You already know that you can turn stale bread into croutons, toss beet greens in salads, and use overripe bananas for creamy smoothies and dairy-free ice cream. But if you're not composting your broccoli stems, onion tops, and orange peels, there's a good chance you're throwing away more tasty opportunities.(Heal your whole body with Rodale's12-day liver detox for total body health.)
Every year, each of us wastes about 300 pounds of food—and on average, we only eat 48% of the fruits and vegetables we buy, according to the National Resources Defense Council. Using every possible part of our produce, from stalk to skin, is a smart way not only to reduce food waste, but also to save money. So gather those potato skins and strawberry tops, then try one of these genius tricks.
Make pesto.
Hold onto those leafy green tops next time you're slicing carrot sticks for snacking. Then do like Rooted Blessings and blend them with garlic, walnuts, Parmesan, and pinches of salt and pepper to make a mean pesto. Dip crackers, top pasta, or slather it on grilled cheese for garden-fresh flavor.
Candy citrus peels.
Lemons, limes, oranges, grapefruits, pomelos—you can turn any citrus peel into candy. Just think of them as grown-up Sour Patch Kids. Live Eat Learn shows you how to boil and prep the peels, then sugar them to perfection. Jar for gift giving, or dunk in chocolate and treat yourself. (Here are some orange peel hacks you've got to try.)
Simmer up stock.
Your veggie scraps provide the makings of a scrumptious broth, so save them all, says Simple Bites. Broccoli stems, onion tops, zucchini bottoms, you name it. And roast first for maximum flavor. You can store trimmings in the freezer until you have enough for a big stockpot full, or toss in produce that’s on the brink of spoiling. Consider it one less trip to the store for the base of your next soup recipe.
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Fix a snack.
No need to buy a bag of chips—just hang onto your potato peels instead. Oh, Bite It! seasons hers with thyme, salt and pepper, and olive oil, then roasts until they're nice and crispy. If you have more of a sweet tooth, keep apple peels to make cinnamon crisps. (Try these 5 creative veggie chip recipes.)
Infuse your booze.
Who knew those wasted strawberry tops could be put to better use in vodka? Wit & Vinegar lets them soak for two days, then strains and stores his alcoholic treatin the fridge for up to a week. Stir up your drink of choice (here are 6 nutritionist-approved co*cktails), or try mixing with ginger beer and lime for a tasty take on a Moscow Mule.
Pickle stems.
Chop some colorful chard stems, salt 'em up, then prep a simple brine for them like Love & Lemons does. All that's left to do is soak them in a clean jar overnight, and you have the perfect topper for your lunch bowl come morning. Same goes for kale stems. Don't forget watermelon and cantaloupe rinds are prime for pickling, too.
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Make fruit syrup.
Surely there's no way to use fruit pits, right? Wrong. The Real Farmhouse simmers her peach skins and pits, strains the juice, and dissolves in plenty of sugar to make a fresh homemade syrup. But don't stop there. Try making plum or nectarine if you prefer, then heat the griddle for one sweet breakfast stack.
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Dry herbs for tea.
Before your leftover herbs go bad, bake them in the oven low and slow—and use the stems as well. Brooklyn Farm Girl shares her go-to method for drying mint tea leaves for a morning cup of wonderful. Steep, sip, and enjoy.
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