{"id":1795,"date":"2025-02-17T19:24:00","date_gmt":"2025-02-17T08:24:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/understanding-ugly-produce-and-six-creative-ways-to-utilize-it.html"},"modified":"2025-02-17T19:24:01","modified_gmt":"2025-02-17T08:24:01","slug":"understanding-ugly-produce-and-six-creative-ways-to-utilize-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/understanding-ugly-produce-and-six-creative-ways-to-utilize-it.html","title":{"rendered":"Understanding Ugly Produce and Six Creative Ways to Utilize It"},"content":{"rendered":"

We\u2019ve all been there. You open the fridge, and stare inside at what has become ugly produce: a bag of spinach that\u2019s seen better days, blueberries that are starting to soften, and a lone bell pepper that\u2019s a bit wrinkly.<\/p>\n

What do you do with those less-than-fresh fruits and vegetables? Do you<\/p>\n

A. Pitch them in the trash or compost?B. Close the fridge and pretend you never saw them?C. Find new ways to use aging produce to reduce food waste?<\/p>\n

If you answered A or B, you\u2019re not alone, but the \u201ccorrect\u201d (aka money-saving and sustainable) answer is C. Keep reading for six ways to use ugly produce that won\u2019t take a lot of time, money, or energy.<\/p>\n

What Is Ugly Produce?<\/h2>\n

Ugly produce is any fruit or vegetable that\u2019s less than picture-perfect. Think misshapen potatoes and carrots, apples with blemishes on their skins, or awkwardly angled eggplants.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s nothing wrong\u00a0with these vegetables and fruit. It\u2019s just that they\u2019re likely not the ones you\u2019ll pick up at the grocery store or farmers market.<\/p>\n

Ugly produce is also\u00a0aging\u00a0produce \u2014 the fruits and veggies that you\u2019ve left in your fridge or on the counter a little too long. They\u2019re not as fresh, crisp, and perky as they were when you brought them home. Or maybe they have one bad spot or are on the verge of being too ripe. (Ugly produce is not to be confused with\u00a0weird-looking fruits and veggies.)<\/p>\n

Why Should We Use Ugly Produce?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n

1. It saves you money<\/h3>\n

Throwing away ugly produce instead of trying to salvage it is like throwing away money. In 2021, the average American spent about $5,200 on groceries, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That number has likely grown, as the average prices of groceries in the US spiked 11.4 percent in recent year, compared to the historical inflation rate of 2 percent annually. So learning how to preserve your produce can help you save a few dollars.<\/p>\n

2. It cuts down on food waste<\/h3>\n

More importantly, embracing ugly produce reduces food waste. The USDA estimates that the US generates about 133 billion pounds of food waste per year. Embracing the \u201cugliness\u201d helps keep food waste out of landfills and allows us to keep more of our hard-earned dollars.<\/p>\n

One French supermarket chain turned (blemished) lemons into lemonade in 2014 as a way to reduce food waste and enlighten consumers to the beauty of beastly produce.\u00a0Their marketing campaign was a viral sensation, and\u00a0in 2016, Whole Foods followed suit\u00a0by offering \u201cimperfect produce\u201d at a handful of stores.<\/p>\n

Why would consumers reach for weather-blemished apples or gnarly yams instead of the flawless ones? Buying ugly produce saves money \u2014 and who doesn\u2019t love that? These ugly duckling fruits and veggies sell for significantly less than their camera-ready counterparts. One common example is\u00a0supermarkets\u00a0selling a bag of ripe bananas at a discount.<\/p>\n

You may also notice this trend at your local farmers market, where you can pick up \u201cseconds\u201d (aka ugly produce) for a steal to make homemade canned tomatoes or applesauce.<\/p>\n

6 Ways to Use Ugly Produce<\/h2>\n

So, whether you\u2019ve consciously chosen to buy ugly produce or your fruits and vegetables are just not aging gracefully, there is plenty you can do to turn them into something delicious. Here are six easy and tasty ways to use ugly produce, aging fruits and veggies, and all those leftover bits that seem to go to waste in the fridge.<\/p>\n

