Nothing tastes as divine as a fresh summer peach.

The smoothies that we used to prepare and serve, as well as the ones we had growing up and continue to make to this day, are simple and super easy.

Just fruit, a bit of sugar, regular milk, and a bit of imagination with your fruit selection.

I may not even need to have a recipe.

The frullato being so much part of the Italian summertime food culture, I had to mention it and share it.

I have Italian-written cookbooks with recipes posted.  I just could not pass up the opportunity to share such a delightful treat.

What is a frullato or smoothie?

The perfect combination of fruits, milk, and sugar all blended together into a smooth, pureed pulp.

Commonly milk is used; however, if you want to make it vegan or want to avoid dairy, you can use orange juice or apple juice instead.

Of course, with the apple juice, beware that it will not make it too sweet. A proper frullato is not sweet.

For a richer consistency, yogurt can be used as well.

A couple of crushed ice cubes give it a chilling factor to it.

You will need a powerful standing blender or hand immersion blender and your frullato will be ready in seconds, and not figurately but literally.

What fruits to use?

Any fruits that your heart desires. Stay fresh to the season is my advice. And make sure that your fruits are ripe and full of flavor.

Peaches are in season at the moment, as well as all sorts of berries.

What combination should I try?

The possibilities are endless, and let your imagination go wild. You cannot go wrong with fresh fruits and milk.

I have used here peaches, bananas, mangoes, and milk for this recipe.

You can use the following combination:

• Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries. Just add milk to cover it, and you are ready to go.
• Apricots with yogurt, a couple of teaspoons of sugar, and some crushed ice cubes.
• Apples, pears, grape juice, half of a lemon that you will have juiced, and two teaspoons of sugar.
• Strawberries, milk, and sugar.
• Strawberries and bananas. A touch of sugar and milk.
• Bananas, mangoes, sugar, and milk.
• Just bananas, milk, and sugar.
• Apple, pear, lemon, banana, grape juice, and sugar.
• Cantalope or melon with bananas is amazing too. Of course, do not forget the milk.

A couple of tips that I learn along the way

For the best texture as well as flavor, I strongly recommend the use of very ripe fruits. Actually, this will help you enjoy all the fruits that may end up being tossed because they are past their prime.

Peeled and cut into chunks to easily blend them.

I love whole milk. I do not drink milk, thus not needing to worry about the fat content. However, you may want to use skim or low-fat milk. While delicious, the richness of the whole milk can be a bit too heavy for some.

If your blender has a smoothie setting, use it. You want a rich, smooth cream.

If you have babies at home, this dessert is the best. They will not see the fruits, which I know some children may not have a kind fondness for it.

The sweetness will entice them to have more, but you know there is no sugar, so no running up the walls.

Think about all the potassium which is a most in their little bodies during the summer warm months, plus vitamins, you as a parent are happy.

They think they won the jackpot to have something so sweet in their cup.

A win-win situation if you ask me.

Sometimes fresh fruits are not easily accessible, and why limit this drink to only summer? You can use frozen fruits. However, please let the fruit thaw out and remove all unnecessary liquid that may have been released.

Craving more flavorful food? Be sure to try my:

Fresh Fruits with Chantilly – A French tradition

Strawberry Apple Pie

Potatoes with Basil

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Equipment used to create this smoothie recipe.

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