Frugal Kitchen: Save Money with Over Ripe Fruit

Fruit is one of the food items that create a lot of waste. Chances are, the large bag or bunch of fruit that you purchased will end up not being eaten before it begins to go bad. Over ripe fruit is often destined for the trash bin. However, if you are interesting in saving money in your frugal kitchen, you can try one of these great ideas for over ripe fruit. Of course, you should never do this with moldy or rotten fruit.

Frugal Kitchen Tip #1 - Muffins and Breads

Over ripe fruit lends itself very well to making muffins and breads. One of the most classic over ripe fruit recipes is banana nut bread. Old bananas are mashed up to create this delicious bread. You can do the same type of thing with browning apples, mushy peaches, plums, or pears, and soggy berries. You can find a multitude of recipes for fruit breads and muffins for which over ripe fruits are perfect.

Frugal Kitchen Tip #2 - Over Ripe Fruit Leather

Fruit leather is the natural style of those popular kid's snacks "Fruit Roll-Ups." While the name-brand variety have preservatives and artificial flavors and colors, your over ripe fruit leather is all natural.

To make fruit leather, simple use a blender or food processor to mash up all the over ripe fruit. Spread it evenly over a large, shallow pan. Then, use a dehydrator or your microwave to dry the mash. When it is mostly dry, just peel the fruit leather from the pan and eat.

Frugal Kitchen Tip #3 - Over Ripe Fruit Sorbet

Another great thing to do with over ripe fruit is to make your own gourmet sorbet. Again, you will use your blender or food processor to combine all the over ripe fruit until it is a smooth puree. While this mixture should be sweet, you can also add sugar, honey, or other sweetener. For a creamy treat, mix in some milk or whipped cream.

Pour the mixture into plastic or paper cups and put it in the freezer. You will have a delightful over ripe fruit sorbet to enjoy.

Frugal Kitchen Tip #3 - Over Ripe Fruit Wine

The last recipe for over ripe fruit is to make a fruit based wine. This requires some care and knowledge of wine making. Over ripe fruit should be mashed and combined with sugar and left to sit for a period of time. The natural fermentation process will create a fruit wine with a low alcohol content. Be sure to take care against mold and bacteria.

Instead of throwing your over ripe fruit in the garbage, try some of these great ideas. If your goal is to save money with a frugal kitchen, utilizing over ripe fruit is a great way to do it.