How To Repurpose Fruit That You Burned On The Grill

While some foods can handle or even taste better with some charring, it's painful when you leave a piece of food on the grill for too long, resulting in it no longer working as a part of its intended recipe or meal. This can be the unfortunate result of overcooking vegetables or, even more frustratingly, fruits. However, while a burnt piece of fruit can leave you feeling distraught and disappointed, grilling experts say you should not fret about this sort of mistake.

Silvio Correa is one of those experts, as he is both a Brazilian grill master and private chef from Southern California. He gave The Takeout a tip on what to do with those pesky pieces of charred fruit that can no longer serve their original purpose. According to Correa, rather than letting burned fruit ruin your day, it's all about repurposing them into a sauce or drink to enjoy with your food.

The wonderful thing about cooking is how inherently freeform of an art it is. While there are numerous instances of ingredients and methods needing to be incredibly particular for your dishes to work out, there are typically also options and backup plans to salvage those pesky mistakes you make.

When it comes to overcooking fruit on the grill, Correa says that the best way to react is to shift your focus toward what you can make of the fruit now that it's in that state. "I suggest trimming the charred bits, turning the fruit into a sauce, using it in a salad," Correa explained, adding balsamic glaze or honey, combining it with creamy elements, chopping it into a dressing, or blending it into a smoothie or cocktail."

These suggestions may give some hope to those grillers who may have forgotten how versatile fruit can be when they let it sit for a bit too long. A handful of burnt fruit could set you in the direction of an even better meal that uses the fruit's flavor in a more unique way. Whether it's by accenting a salad and utilizing a fruit's sweet tang or concocting a fresh smoothie that acts as a healthy drink or dessert to reward you after a difficult grilling session, burning your fruits while grilling could turn out as a blessing in disguise if you pivot appropriately.