Waste Not: Turning Food Scraps into Gold
- Curry Forest
- Jan 16
- 6 min read
Updated: Jun 13
Food scraps can be repurposed into meals, body products, and more, saving money and reducing environmental impact
Imagine throwing away a perfectly good carrot top, a flavorful lemon rind, nutrient-rich broccoli stems or even the flavorful bones from last night's roast chicken. What if those 'scraps' could become delicious meals, invigorating body scrubs, boost your garden's health, or form the base of a rich, comforting broth?
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.
Examples: Instead of simply baking potato peels, toss them with olive oil, salt, pepper, and paprika, then roast until crispy for a healthy snack. Citrus rinds can be simmered in water to freshen the kitchen air or used as natural scrubbers, especially the white pith, for cleaning stovetops or sinks. Apple cores can be turned into apple cider vinegar by submerging them in water with a little sugar and allowing them to ferment in a loosely covered jar for several weeks. When reusing potato eyes or sprouts, be sure to remove any green parts, which may contain solanine, a compound that can be toxic in large amounts.
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.
Examples: Herb stems like parsley or cilantro can be infused in olive oil or vinegar to make flavorful dressings or marinades. Carrot tops make a quick and delicious pesto when blended with garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and nuts or seeds. For pineapple lovers, the spiky top can be planted in soil to grow a new pineapple plant – just let it dry for a day, then nestle it into moist soil and place it in a sunny spot.
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.
Examples: Roast pumpkin or melon seeds at 325°F (165°C) for 15–20 minutes with a bit of oil and salt, or get creative with sweet or spicy seasoning blends. While most fruit seeds are harmless in small amounts, it’s wise to avoid consuming large quantities of seeds like apple or apricot pits, as they contain trace amounts of cyanide.
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. Examples: Dried cardamom pods can be added to homemade chai blends, while leftover vanilla bean pods are perfect for infusing sugar, offering a subtle fragrance for baked goods and drinks.
Meat Bones and Trimmings:
Meat bones and trimmings are often discarded, but they can be transformed into rich, flavorful, and useful ingredients. Bones from chicken, beef, pork, or lamb can be simmered with vegetable scraps, herbs, and spices to make nutrient-rich bone broth – a warming, healthful base for soups, stews, or sauces. Trimmings of fat from meats like pork belly or brisket can be rendered into cooking fats such as lard or tallow, which can enhance the flavor of roasted vegetables, sautéed dishes, or even baked goods. Even crispy chicken skin from a roast can be repurposed as a crunchy, savory topping for salads or grain bowls. Small meat scraps, though easy to overlook, can be finely chopped and used as fillings in dumplings, tacos, or savory pastries – adding flavor and protein without the need for additional meat.
Thawed Meat:
In the event of a power outage or other emergency that causes frozen meat to thaw, it's important to act quickly to prevent waste. Start by cooking the meat thoroughly – roast or pan-fry chicken breasts and quarters, grill pork, and brown any ground meat. Once cooked, shred or chop the meat so it’s easy to repurpose into other meals like sandwiches, tacos, stir-fries, soups, or casseroles. Preparing large batches of versatile dishes such as stews, sauces, or fillings can help stretch the food across multiple meals. If refrigeration is restored or alternative storage is available, cooked meat can also be portioned and frozen again for later use. This not only salvages food that might otherwise go to waste but also creates ready-to-eat components for future meals, reducing the strain on your food budget in the days ahead. Note: Food safety is crucial. All meat should be cooked to safe internal temperatures (165°F for poultry, 145°F for pork and beef, with a rest period). Once cooked, the meat can be used across several meals: shredded chicken makes excellent tacos with a simple cabbage slaw, pork can be stir-fried with frozen veggies, and mince can be seasoned for wraps or stuffed into bell peppers.
Other Food Waste
Eggshells can be crushed and added to compost or garden soil to boost calcium levels and deter pests like slugs. Coffee grounds are equally versatile. They can be composted, used as a natural deodorizer, or turned into a gentle exfoliating scrub by mixing with coconut oil or honey. Stale bread doesn’t have to end up in the bin; it can be transformed into breadcrumbs, croutons, bread pudding, panzanella salad, or even used to thicken soups. Tea bags can be composted or used to nourish plants, and certain types like chamomile, can double as soothing skincare treatments when cooled and applied to puffy eyes.
The Payoff:
Reusing food waste is not only an environmentally friendly practice but also a smart way to stretch your resources in the kitchen and beyond. From turning peels into snacks and bones into broth to repurposing stale bread and coffee grounds, these small habits can lead to big savings. A household that consistently reuses food scraps can save $10–15 a week—adding up to over $500 a year. That’s money saved while also reducing waste and supporting a more sustainable lifestyle. For more ideas on how to reuse stale food, check out my separate article on the topic!
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