Bananas are not the only ingredients worth saving when they are past their prime. Before you toss out that mushy tomato or banged-up cantaloupe, consider throwing them into a new recipe instead.
Here are some overripe foods to transform into delicious dishes, including kimchi stir-fry, and peach vinegar.
Citrus fruits: Citrus are great and very versatile, but the shelf lives are not that long. Instead of trashing them when they become overripe, consider making a marmalade out of them. With a few simple ingredients (salt, sugar, water, favorite spices), you can have a nice marmalade to spread over your favorite snacks. This also extends its life for another two weeks or so.
Kimchi: It is a fermented product, so it just gets funkier and stronger in flavor over time. In Korea, it is common to eat kimchi that is years old. There are even restaurants that specialize in very old kimchi. Use it in soups, stews, or simply stir fry it—the deep umami flavors come out brilliantly.
Tomatoes: Tomatoes are a versatile ingredient but can be tricky. Not every tomato can be the star of a great Caprese salad. This requires a beautiful, sun-ripened tomato. If you have tomatoes that are just passed their peak or if they were not perfect to begin with, a simple pasta sauce is the perfect application. Shaved garlic, diced tomato, fresh basil leaves, good olive oil, and a little bit of starchy pasta water can get you to an amazing pasta sauce with no more time on the stove than it takes your pasta to cook.
Greens: Greens and/or herbs that are getting a little wilted are perfect to make a quick sauce for a steak or piece of fish. Turn those sad-looking greens into an arugula pesto, a bright chimichurri, or a kale pesto, which are full of flavor and healthy too.
Bananas: They ripen so quickly and often people do not like seeing the bruises on bananas. You can make a caramelized banana jam for pancake toppings. Or, throw them in a blender with some yogurt, honey, and milk, and make a healthy smoothie.
Or, use bananas to make spicy banana ketchup. It has the flavor profile of a regular ketchup but some sweetness from bananas. It goes well with omelets, and fried chicken. Heat up a sauté pan on medium heat, add vegetable oil and onions, and cook until it is translucent for about 3 to 4 minutes. Then add all spice, paprika, ginger, garlic, and Thai chilis (you can substitute with serrano or jalapeño), and let it cook for two minutes. Once that is done, add overripe bananas and cook for another 5 minutes. Add water, vinegar, sugar, and salt, turn down heat to medium low, and simmer/let it reduce for about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and add red food coloring and mix well. Remove from pan and let it cool slightly, then transfer to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
Strawberries: Take mushy and overripe strawberries (that are not rotten) and make a strawberry syrup to put on ice cream or use it to make strawberry lemonade.
