Before You Throw Away Those Fruit Scraps

It’s that time of year. Strawberry Daiquiris and Piña Coladas (sometimes together in one glass) abound. But every frozen mango Margarita, watermelon cooler or other fruity cocktail leaves behind a handful of scraps. At a time when bars and restaurants are carefully scrutinizing ingredients for their economic and environmental costs, these recipes offer one easy way to cut down on waste.  From watermelon rind cordial to mango pit syrup, here’s how to make your fruit go further this season.

Watermelon is a finicky ingredient for cocktails. “The pink flesh doesn’t sit well in drinks,” says Kelsey Ramage, the founder of Trash Collective, a consultancy working to make bartending more sustainable. When you use the fruit in a cocktail, Ramage says, the “pink scum” tends to float to the top of the glass, and the rind is left behind as waste. Her solution is this easy cordial, which simply combines the rinds and sugar to bring the flavor of watermelon, without any off texture or waste, to Margaritas and more.

Another cordial from Ramage, this sweetener pairs pineapple skins with basil and sugar. With its green, grassy notes, it’s an ideal complement to gin- or tequila-based cocktails, or to terroir-driven spirits like rhum agricole. In her Daiquiri riff, Ramage pairs the spirit with the cordial for an herbal twist on the classic.

Tone Arasa’s Gift of Strawberries is an ode to the plant that is sometimes known as the “heart berry.” The cocktail uses the fruit in multiple ways, including an infused tequila and a syrup, but the most unique application incorporates the strawberry tops. Arasa combines the leaves with fresh tarragon, dehydrates the mix and shakes it atop the cocktail. Use this powder to garnish strawberry Daiquiris and more.