5 Ways to Repurpose Kitchen Scraps
Want to make the most of your fresh groceries? Here are 5 ways to repurpose your kitchen scraps or extra food. It’s a great way to prevent food waste and save money!
Regrowing
Regrow or keep your veggies fresh in a bit of water! It’s so simple, yet so effective. Just fill a glass container with enough water to cover the roots of the veggie and keep the water fresh as you watch it grow. Celery, green onions, and lettuce are just some of the veggies you can regrow! For more tips, we found this article helpful.
Pickling
When you have too many veggies or just want to try something different, try pickling! Grab some of your favourite vinegar, a sprinkle of salt and a mason jar.
There are lots of awesome pickling recipes online, but one of our favourites is this one using carrots and garlic – it’s delicious! We tried it without allspice or red pepper flakes and it was still amazing, so feel free to customize the recipe to your preferences. You can go as complex or simple as you like – that’s what we love about it.
INGREDIENTS
– 1 tsp. black peppercorns
– 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
– 1/2 tsp. allspice berries
– 1 c. rice vinegar
– 1 c. water
– 1/3 c. granulated sugar
– 1 tbsp. kosher salt
– 1 lb. carrots, peeled and cut into sticks
– 2 cloves garlic
DIRECTIONS
1. In a small pot over medium-low heat, toast peppercorns, red pepper flakes, and allspice until fragrant – 1 to 2 minutes. Add in vinegar, water, sugar, and salt; increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Once sugar is completely dissolved, remove from heat.
2. Pack carrot sticks and garlic into a sterilized 1-quart glass jar (or two pint-sized glass jars) and pour over the vinegar solution. Seal the jar, refrigerate, and let sit at least 12 hours before serving.
Gardening
We’re sure you’re already familiar with composting fruit & veggies, but have you ever saved your eggshells for the garden? Eggshells are high in calcium, along with other nutrients that soil needs. Simply rinse out and dry your eggshells before crushing them into a jar (it’s actually pretty fun) and saving them for the garden. To use as mulch, grind them into a fine powder. To use as snail repellent, crush loosely and spread around plants that snails love.
Using In Soup & Stock
Save your wilting, sad veggies by chopping them up for a hearty soup or stock! We were inspired by our friend Sarah from @hazelandhome who shared a hack of freezing her vegetable scraps to make into soup stock! We love this idea because you are able to save it until you have enough to make into stock at a convenient time while sealing in the good nutrients.
Cleaning
Use your citrus peels to make your own DIY cleaner! Our preference is orange or mandarin. See our recipe HERE!
We hope these tips have been helpful! Tell us your green hacks on social media and tag us when you use our tips! We’d love to share them with our community.
