Waste Not: Turning Food Scraps into Gold
- Curry Forest
- Jan 16
- 3 min read
Updated: 24 hours ago
Food scraps can be repurposed into meals, body products, and more, saving money and reducing environmental impact
Food waste has become a significant global issue, with approximately 1.3 billion tons of food discarded each year, representing about one-third of all food produced for human consumption. In the United States alone, nearly 60 million tons of food are wasted annually, amounting to almost 40% of the entire food supply. This staggering waste not only impacts the environment and strains valuable resources like water and energy, but also exacerbates food insecurity, highlighting the need for more sustainable practices in how we consume and dispose of food. Fortunately, many common food scraps and byproducts can be transformed into nutritious meals, homemade body products, or even used in gardening. For those on tight food budgets, utilizing these often-overlooked scraps can stretch meals further, minimize costs, and reduce unnecessary waste, offering a more affordable and resourceful approach to daily living.
Fruit & Vegetable Peels, Pits, and Cores
Peels and skins of root vegetables like carrots and beets, tubers like potatoes and sweet potatoes, onion skins, or the rinds of melons can be repurposed in many ways. Use them to make vegetable stock, bake into crisps, add to salads as a garnish, or include them in curries and even pickles. Citrus rinds can be zested for use in recipes, turned into citrus-infused water, or even used for cleaning. Apple cores can be turned into apple cider vinegar, while peach and plum pits can be used to make flavored oils. Nut shells, such as those from walnuts, are perfect for use in compost, mulch, or for crafts. Potato eyes and sprouts, typically discarded, can be planted to grow new potatoes, or used in potato soup or hash after proper preparation.
Tops & Stems
The stems of vegetables like cauliflower and broccoli can be incorporated into soups, stir-fries, or stocks. Similarly, herb stems (such as basil, cilantro, and parsley) can be added to stocks, soups, or used in making pesto. Carrot tops are perfect for pesto, salads, or soups. The greens of beets, radishes, and turnips, as well as celery leaves and stems, can be sautéed or made into hearty soups and salads. Pineapple tops can be used to grow a new pineapple plant, while corn cobs can be transformed into corn stock and used as natural garden fertilizer.
Seeds
Seeds from pumpkins and melons can be roasted and seasoned into a snack, blended into smoothies, or toasted and added to salads. Other fruit seeds, like those from apples and mangoes, can either be composted or used to grow new trees.
Spice Rinds and Seeds
Spice rinds, such as those from cardamom pods, and seeds from spices like vanilla pods or cinnamon sticks, can be used to create homemade spice blends or infusions for baking. These often-overlooked parts of spices can enhance the flavor of your dishes and reduce waste.
Other Food Waste
Eggshells can be crushed and used in compost or as a natural pest repellent. Coffee grounds, too, can be composted, used as a scrub, or even utilized as a deodorizer. Stale bread can be repurposed into breadcrumbs, croutons, or bread pudding. Tea bags can be composted, used as fertilizer, or incorporated into skincare.
Reusing food waste is not only an environmentally friendly practice but also a way to get more out of what we already have, both in the kitchen and beyond. For more ideas on how to reuse stale food, check out my separate article on the topic!
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