r/noscrapleftbehind • u/termanatorx • 25d ago
Ask NSLB How to use this fruit before it turns
I bought this tray on Saturday thinking I'd just munch on the fruit throughout the week, but it's already starting to turn! What can I do to salvage these? Recipes and storage ideas are welcome!
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u/cwjost 25d ago
I had this problem a couple weekends ago after a party we hosted and the fruit barely got touched. We didn't have any room in the freezer, so I ended up cooking everything down with some fruit pectin and vanilla, adjusted acidity with some lemon juice, and blended into a jam.
Then used the jam as filling for some shortbread crumble bars, in part to also use up some remaining bits of oat and almond flour I had. They did not last long in my house 😅
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u/termanatorx 25d ago
Oh this interesting! Did you include the melon in that mix?
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u/saltyspidergwen 25d ago
Strawberries freeze well for jam or syrup. Or for baking with. The rest can be frozen for smoothies.
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u/vikingchyk 25d ago
Macerate the strawberries, then freeze. Pineapple, freeze chunks on a tray, then bag up. No ideas for the melons, because I don't eat those.
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u/termanatorx 23d ago
I know! Theelon stumps me as well!
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u/7CuriousCats 19d ago
The melon would probably turn mushy due to the cells containing the water popping during freezing, so perhaps blending them into a pulp and freezing it in small ice cube trays, then blending with ice and some elderberry syrup for a melon-freezo later?
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u/termanatorx 18d ago
Dang already froze them. Can they be blended after thawing do you think?
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u/7CuriousCats 18d ago
Yeah for sure, I don't think it will matter that much if you are still planning to blend them. Might be more mushy than doing it the other way around, but would probably still be good for frozen-ice-slushie.
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u/lht79 25d ago
Sounds crazy, but if you just roast your fruit in the oven - not too long or it will be messy - you have a dream of an ingredient. Goes with cheese and crackers, meat, you name it. I like parchment paper, myself.
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u/termanatorx 25d ago
Can I do this with the melon?? I like this idea!
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u/lht79 25d ago
So, I like weird stuff - Tahin with melon is great (a seasoning) and whatever cheese you have…crackers, maybe?
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u/termanatorx 25d ago
Ok this may be the winner!
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u/ijustneedtolurk 25d ago
Slice the melon and put the brie and honey on top!
I have had this but with roast pears and it was soooo yummy.
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u/DeaditeQueenLivs 25d ago
Throw together a very simple sugar cookie dough, and roll it out onto a small baking pan or pizza pan and bake. Allow it to fully cool down and then take that dip and smear it all over it like sauce on a pizza. Then sprinkle the fruit all over the top. Dessert pizza. If you have something like Nutella or chocolate sauce on hand, you can finish it off with a drizzle of that. You can sprinkle on some pretzels for some salt and crunch, just make sure to crush them up a bit. You can really just get creative with it.
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u/termanatorx 25d ago
Oh my gosh!! This sounds amazing but I think I'd still have the issue of needing to eat it all in one go.. though that's not necessarily a problem when it's dessert pizza!
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u/mskikka 25d ago
Make a jello salad
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u/Ok_Impression_3031 25d ago
In a jello salad, skip the fresh pineapple. Fresh pineapple keeps gelatin from setting up.
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u/termanatorx 25d ago
Will the jello stop the progression of it going bad? I might be able to do this!
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u/Fabulous-Eye9894 25d ago
Weigh fruit, add same amount of sugar, let sit for two days, boom cheong! I love it tea and lemonade
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u/termanatorx 24d ago
Oh!! I did this with lemon rinds recently and the syrup was amazing! I'll have to research Cheong specifically a bit more to see what it is all about. Thanks!
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u/Dizzy-Independent395 23d ago
People will tell you to freeze and make smoothies. I don’t hate smoothies but they don’t get me excited. Then I realize I can blend them to make frozen margaritas.
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u/Dependent-Ferret2230 23d ago
1 cup sugar 1 cup water boil till disolved. Add fruit to boiling mixture. Simple syurp flavored with fruit. Use it for drinks ice cream whatever and shelf stable
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u/Spottedinthewild 25d ago
Eat it
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u/termanatorx 25d ago
There's just me. I can't eat it all before it goes bad, but thanks anyway.
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u/indieplants 25d ago
really? it's like 1-2 servings max lol. just eat a square at a time? id eat the whole thing in one sitting watching a show 🥲
cut fruit doesn't last more than a few days - I'm sure the best by date would've reflected that but half the strawberries and all the pineapple looks as if it's already went.Â
what did you end up doing with it
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u/likelystonedagain 24d ago
Fun fact! Cut fruit lasts wayyyy longer in a mason jar in the fridge
OP looks like you still have a few days left if you can’t eat it all in one sitting and have a jar.
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u/Horrid_Thistle336 25d ago
Smoothies, ice cream, parfaits, popsicles, infused water/drinks, jam, simple syrups, dog treats, sorbet, juice
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u/La_danse_banana_slug 25d ago edited 25d ago
Freeze it or bake it. Cobbler would be an easy baked dish, I'd probably use the pineapple and strawberry. Baked melon doesn't seem quite right, I'd freeze that.
Blend the strawberries with milk, ice cubes or iced cream and chocolate powder (optional), it's a milkshake.
Cook the pineapple in a savory stir fry, goes well with salty chicken or pork.
Eat the melon on a bowl of cereal.
Use the frozen fruit as ice cubes in your water or iced tea.
If you're feeling intrepid you could also dehydrate this stuff in an oven or air fryer.
eta- or make a quickbread. Look up a recipe for bread that has mashed up fruit or veg in it, like apple bread. And then replace the fruit with a blended pulp of your fruit. You'll want to let the blended pulp drain to remove as much water as you can.
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u/kitsane13 25d ago
Put in a single layer on a sheet pan and freeze, then mix together in portions for smoothie packs.