Summer fruit is bursting with flavor right about now. Obviously you can (and should) eat them as is. Peaches from the farmers market are out of this world in July FYI. But if you garden or visit a U-Pick farm, you know how quickly fruit can accumulate. And sometimes, before I can even get to them, they’ll start to mold. And it always makes me sad. Because even though I compost, food waste is not something I take lightly (did you know 30-40% of the food supply chain is wasted?!). If you’re determined to prevent summer fruit from going to waste (like me!), there are a few things you can do to use them up, tasty and nuanced alike.
5 Zero Waste Ways to Use Up Summer Fruit
1. Cook and bake with them
I love adding berries and stone fruit to my oats, yogurt, pancakes and French toast. I also LOVE making homemade cake and like to top it with fresh berries (doubles as decor)!
But baking with berries is my specialty (people at the market called me and my mom “berry people” for a reason). I’ve made both strawberry and blueberry pie before (let me know if you want the recipe on here!). But my go-tos are always strawberry loaf and blueberry muffins. They’re hits at family gatherings and such a great way to use up my fruit before it goes bad. Especially wonderful if your fruit is kind of mushy but still edible!
Making smoothies and smoothie-pops is another wonderful way to use up mushy berries. You can also make DIY fruit roll-ups from fruit puree (I saw Brennan Kai do this with mangos and seriously need to try it).
2. Infuse them in water
When I chop up strawberries for my oatmeal, I cut off the tops. But I don’t compost them right away. I usually like to do one of two things – use them to make a vinegar infusion (more on that later), OR, use them to infuse water. I have this amazing pitcher from Arbor Teas that is perfect for making iced teas or infused water because it has a filter on top. So when you pour it, it catches any seeds or bits from entering your glass.
Here are some of my fav fruit infusions:
- Lemon and strawberry
- Raspberry and strawberry
- Lemon and orange
- Blackberry and blueberry
Note: Be mindful that leaving citrus too long in water can make it taste very bitter. If I make an infusion with lemon, I always drink it within the same day because if I leave it overnight, it tends to get too bitter for me.
3. Use them in natural plant paint and dyes
Fruits are fun to use in experimental dyes and paints! I have a whole post on plant paint you should check out where I use some fruit (blueberry, raspberries, cherries – oh my!) to paint. Best part? It’s all compostable!
I really love the idea of natural dyes as well. I kind of played around with this using Easter eggs, but I’d love to experiment further using clothes. If you’d be interested in that, let me know! But I believe raspberries, cherries, blueberries, and blackcurrants can all be used to dye clothes. Just keep in mind natural dyes tend to fade with time, but hand washing them, or using non-bleach detergent on cold may help preserve them longer.
4. Make infused vinegar
As I mentioned earlier, I use fruit scraps to make infused cleaning vinegars. I’ve done this with orange peels (my most popular DIY on my blog!), lemons, and strawberry tops alike. It smells so much better than regular vinegar and can be used to clean and polish so many surfaces like countertops and tables. You just have to let it sit for a few weeks in a cool, dry place (like a cupboard).
5. Make jam
Last and certainly not least, making jam is a wonderful way to use up summer fruit. I’ve made strawberry jam before, but the recipe can honestly be applied to any berry. It’d be fun to make a mixed berry jam one day. I’d also love to try my hand at making jam from stone fruit (peaches in particular). And FYI, homemade jam tastes incredible on homemade biscuits. You’re welcome.
What do you think of these zero waste ways to use up summer fruit? Any recipes you’d like to see on this list?
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