Are those pears you bought in bulk getting a little ripe to just slice and eat? Got bananas browning on your countertop? Thankfully you don’t need to throw that good produce away. Here are four ideas for how to use overripe fruit.
Use Overripe Fruit in Baked Goods
Bananas, pears and even soft apples are great for many varieties of muffins and bread. Some of our favorite recipes are Autumn Pear Bread, Better For You Banana Muffins and Fall Apple Quick Bread. This Chocolate Banana Cake recipe looks great too!
Use Ripe Berries for Smoothies
Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and blackberries that are starting to get a little squishy are still delicious in smoothies. Obviously bananas are a great compliment to berries and all you need is some yogurt and orange juice and you’re good to go! You can find some really great smoothie recipes here, here and here.
Make Baby Food
It’s healthier and cheaper to make your own baby food, and it really doesn’t take much time. Soft bananas and ripened squash and pears make perfect baby food. Obviously it’s preferable to use fruit as fresh as possible but ripe works too! It’s easy to bake a squash, puree it with a little water and freeze it in ice cube trays for your little one. My baby boy loves it that way!
Freeze Your Soft and Ripe Fruit
If you have more than enough berries and apples for smoothies, you can easily freeze them. Gently place berries on cookie sheets and freeze in a single layer to keep them from becoming big clumps when you measure them out into zip-top bags. I like to chop my apples and make apple pie filling to store in the freezer.
For more suggestions, you can read my blog post on how to use overripe or extra fruits (and vegetables).
