Rotting fruit? Sugar it up!

By Jonniker

I don't mean to give you yet another tip you probably already knew, but I've only recently realized this, and it's sort of changed my life. 

I buy a lot of fruit. Sometimes Sam goes on a fruit-eating binge, and sometimes she eats nothing but crackers and air (that's where we are right now). While I love fruit, there's only so much I can eat before I find myself with an epic tummy ache, yet throwing out overripe or rotting fruit makes me even sicker. I find this is a particular problem with berries -- strawberries, raspberries and blueberries are among our favorites, but geez, you have to eat them in, like, a day.  

So what I do now, when I start seeing my fruit get that ganky bruised look is this, and forgive me the obvious simplicity: I cut it up, mix it in a bowl with two teaspoons of sugar and VOILA! Your fruit is preserved. For like, DAYS. A *week*, even. An extra week! Of slightly bruised berries! 

They, ah, taste better, too. And two teaspoons of sugar per pound of fruit is pretty negligable, calorie-wise. Worth it. Worth it!

{Photo credit: raw food nation}

Comments

[Dr. Maureen]

I DID NOT KNOW THIS. This is life-changing. I can buy raspberries and eat them the next day? What? (Not that raspberries last that long in my house anyway, but still. Nice to have the option to buy a lot if they are on super special.)

[A'Dell]

What? This is news to me. We do the same thing with fruit/crackers+air.

Hmmmm. Between this and the frozen cake, I'm having a very good month in the kitchen.

[natalie]

When my fruit starts looking bad I just blend it up in a smoothie. No one is the wiser.

[Min]

I freeze my on-the-verge fruit, no sugar, and add it to smoothies later...

[Anna]

I grew up this way. Good came the fruit out come the sugar. In my older years I am just now remembering the sugar trick. And it pulls the juice out of the fruit and oh it tastes so good. Especially when you are trying to hat children or sick people to eat.

[Mary Lehmnn]

I cut up cantalope & put in frig. After a few days is gets soggy and taste changes. Any tips to control this?

[Reba Whisenhunt]

I have found it helps to cut the cantaloupe in half and only take the seeds out of one half. Use the seedless half first. Tightly cover the whole seeded half with plastic film and store it in the fridge but not in the coldest part. Dice the remaining seedless half and place in an air-tight container and store also in not the coldest part of the fridge. If the edges begin to turn translucent, cook up a breakfast of bacon/sausage, eggs, biscuits, and bacon/sausage gravy. Cantaloupe is an extraordinary treat served with gravy as an accompaniament... especially if the melon is ice cold and the gravy is piping hot... I love the contrast in temperatures and textures!!!

[Catherine Kleinwort]

I freeze all my fruit & either use it in smoothies or make jam.