Quick Make Ahead Fruit Crumble

I make this crumble from frozen or fresh fruit in large batches, enough to make 3 crumbles. Once assembled, the crumbles can be frozen, and then baked whenever you need a home made dessert.

This is a great way to use fruit when you have it in abundance, and the frozen crumbles are perfect for last minute guests.

Very quick to make, and delicious!

Filling

• 8 cups or two 500 gram bags of fresh of frozen berries or fruit
• 1/4 cup cornstarch – depends on amount of pectin in fruit – less for blueberries and apples
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar – more for tart fruits like rhubarb
• 1 - 2 tsp grated lemon rind (optional) Juice of 1 lemon or 2 tablespoons orange juice (optional)

Topping

• 1 ½ to 2 cups oats (I use a combination of half quick cooking and half regular oats/oat cereal blend)
• ¾ cup flour
• ½ cup melted butter
• ¼ to ½ cup brown sugar

For this instructable, I used a combination of fresh rhubarb, which I chopped (2 cups), plus 2 packages of frozen berries, which did not require any preparation. This is a bit more fruit than the recipe calls for, but I find the recipe extremely forgiving. Often I just use frozen berries, which is super quick. Do not thaw the frozen berries.

Mix fruit together in large bowl.

Mix the cornstarch, sugar and lemon rind together.

Toss the dry mixture on top of the bowl of mixed fruit and stir to evenly coat the fruit.

Sprinkle the lemon or orange juice on top and mix together.

I often use loaf pans lined with tin foil for these crumbles. The recipe makes enough to fill 3 loaf pans.

Melt 1/2 cup butter. I do this in the microwave for about 30 seconds but watch it carefully so it doesn't boil and make a mess in the microwave.

Mix together the topping ingredients (oats, flour, brown sugar) and then mix in the melted butter. You can use the same bowl you used to mix the fruit filling. Dish efficiency!

Sprinkle the crumble topping on top of your pans of fruit.
You can bake them now if you wish, at 350 degrees for an hour, or freeze and bake them whenever you need a home made dessert. Bake it right from the freezer - no thawing needed.

Enjoy!