I firmly believe that the best use for most food waste is to give it to chickens and let them turn it into eggs, meat, and manure. But if you don’t have chickens or if you have an excess of waste that the chickens do not want (see above), consider how that waste can be repurposed before throwing it on the compost pile.
First off, keep in mind that a lot of food does not automatically go bad when it reaches the best-by date. Even many fresh dairy products can last weeks or months past the date stamped on the container.
Apple skins and cores can be made into vinegar.
Carrot, celery, and onion ends can either be planted to grow carrot tops, celery leaves, and green onions, or they can be turned into soup stock. Celery leaves can be dehydrated and used to flavor soup.
Lettuce ends can also be replanted to grow a little lettuce for salads. For best results, use very fertile, well-drained soil.
Seeds can be saved for next year’s garden, assuming that they were open-pollinated varieties. Tomatoes, peppers, and squash are the easiest seeds to save and start for next year.
Tomato skins can be dehydrated, powdered, and added to soup.
Bones can be simmered for several hours to produce broth. Chicken and turkey bones may be pressure canned to make cat food.
Fat trimmings can be rendered into lard, tallow, or schmaltz and used for cooking, candles, or soap making.
Canned fruit syrup can be used so many ways—pancake syrup, smoothies, salad dressing, oatmeal, and so much more.
The liquids from canned vegetables are most often turned into soup broth, but they can also be used for making mashed potatoes or cooking rice.
The liquid from canned olives can be used to replace vinegar in savory recipes.
The liquid from canned garbanzo beans, aquafaba, makes an excellent egg substitute.
Liquids from canned fruits and vegetables can be used to make bread dough. Potato water is an especially good choice in this situation.
Food inflation is here. And it’s only going to get worse. Every calorie will be count. While keeping stuff out of the landfill is nice, it may be more important to appear that we don’t have a lot of trash—and thus not a lot of food—to our neighbors. Keeping excess liquids and solids out of our septic tanks is another benefit.
Links to related posts:
Vegetables to grow from store-bought
16 september 2021
Wise words!
ReplyDeleteI'm seeing 40% increase in grocery prices since 2020. Official Canadian inflation is 7% per year, so actual inflation is double official.
ReplyDeleteOur local store is finding it harder to get things in. They are part of a major chain. The regional rep told our local store they are shorting rural stores because they have orders from higher up tomake sure shortages are not visible in urban stores.
Exile1981
Clearly, the government cannot risk upsetting the city dwellers, their voting base. The rural people can take care of themselves. Which means we all better start taking care of ourselves better, because government won't.
DeleteA friend grew up eating what her mother called "Garbage Pail Soup"--made with cleaned potato peelings, carrot skin, the tough ends of asparagus, etc. Food that would ordinarily have gone into the trash, but was used as a soup base. We do throw away so much that could be utilized--great article!
ReplyDelete"Garbage Pail Soup"--love that name!
DeleteGreat article! We don’t have chickens so kitchen waste goes to the compost pile unless I’m saving scraps back to make broth. Also, husband drinks the syrup/juice from canned fruit. He loves it.
ReplyDelete