In the U.S. and many developed countries, we live in a world of convenience and that’s, well, convenient. It’s not great for the environment, it’s not great for your wallet, and sometimes, it’s not even that great for saving time. Here is a list of things you should stop throwing away and start finding value in.
Bones
If anything should show you the value in saving your bones, it should be that Whole Foods now charges for something butchers used to give away for free. Make it a practice to toss bones in the freezer, not the trash. Start filling up the freezer-safe vessel of choice with bones leftover from whole chickens, wing night, or even from your family BBQ. You can transform bones into flavorful broths and stocks with just a little time, water, and as Instant Pot (or slow cooker)saving yourself from a trip to the store and promising the most flavorful soups of your life. Bones that have been boiled for that long decompose easier so go ahead and toss them into the compost bin after, just make sure they are out of reach of curious pets. Freeze or can broths to keep on hand.
Veggie Scraps
Going along with broths and stocks, start a second collection of the odds and ends of your veggie scraps. Peels, ends, and the funny-looking pieces all can have a second life. Look to save carrots, celery, onions, garlic, leeks, and mushrooms. Anything starchy, like potatoes and squash, or bitter, like broccoli and chard would do better finding their way into a stir-fry. You can even save the stems of your favorite soup herbs to pull the last bit of flavor into your broths.
Egg Shells
If you garden, eggshells are not only a great natural fertilizer, they are also a pet-safe, child-safe snail and slug repellant. Simply let your eggshells dry out on the counter for a couple of days and then crush into rice-sized pieces. Sprinkle this around the base of your prized plants to keep the pests at bay.
Bacon Grease
Fat is flavor! My grandma used to always keep a coffee tin next to the stove filled with bacon grease. Frying up eggs? Bacon grease. Refried beans? Bacon grease. Squeaky door? Kidding. (But it would probably work.) I’m not suggesting to add more fat to a meal than recommended, but rather replace with this flavorful option. Try sauteing onions in bacon grease next time a recipe calls for it. Your tastebuds will thank you.
Citrus Peels
You could do a lot with citrus peels. People candy them, make homemade potpourri, zest them, and even make ornaments, but my favorite easy use is for cleaning. I take a few peels and soak them in vinegar for a few days to add a little fresh scent and essential oil to my 2 parts vinegar and 1 part water cleaning solution. I also take a small piece, about 2 inches, and toss it in the garbage disposal when things are getting funky down there.
Almost Empty Jars
The last of the mayo, the oil left from the sun-dried tomatoes, and the peanut butter jar you have been scraping hoping for a miracle. Turn the dregs of almost any jar into a sauce or dressing. Use the age-old salt + fat + acid to create a tasty topping, right in the original container. For example, take your sun-dried tomato oil, add in equal parts apple cider or red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, oregano and shake to get a tomato vinaigrette.
Bread Ends
I’m a waste not, want not kind of gal and it’s not often that we have crusts or ends left over, but I foresee a lot when we add kids to the mix. Cut any odds, ends or stale pieces into one-inch cubes, toss in olive oil or melted butter, season, and bake at 350°F for 15 minutes or until browned. Voila! Croutons for salads, soups, or snacking.
I’d love to find more things we could be making use of. Please comment below if you have some pro-tips of your own!
