When you’re constantly reminded at how fleeting seasonal changes are, and with it the freshness of seasonal fruit, we tend to have very little time to enjoy fresh fruits that we would like to relish bit by bit. However, making fruit syrups using their leftover peels, is a great way to utilise and make the most of these seasonal bounties. Fruit syrups are an extremely versatile ingredient to have in your fridge because of its multiple applications that range from cocktails, summer coolers or even drizzled on top of a bowl of ice cream for a luxurious dessert experience. A simple way of stashing leftover peels in ziplock bags in the freezer is a great way to prolong the season of your favourite fruits.
Mango Syrup
Image Credits: Healthline
Once the sweet, juicy, sunshine-yellow flesh of the mango has been eaten and all that’s left is the stone and the peels, tossing them in a lot of sugar and lemon rind before letting it sit as is for a few hours is an innovative way to flavour the sugar with the remaining juices from the mango. The mango peels not only retain flavour, but also the fragrance of mangoes, which can then be extracted by pressing the sugar-covered peels through a strainer.
Lemon Syrup
Image Credits: First For Women
Similar to the way mango peels were tossed in sugar, do the same with the rinds of lemon and allow the zesty citrus flavours to permeate the sugar and let it dissolve in the acid of the lemon rinds. What you get in return is a more sweet than sour syrup which is a great shortcut to dole out glasses of fresh lemonade on a hot summer evening.
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Cherry Pit Syrup
Image Credits: Savvy Mama Lifestyle
When the season for this delicious, ruby-red stone fruit comes around, save the pits with a bit of cherry flesh still clinging on to them and toss in lots of sugar. Add a drop or two of rose water to the mixture and let it sit, in order for the sugars to be able to draw out every bit of the cherry flavour; perfect to use in vodka or gin-based cocktails.
Pineapple Syrup
Image Credits: Tasting Table
Unlike the bright yellow pineapple, the fruit syrup derived from it takes on a gorgeous amber tone. When the acidity from the core of the pineapple dissolves the sugar it is coated with, it makes way for a thick, flavoursome syrup that works great to drizzle over ice cream, add to cocktails and even make refreshing coolers out of.