Scraps, Stems, and Peels: How to Make the Most of Food Waste

Scraps, Stems, and Peels

Food waste is a huge problem at all stages of the food chain. Misshaped produce is thrown away at farms because they aren’t attractive enough to be sold in stores. Restaurants and bakeries throw away tons of unsold food at the end of each day. But most of all, people are throwing away more food than ever before in their own kitchens. This stems from two main issues: people overbuy in grocery stores and forget about the food they already have. These are huge issues that have been building for years and can feel intimidating to tackle. However, there are some easy tips and tricks to reduce food waste and make the most of the food that you are already buying. One of our favorite solutions here at Verdantt is the scraps, stems, and peels method. 

What is the Scraps, Stems, and Peels Method?

When preparing fruits and vegetables, waste is naturally generated as you peel the skin off of an orange or chop the bottom of an onion off. Rather than doing these activities over the sink or a trashcan, set a bowl next to your cutting board and let the scraps, stems, and peels fall into the bowl. Once you finish prepping the produce for your meal, take all the items from your bowl, transfer it to a resealable bag, and place it in the freezer. Each time you prep vegetables, continue to add your scraps, stems, and peels to this bag. After about a month, or maybe even less, you will have a full bag of nutrient dense veggie scraps. 

With these scraps, there are a few different things you can do. Our favorite is to make homemade vegetable stock. Throw all your vegetables in a large stockpot, pour in enough water to cover the veggies, and add your favorite spices and herbs. After simmering for a few hours, you will have a delicious and nutritious vegetable stock that was practically free! These stocks are rich in flavor because of how the vegetables maintain their freshness in the freezer and can turn deep red and orange colors based on the type of scraps you are throwing in.

This principle of scraps, stems, and peels goes beyond fruits and vegetables. After eating chicken, you can freeze the bones or even ask your local butcher for discarded parts they are not using. These are also rich in vitamins and minerals but usually end up in the trash because of their unique, abnormal nature. Adding in bones to your simmering stock can add tons of protein and collagen to an already nutrient dense stock. 

Benefits of the Method

The benefits of having a vitamin-packed stock is clear. However, there are some other benefits to introducing this method into your life.

First of all, you are saving money! By letting less food go to waste, you are making the most of the produce you are already buying. In addition, you save money by not purchasing premade stocks at the store. Secondly, you are making better-for-you and better tasting stocks: some meat and vegetable stocks can be highly processed and loaded with preservatives. When making your own, you are ensuring high quality ingredients are the only thing ending up in your stock.

By embracing the scraps, stems, and peels method, you’re not only cutting down on waste but also creating something nourishing and flavorful from what would have been tossed. It’s a small shift with a big impact for your wallet, your meals, and the planet.