Why are you throwing away fruit?

Plan what fruit you will realistically eat that week, make a list to avoid impulse purchases and buy loose items of fruit according to your exact need, rather than larger packs of apples or oranges. “Shopping like our nan back in the day,” says WRAP CEO, Harriet Lamb. WRAP has found 65 per cent of shoppers would buy more loose fruit if it was available, which would also reduce unnecessary packaging. Some of that packaging is designed to keep fruit fresh for extended periods. Nonetheless, WRAP’s modelling suggests selling more fruit loose would reduce waste overall. It is urging a packaging ban on 21 fresh items by 2030, including limes, apples, bananas, oranges and mangoes. Loose fruit would certainly make shopping easier, insomuch as you should be using your hand and eye to inspect fruit and test its ripeness – with its condition guiding purchasing decisions.

For example, you might buy a bunch of green bananas that will ripen over the week and a yellow banana or two for immediate eating. To minimise waste, buying fruit requires that proactive engagement. In recent years, several major supermarkets have removed ‘best before’ dates from fruits, where it is suitable, to encourage shoppers to trust their own judgement and not throw away edible fruit. But with certain fruits, such as berries, could buying frozen be the answer? Soft fruits tend to be a little squishy after defrosting, but they last for months in the freezer and, frozen at optimum freshness, taste sensational in a jam, crumble or smoothie. They also work well in cocktails, as garnishes or ingredients. As Emily Cuddeford, co-founder of Edinburgh’s Twelve Triangles bakeries, asks rhetorically, "Frozen strawberry daiquiri, anyone?"

Storing fruit

“Any damage will encourage fruit to fail earlier,” warns Kathryn Farrell, a buyer at kitchenware store, Lakeland. When shopping, look for bruising and at home, store fruit in ways that protect it. “Let air circulate,” says Robin Aitken, head chef at Glasgow’s Margo. “No cramming produce into a fridge drawer. They’ll just turn to mush.” Fruit sold in packaging will often survive best in that packaging and all fruit, except bananas and pineapples, will stay fresher for longer if refrigerated. In the fridge, open or ventilated containers are generally best. Fruit sat in its own juices deteriorates rapidly, so try storing in colanders.

Chris Leach, chef at London’s Manteca, washes and dries banana ends to eradicate fruit fly eggs and stores washed and dried strawberries in airtight jars lined with kitchen paper, to prevent bruising and absorb moisture. Some fruits like bananas and pears produce ethylene, a gas which will ripen both that fruit and, sometimes, other nearby fruits and vegetables, potentially causing them to spoil. Separate out such ethylene emitters in your kitchen and fridge drawers. To slow the speed at which bananas ripen, Jun Tanaka, chef-patron at London’s the Ninth, advises keeping the stem of the banana wrapped, so less ethylene escapes.

Conversely, to fast-ripen ethylene-sensitive fruits, add a banana to a bag of fruit. Left at room temperature, the banana will kick-start ethylene production in the bagged fruit, ripening it in a day or two. Leach likes to blitz and freeze brown bananas to create an easy ice cream: “You’ve got natural sweetness because they’re overripe. It’s great for little kids.” Take the guesswork out of knowing what you can freeze with our helpful guide on what foods can I freeze?. Then, explore our tips on how to freeze strawberries, how to freeze bananas, and how to freeze rhubarb for more fruit-specific advice.

Using abundant fruit

The fruit we discard, as it begins to break down, was moments earlier at its sweetest. Intervening presciently is key. “If you find yourself with a glut of fruits about to go off, the best way to use them up are still the old-fashioned ones. Cakes, crumbles, baked goods, jams, chutneys and the like,” says Tom Tsappis, chef at Perthshire’s Killiecrankie House. James Knappett, chef at London’s Kitchen Table likes a waste-not trifle (“If the fruit looks riper than it should, you extract maximum flavour without having to worry about appearance.”), while Robin Aitken loves pies, in particular our recipe for an apple & hazelnut galette that’s great to adapt to whatever you’ve got left over”.

Jan Ostle, chef at Wilson’s in Bristol, saves fruit by steaming it with a third of its weight in sugar, puréeing it and using it in baking, “or as a topping for yogurt or pancakes”. He also makes burnt pickled lemon purée by blitzing charred, pickled lemon skins: “Use in a similar way to lime pickle; adding smoky, tangy flavour to stews, rice or as a condiment with grilled meats.” When it comes to using normally waste elements of fruit, you will find plenty of inspiration including recipes for candied citrus peel, such as our candied orange peel, a banana peel breakfast cake or a lemon salt that demonstrates why chefs love to add citrus peels to seasonings and sugars. “Lemon orange pepper on sea bass is lovely,” says Judy Joo, chef-founder of London’s Seoul Bird restaurants, who – as another zero-waste fruit tip also rates watermelon rind kimchi. Drinks are also a great way to use abundant fruit.

Find inspiration with our simple recipes for rhubarb, raspberry or blackcurrant cordials and shrubs (fruit syrups made with honey and vinegar, used as a base in cordials and cocktails). Elsewhere online, adventurous cooks can find recipes for, as an example, Mexican tepache, a fermented drink made with pineapple peelings and the core. Whatever your dilemma, a little research will yield solutions that squeeze every last drop of flavour out of fruit and save you money, too. For more information, go to: lovefoodhatewaste.com

Find further inspiration for less waste...

Zero-waste recipes for everyday
10 clever ways to use vegetables in bakes
How to waste fewer potatoes
How to waste less bread