Batch Cooking for Fruits and Vegetables

What is fruit and vegetable batch cooking?

It involves preparing your fruits and vegetables in a single session for the upcoming week. Rather than washing, peeling, and chopping your produce daily, you typically dedicate 2 to 3 hours during the weekend to transform your basket of fruits and vegetables into ready-to-eat basics.

This approach is particularly well-suited to imperfect fruits and vegetables: it allows you to fully appreciate these delicious products despite their unusual appearance, and prevents them from ending up in the trash simply because you didn’t take the time to prepare them.

The principle of batch cooking applied to fruits and vegetables

Fruit and vegetable batch cooking follows a methodical organization in several steps: 1. Sorting your basket As soon as you receive your UglyFruits basket, examine your fruits and vegetables. Identify those that need to be consumed quickly (salads, fresh herbs, ripe fruits) and those that can wait (squash, potatoes, citrus fruits). This step will help you prioritize your preparations.

2. Planning your preparations Decide how you’ll use each product: raw vegetables, composed salads, roasted vegetables, soups, compotes, smoothies… Think about varying your preparation methods to avoid getting bored.

3. The preparation session Time to roll up your sleeves! Wash all your vegetables, peel those that need it (even though our imperfect vegetables often just need a good cleaning), cut them according to their future use. For fruits, prepare the ripest ones first: compotes, smoothie bags, fruits cut for salads.

4. Group cooking Take advantage of your oven to roast several vegetables at once: carrots, beets, squash, cauliflower. Meanwhile, steam some vegetables and prepare your broths with peels and greens. Everything works in parallel!

5. Proper storage Package your preparations in airtight containers, preferably glass. Cut raw vegetables keep for 3-4 days in the fridge, cooked vegetables for 4-5 days, and you can freeze excess portions. Don’t forget to label with the date!

Fruits and vegetables always ready to eat

The main obstacle to consuming fruits and vegetables? Preparation time! With batch cooking, your carrots are already cut into sticks for appetizers, your salad is washed and dried, your fruits are cut for breakfast. You just need to help yourself.

Complete appreciation of your basket By taking the time to prepare everything on the weekend, you actually use your entire basket. That slightly twisted fennel will find its place in a salad or soup, those lightly spotted apples will become a delicious compote, and those dented peppers will be perfect once roasted. More variety in your meals Batch cooking pushes you to be creative with your vegetables. You test different cooking methods, combinations, and recipes. That imperfect carrot can become oven chips, a smooth puree, crunchy sticks, or be incorporated into a savory cake. No more boring routines! Time savings during the week In 10 minutes, you can create a beautiful colorful plate: roasted vegetables from the fridge, a handful of already-washed salad, some cherry tomatoes, a little homemade hummus prepared on Sunday. Done!

Fruit and vegetable batch cooking: the ultimate weapon against food waste

Zero fruit and vegetable waste With batch cooking, all your fruits and vegetables find a use. Carrot and radish tops become pesto, organic vegetable peels transform into chips or broth, overripe fruits are blended into smoothies or cooked into compote. At UglyFruits, we celebrate this zero-waste approach that gives a second life to every part of the plant. Optimal preservation Imperfect fruits and vegetables aren’t less fresh, but their appearance can sometimes make us forget to cook them. By preparing them upon receipt, you stop their deterioration. Washed and cut vegetables, properly stored, keep their nutrients and crispness for several days. Freezing, your best ally Your basket contains vegetables you won’t be able to consume during the week? Batch cooking allows you to prepare them immediately and freeze them: ratatouille in portions, roasted squash cubes, blanched spinach, fruits in smoothie bags… You thus create your own “bank” of fruits and vegetables for the following weeks. Creative transformation that saves everything Overripe fruits? Compote, quick jam, flavored ice cubes for water. Vegetables starting to wilt? Soup, broth, gratin. Batch cooking teaches you to see the potential in every product, even damaged ones.

UglyFruits tips for successful batch cooking

Start small: No need to prepare everything from the first week. Start by washing and cutting your vegetables for raw dishes, then progress to cooking. Invest in good containers: Airtight glass boxes will allow you to keep your preparations longer and easily visualize what you have in stock. Cook the greens and peels: Our organic fruits and vegetables are perfect for this. Don’t throw anything away before exploring all possibilities! Create your routine: Choose a time during the week and stick to it. Consistency is the key to success.

Batch cooking transforms the “constraint” of cooking fresh produce into a creative and rewarding moment, while actively fighting against food waste. So, ready to transform your next basket into delicious preparations that will delight you all week long?