14 Creative Ways to Use Food Scraps

Here are 14 creative ideas to help you use up your food scraps.

1. Watermelon is a popular summertime treat, but the rinds are often discarded in favor of the fruit’s sweet flesh. However, you can save watermelon rinds and pickle them for satisfying snack.

2. Instead of purchasing pricey bone broth supplements or powdered mixes, you can make your own bone broth at home by saving leftover bones from meat.

3. If you have a loaf of bread that’s gone stale, there’s no need to toss it. Instead, use it to whip up a batch of delicious homemade croutons.

4. Leafy greens like kale and collards have fibrous stems that can be difficult to eat. However, instead of tossing them out, you can save the stems, chop them into small pieces.

5. Many types of vegetables can be regrown by putting their stalks in water, helping you save money on groceries while reducing waste.

6. Most people discard the leafy greens that sprout from root vegetables like beets and carrots. These are not only edible and nutritious but also incredibly versatile. add them to salad and soup.

7. One of the best ways to use up vegetable trimmings is to make your own veggie stock. You can use your homemade vegetable stock to cook pasta or grains, or add it to soups.

8. To use coffee grounds as fertilizer, sprinkle them directly around your plants or rake them into the top few inches of soil. Be sure not to go overboard or add too much.

9. The next time you have fresh herbs on hand that you don’t need, freeze them to use them later instead of throwing them away.

10. Instead of tossing the peels of fruits like apples or oranges, you can easily save them to make a tasty fruit peel jam. 

11. Citrus peels make an excellent addition to homemade air fresheners because they absorb odors. You can also simmer citrus peels with water and spices.

12. Although you can purchase suet cakes for your bird feeder, you can also make your own at home by recycling leftover meat drippings from bacon or pork.

13. Recipes often call for very small quantities of tomato paste. Instead of tossing it out, you can freeze your leftover tomato paste to extend its shelf life.

14. Composting is a great way to use food scraps without creating waste. You can compost in your backyard or indoor using a kitchen composting appliance.

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