What do you all do with surplus produce?

[greenishfing]

We often end up with a surplus of certain vegetables and/or fruit. I freeze some and make jams and pickles. We give lots away to family, friends, neighbours and sometimes total strangers.
This year however I cannot believe how many apples we have got. We keep giving bags and boxes of them away. I hate waste but we can only eat so much.
What do the rest of you do with your surplus produce.

[nickdub]

Mostly I leave mine for the wildlife - there was a deer up in my orchard eating fallen apples the other day - one year I had wax wings come in and take some - not seen them before round here.

[ameno]

I freeze or otherwise preserve what I can, and give away what I can't.

[veggiechicken]

1. Eat
2. Preserve or freeze
3. Give to family and friends
4. Leave outside the front gate with a "Take me, I'm Free" sign.
5. Let the chickens and wildlife eat it.
6. Compost

[muck lover]

When faced with a glut..... make soup.
I’m not sure this would work for apples but sprouting broccoli tomatoes courgettes potatoes and leeks all get souped. Even my chickens got tired of courgettes this year.

[Chestnut]

Eat, give to friends/family/neighbours, make apple chutney, mincemeat, apple and ginger jelly, chilli jam, rosehip and apple jelly, bottled apple pie filling - decant and freeze the ones which don’t seal properly, batch of sausage casserole for freezer, dried apples, any undamaged ones I wrap in newspaper in the garage to store for few months. Rest left for wildlife.

[SarrissUK]

I don't really have a glut of anything this year, and I have preserved a fair bit. I still have loads in the ground, and they're staying there until I need them

[Can the Man]

Generally share with family & friends

[burnie]

I don't grow excess, but grow stuff to eat in season, we do have stuff in the ground like parsnips, carrots and leeks that can be harvested as we need it. There are some chillies diced in the freezer and some drying in jars, some have been shared and we have tomatoes cooked and frozen for soups and stews etc.

[lolie]

Give it away, mostly.

Towards the end of the season I'll often just toss it on the grass for the critters.

[Aberdeenplotter]

Like most, what we don't use or preserve gets given away. Part of the pleasure of having a plot is sharing

[Mr Bones]

Like most, what we don't use or preserve gets given away. Part of the pleasure of having a plot is sharing

Exactly the same here AP

[Greenleaves]

Having 3 plots there is always a surplus

My soft fruit gets turned into jam but must goes to the local community of elderly folk or former plot holders. Some is frozen but prefer it fresh

[Bren In Pots]

As a back garden grower I don't have that much surplus, its been a bumper year for fruit so my freezer has had a lot of use,

Apples get used for chutney, jams, pies, frozen as puree, slices and as juice. This year I've bought a dehydrator so that's another way to store my apples for winter use.

[bikermike]

I've not managed to develop any surplus yet, but our plot had a food bank collection this year, so if I generate any surplus, and if it's still going next year, I'll use that.