One of the hallmarks of a frugal mind is our extreme distaste for throwing out anything that might be useful.
Yes-I realize that down that road lies madness and an appearance on “Clean House” 🙂
But a brief pause before reaching for the trash can can be a good thing when you are trying to be a responsible steward of both your finances and your environment!
Photo by Rennette Stowe
So here is a quick and easy one for you. If you use canned fruit don’t just pour that “juice” (or syrup as it is labeled on the can) down the drain.
Although that stuff started out as a mere mixture of sugar and water-the canning process has leached some of that fruity goodness into the mix.
Here are 3 easy ways to use up that juice.
#1-Mix it with a little seltzer or soda for a frugal drink.
#2-Use it instead of water to make Jello (do not do this with pineapple juice-it will cause the jello not to set)
#3-Use in place of the liquid in muffins or pancakes.
What other ideas do you have for using up the “juice” from canned fruit?
I just recently used it to sweeten up my recipe for southern sweet tea. We had our annual “southern hospitality” dinner party on saturday, and I wanted to make my usual sweet tea without using up all of my sugar. I used peach juice and they couldn’t get enough of the stuff! They kept asking what made it taste so good lol.
I’ve used it for sorbet, peach and pear work out well, fruit cocktail was a bit meh. I usually add a good squeeze of lime juice (is it still a squeeze if it comes out of a bottle) because I like my sorbets to have a bit of a kick.
I transfer the pineapple juice at the bottom of a can to a glass jar and store it in the fridge.
Then I use it to make cocktails.
The Hawaiian Cocktail:
4 parts London dry gin
1 part Cointreau (or triple sec)
1 part pineapple juice
Shake over ice, and strain into a chilled glass.
It’s delicious.
Daniel-Mmm-pineapple in drinks is delicious! That’s a fantastic idea for a cocktail
Allison-I hadn’t thought of smoothies. Although I have been known to freeze it in popsicle molds for the kiddos during the summer months . ., .,
Leanne-I’ve never made my own sorbet.
We pour that juice into icecube trays and pop it into smoothies.
I, too, have used it for smoothies. Nice and sweet especially for the kidlets.
You can thicken it with some cornstarch to make syrup for pancakes or waffles. 🙂
The smoothie idea is a good one, as is making it into a syrup-I bet that would taste good on angel foodcake, over fresh fruit and over vanilla icecream as well!
My fav way is to save the juice from each can in a glass jar until I have about four cups. Then I mix up some bisquit mix from my fav timesaver, Bisquick. I bring the juice to a boil, drop the dough in by teaspoons or larger, depends on how big you want your dumplings, and cover and simmer for about ten minutes. If you are in a hurry, you can just forget the cover and let them cook on med heat until they test done. That’s it. They are good. Fruit dumplings from something you might have thrown out. Can’t get much more frugal than that.
Marinade! Especially with soy sauce. Or use it as part of a sweet and sour stir-fry.
Reduced over heat with other ingredients to make a reduction sauce/glaze.
Ohhh, I hadn’t thought of marinade! That’s a great idea Alex.
I use it as cooking liquid for barley — barley is a little under-appreciated, I think. It’s a nice alternative to rice both in flavor and texture, and I find that it is even less work to get “right” than rice is.
great tips from all u guys!!!!
thank u very much!
We pour it into popsicle trays and whala – instant popsicles with no added sugar. (we buy the fruit with the fruit juice, not the syrup)
I have a question I’m learing to bake i was wondering can I used the syurp and some the fruit. To make a swirl in a cheesecake. Someone give advice please thank you in advance
Vanessa–I don’t think the syrup would be thick enough for a swirl by itself. I’d look at some recipes that include a swirl and see what they do with their fruit etc–I would bet it’s either thickened with something or cooked down to a thicker consistency. The syrup from your canned fruit is extremely thin, so you’d have to adjust it in some way I would guess to work.
I use it in my 2nd ferment in kombucha