Sweet Spoons; a traditional Greek treat

If you’ve ever been to Greece you’ve probably had them or heard about them: Sweet Spoons. Sweet Spoons is a traditional Greek treat that is often served to guests. It’s conserved fruit. Sweet Spoons are especially well-known in the Pelion region in Greece, where every household has at least one jar of Sweet Spoons in their cabinet. The Sweet Spoons aren’t too sweet or dry, as I first thought they might be. They’re really tasty and it’s great to make your own jar.
I visited the Pelion region in Greece to find out all there is to know about Sweet Spoons and I learned how to make them. On this page I’m telling you all about it and I’m sharing the recipe so you can make your own Sweet Spoons.

Women Cooperation Esperides

I’ve visited Women Cooperation Esperides in the town Vizitsa in the Pelion region. You can find Pelion right in between Athens and Thessaloniki. Vizitsa is just a short drive from the biggest town of the region Volos. Women Cooperation Esperides started in 2011 with no help from the government. The ladies put in their own savings to start a shop and kitchen in Vizitsa.
In the middle of the crisis the ladies managed to get around. In their shop they sell Sweet Spoons from all kinds of fruits. The Sweet Spoons from Esperides are mostly known for their typical Pelion version made with ‘baby apples’.

How to make Sweet Spoons

To make the Sweet Spoons with the small apples you have to peel the apples and remove the core. The ladies in Pelion used the baby apples that are popular in this region. You can of course use other apples as well. If they’re too big, you might want to cut them in four.

When all the apples are peeled you put them in a big pan or bowl with water and sugar and you bring it to a boil. You let it boil for about 1.5 hours. You put the apples with the syrup that has been created in the process in glass jars and let it rest. If you don’t open the jars in the meantime, they’re preservable for at least two years.
The ladies of Esperides added almonds to the Sweet Spoons made with apple. They said it was good for the digestion, but I also really loved the taste of it. It felt like eating crustless apple pie.

Pelion

As I said, the Sweet Spoons are a very well-known treat in the Pelion region in Greece. If you visit locals at their home, I’m pretty sure they’ll offer you a bit. But you can also get it at several restaurants. We had Sweet Spoons with vanilla ice cream for dessert when we had lunch at restaurant Kritsa in Portaria for example.

Click here to read more about the Pelion region in Greece.