Fortifying the Fruit

1. Peel fruits with thick skins, de-seed fruits with large seeds, discard any stems and chop the fruit into 1/2-inch pieces if necessary. Add the fruit to a mixing bowl.

2. Squeeze the juice from about 1/4 of a fresh lemon in the fruit to prevent oxidation and to balance the sweetness. If you're using a lot of sour or tart fruit, use a little less lemon juice.

3. Add sugar and spices to taste, then sprinkle arrowroot or cornstarch over the fruit as needed. If you're using fruits that release a lot of juice, such as plums and peaches, use 2 to 3 tablespoons of arrowroot or cornstarch; if you're using fruit with minimal juice, such as apples and pears, use 1 to 2 tablespoons of cornstarch or arrowroot.

4. Mix the fruit and adjust the taste with more sugar and lemon juice if needed. Transfer the fruit to a baking dish until it's about 3/4 full. Set the fruit aside while you prepare the crumble.

Crumbling the Crumble

1. Add 2 parts all-purpose flour to 1 part brown or white sugar to a mixing bowl. This is the base of the crumble; you need about a cup of flour to one-half cup of sugar per baking dish of fruit.

2. Add a pinch of salt, a couple pinches of baking powder and a pinch or two of dried spices to taste. Spices are optional. If you decide to use spices, you can use the standard cinnamon, but allspice and nutmeg work, too.

3. Add 2 parts cold diced butter to the dry ingredients. If you're using 1 cup of flour, you'd need 8 tablespoons of cold butter.

4. Cut the butter into the flour, using a pastry cutter or fork, until large crumbles form -- just as you would a pie crust but not as finely crumbled.

Putting It All Together

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Sprinkle the crumble over the fruit in an even layer.

2. Place the fruit crumble in the oven and bake it until the juices reduce and bubble and the crumble cooks through and feels firm, about 30 to 35 minutes.

3. Take the crumble out of the oven and set it on a baking rack to cool for 15 minutes. You can store fruit crumbles covered in the refrigerator for up to a week.