It's cool to have fruit trees or a garden, but what happens when you get too much? Other than eating all your harvest, then going on an exercise binge, there are options. Here are a few.

Preserve it

There are about 17 different ways to preserve foods, including pickling and drying — common ways to preserve mango, for example. Relishes can be made from chopped fruits and vegetables that are cooked with seasonings and vinegar.

Pickling does not require complex tools or ingredients. Key materials include a glass jar, your fruit or vegetable, an acidic base (vinegar, or an acidic syrup for fruit) and a cool storage place.

Pickling is one form of canning. There are many sources of information on safe canning processes, including the National Center for Home Food Preservation, a clearinghouse for safe, approved methods.

Sell it

Your bountiful garden produce could earn you a couple of bucks every now and then.

Selling your own fruits and vegetables in Hawai'i can be tricky, though, because you need a vendor permit or licenses if you're going to officially start a small business, with routine sales. However, if you have an unexpected overflow of lychee, mango or tomatoes that goes beyond what you can hand out to neighbors, you could consider selling at a swap meet.

At Kam Super Swap Meet in 'Aiea, you can buy a one-day permit to sell your goodies. The permit price ranges from $20 to $30, depending on the day. Kam Super Swap is open from 5 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays.

You can sell your goods out of or next to your car. If your neighbors want in, carpool together, share a stall and split the cost of the permit.

If you process or pickle your food, you'll need a permit from the Health Department. But there are no regulations for raw fruits and vegetables, a representative from the Kam Super Swap Meet said.

Give it away

Sometimes the simplest thing to do when you've got too much of anything is to give it away.

At the Institute for Human Services, food donations are welcome. Spokeswoman Kate Bepko said the homeless shelter "accepts all kinds of foods," whether raw, cooked or pickled.

If you've got food to donate that needs to be refrigerated, send it over to the IHS men's shelter, which has refrigeration facilities.

put a lid on it

Controlling when and how much your garden produces is another option.

Education Specialist Richard Seers at the Lyon Arboretum advised, "Plant what you need; don't plant too much. Use mulch to control weeds; plant low-maintenance (plants) like herbs."

While trimming plants or not watering them could prevent overflow, it's not good for the soil or the plants' health, Seer said.

Introducing pests like caterpillars or snails is a bad idea, too, as they can wreak permanent havoc on an ecosystem.

Composting the overflow can be a final solution — providing a use for your excess, while improving the health of next year's garden.