1. Freeze overripe fruit<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

As fruit ripens, its starches turn into sugars.\u00a0Fruit becomes more fragrant, softer, and more delicious. However, it\u2019s a quick, steep decline from peak ripeness to fermentation (aka rotting). The adage \u201cone rotten apple spoils the bunch\u201d holds true, so the key to preserving your fruit is to stop that ripening process before it goes too far.<\/p>\n

For soft fruits that you\u2019d normally store on the counter \u2014 like pears, peaches, and plums \u2014 you can buy yourself a day or two by refrigerating them. This will keep their ripeness in a holding pattern. If you want to play it safe, freeze them instead.<\/p>\n

Peel the fruit if preferred, trim any soft spots (and the core and seeds), and chop as desired. Line a baking sheet with parchment, then place your fruit on it in a single layer. Freeze, then transfer to a freezer bag. (This prevents your fruit from freezing into a solid lump.)<\/p>\n

Freeze clean, dry berries right in a freezer bag, but be sure to spread them out so they won\u2019t stick together. And, if you have a bunch of brown or spotted bananas, peel them, break them into chunks, and freeze them.<\/p>\n

Your frozen fruit is perfect for\u00a0chia puddings,\u00a0smoothies,\u00a0sorbets, and\u00a0muffins\u00a0(thaw and drain it first). You can also thaw and puree it, then mix with chia seeds for a no-sugar-added jam!<\/p>\n

2. Roast veggies that are starting to go<\/h3>\n

Roasting is a secret weapon cooking method: It creates a golden brown exterior that concentrates the natural sugars in vegetables (making this a perfect cooking technique to convert\u00a0picky eaters), and it hides small imperfections in your veggies.<\/p>\n

If you have root vegetables like\u00a0beets\u00a0that have been in your fridge or\u00a0pantry\u00a0too long, peel them, then toss with your favorite\u00a0cooking oil, herbs, and\u00a0spices, and bake at 400\u00b0 Fahrenheit until golden brown. (Be sure to cut them into consistent pieces so they\u2019ll cook evenly.)<\/p>\n

Use this cooking technique to salvage wrinkly sweet potatoes,\u00a0hairy carrots, and even Brussels sprouts that feel a bit too soft to saut\u00e9. (Try:\u00a0Roasted Winter Vegetables)<\/p>\n

Note: Sometimes old vegetables should just be discarded. Green potatoes contain\u00a0an ingredient called solanine that is potentially harmful in large amounts. Peel any small green spots, and if the potato is more green than not, toss it.<\/p>\n

3. Revive greens and herbs or turn them into pesto<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

We all know we should be eating more\u00a0dark leafy greens, but a lot of them are delicate and spoil quickly. Sadly, there\u2019s no saving the spinach or lettuce once it gets slimy, but if your greens (or herbs) have simply wilted, you have a couple of options for reviving them.<\/p>\n

If you want to use your greens or herbs fresh, \u201cshock\u201d them by soaking in ice water for five minutes. Drain and dry them, and your greens should be good as new. (This also works for slightly limp carrots, celery, bell peppers, and cucumbers, but slice them first.)<\/p>\n

If the ice bath trick doesn\u2019t work or you want to use them later on, you have a couple of options. Dark leafy greens like kale and collards can be\u00a0frozen\u00a0(just make sure they\u2019re clean and dry) for up to a couple of months. While you\u2019ll lose some quality, your greens are good enough for\u00a0soups, stews, or a\u00a0Super Green Smoothie. Delicate but wilted greens like arugula and spinach, as well as herbs like parsley, cilantro, and basil, make delicious\u00a0pesto.<\/p>\n

You can also preserve your herbs by pureeing them with just enough water to make a thick paste, then transfer them to ice-cube trays. Once frozen, pop the herb cubes into a freezer bag. Voil\u00e0! Single-serve\u00a0herbs!<\/p>\n

4. Turn tomatoes in tomato sauce or oven-roasted tomatoes<\/h3>\n

There\u2019s nothing like a fresh, ripe tomato. If you find your beautiful heirloom tomato spent a day too long on the counter or your grape tomatoes are wrinkly, there are plenty of ways to salvage the deliciousness. Start by tossing any small tomatoes that are moldy and trimming any soft or bad spots from larger tomatoes. From there, try one of these preservation methods.<\/p>\n