I’m the first to admit that I’m pretty bad about wasting food. I wish that I weren’t that way. After all, food waste is bad for the world as well as for the grocery budget. So, I’m working on that. If you want to learn along with me, then let’s chat about how to make the most of overripe fruits.
Getting Over The Food Wasting Mindset
The biggest barrier to me learning how to make the most of overripe fruits has been my own mind. I’m not picky about a lot of stuff but for some reason when it comes to food I do get really squeamish. If a piece of fruit has a bruised spot, I’m pretty quick to throw it away. It grosses me out.
However, I have to get over that if I want to stop wasting food. Which I do. So my trick has been to intensely educate myself about food waste. Moreover, I’ve learned a lot about what it really means that a food is ripe or overripe. The more I learn, the easier it is to remind myself that I don’t want to waste food. That has truly gone a long way towards motivating me to make the most of overripe fruits.
5 Quick Tips to Make the Most of Overripe Fruits
Martha Stewart recommends these options:
1. Cook Them
You can cook overripe apples, for example. Once I saw that in Martha Stewart article, I realized that I do this often. I cut up the apples. Then I sauté them in flavored olive oil (lemon or hot chili). I add some honey and I have dessert. You can do this with peaches and other fruit as well.
2. Bake Them
This seems to be the most popular options for making use of overripe fruits. People like to bake muffins or breads using a variety of fruit. Personally, I don’t eat bananas – or banana bread – but if I did then this would be a great way to use up the too-ripe bananas that are still good to eat.
3. Make Jam
This is the other main way that people seem to make use of fruit that’s about to turn bad. I’ve never actually made jam myself. However, I do know that canning and jarring are among the best ways to get more frugal in the kitchen. Moreover, they can help reduce food waste significantly.
4. Add To Your Breakfast
Chop the fruit into small pieces. You can cut away any obviously bruised or bad parts. Use the small pieces to supplement cereal or yogurt. Add honey, seeds, and perhaps other fresher fruit to mix it all up. You can’t even tell that the overripe fruit is in there except for the fact that it tastes really yummy. According to the Martha Stewart article, you can similarly use the fruit to make relish or chutney.
5. Freeze and Make Smoothies
You can freeze many different types of fruit. If you see that some is getting overripe, freeze it. Then, when you’re ready to use it, you can make smoothies with it.
Read More:
- Reducing My Food Spending to Save Money
- Why Food Trends Are (Usually) Financially Problematic
- What Items Should Be In a Minimalist Grocery List?
Kathryn Vercillo is a professional writer who loves to live a balanced life. She appreciates a good work-life balance. She enjoys balance in her relationships and has worked hard to learn how to balance her finances to allow for a balanced life overall. Although she’s only blonde some of the time, she’s always striving for total balance. She’s excited to share what she’s learned with you and to discover more together along the way.