Don't discard that part!

[spork]

edible food parts that many of us unnecessarily throw into the trash, and how to prepare them...

One of mine:
The big bunch of leaves attached to little marbles of red radish - I wash and pickle them in a lot of salt, in the frig, for two/three days, rinse, and chop them finely like parsley for finishing. It's milder, but they also have radish's pungency; and it's leafier, but they also retain radish's "crunch." Use it as a relish.

broccoli stems, shrimp shells for stock, leek greens, etc. What are some other ways to eliminate waste and stretch our purchases by cooking and eating food parts that we normally discard?

 

[joesfolk]

When I use fresh ginger i don't peel it. The outer peel is edible and I don't end up throwing away half of the tuber because it had to be peeled.

 

[taxlady]

When I use fresh ginger i don't peel it. The outer peel is edible and I don't end up throwing away half of the tuber because it had to be peeled.

I just rub it off. It's really think that way. I put the bits in my "stock bag" in the freezer.

 

[4meandthem]

I keep my ginger in the freezer.

 

[taxlady]

I just rub it off. It's really think thin that way. I put the bits in my "stock bag" in the freezer.

D'oh!

 

[joesfolk]

I put mine in the freezer too. It keeps forever.

 

[Andy M.]

I keep my ginger in the freezer.

I used to keep ginger in the freezer and that works well.

Now I keep it in a container peeled and submerged in dry sherry. It will last forever and I can take out a chunk and grate off as much as I need and return the piece to the container. I also can use the ginger flavored wine in my Chinese dishes.

 

[4meandthem]

I used to keep ginger in the freezer and that works well.

Now I keep it in a container peeled and submerged in dry sherry. It will last forever and I can take out a chunk and grate off as much as I need and return the piece to the container. I also can use the ginger flavored wine in my Chinese dishes.

Hey Now!

 

[taxlady]

I used to keep ginger in the freezer and that works well.

Now I keep it in a container peeled and submerged in dry sherry. It will last forever and I can take out a chunk and grate off as much as I need and return the piece to the container. I also can use the ginger flavored wine in my Chinese dishes.

What an excellent idea. Do you keep the sherry in the fridge?

 

[spork]

I used to throw away my spoon-shaved ginger skin and will now toss them into my "veggie freezer bag" along with well-washed onion, carrot, and celery ends for future stock.

Another of my discards:
Whole crab innards - If it's freshly cooked or thawed, I immediately extract and refrigerate the yellowish misnamed "roe." My invention and a signature dish is to mix it into deviled eggs, but it's also great for extra-flavoring seafood sauces.

Should I trash, as I usually do, the green top half of a leek, or are there ways to cook and not waste it?

 

[taxlady]

I used to throw away my spoon-shaved ginger skin and will now toss them into my "veggie freezer bag" along with well-washed onion, carrot, and celery ends for future stock.

Another of my discards:
Whole crab innards - If it's freshly cooked or thawed, I immediately extract and refrigerate the yellowish misnamed "roe." My invention and a signature dish is to mix it into deviled eggs, but it's also great for extra-flavoring seafood sauces.

Should I trash, as I usually do, the green top half of a leek, or are there ways to cook and not waste it?

I have made "rings" from the green part of leek and added it to stir fry. If you have more than you want to use for stir fry, it can always go in the "veggie freezer bag". About the only vegi bits I don't put in my "veggie freezer bag" are bits from potatoes, starchy root veg, bits of brassicas (they produce unpleasant flavours when cooked that long), and I don't put much carrot bits 'cause they make it too sweet.

 

[buckytom]

i use the stalks and ferns from bulbs of fennel in a few dishes. they're sort of a cross betweem celery and fennel, with dill-like leaves.

i recently made a turkey meatloaf using diced fennel stems, and i like to use the ferns and shaved stems stuffed inside whole fish with shaved onions and fresh thyme, then drizzled with evoo and balsamic vinegar and baked.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

I have two bags in the freezer, one with veggie ends and peels, the other with broccoli and cauliflower stems. I keep them separate because I don't like their strong flavor (broc & caul) in other things. I save those for pureeing and adding body to my broccoli cream soup.

 

[Bolas De Fraile]

We grow our own veg so the trimmings go into the compost heap, my boerboel gets the meat left overs as a treat.Sherry/ginger tip is excellent.

 

[Zhizara]

[QUOTE:

Should I trash, as I usually do, the green top half of a leek, or are there ways to cook and not waste it?[/QUOTE]

I would definitely put them, uncut, in a baggie by itself to use for seasoning. By keeping them whole, you can easily fish them out when your dish is done, especially if you tie them together first.

I do this when I get celery. I hated having to throw out half the celery that I didn't use, so I've started processing it when I buy it.

The tender inside I mince or fine dice it for adding to sandwich salads such as tuna, egg or chicken.

The medium tender stalks get cut into 1/4" or less soup size for adding to soups and stews, some in a baggie for quick use, the rest in a baggie for the freezer for later use.

The outer tough stalks, I cut into 6" or so pieces. These go in the freezer to add to soups or stews or even beans when I want the flavor but don't necessarily want pieces of celery.

I've learned not to let these sit in a soup or stew from the beginning of the dish as it imparts a pretty strong flavor and can be a bit overpowering. I put a few stalks in at the beginning, but take them out in an hour. Again, because the pieces are large, it's easy to fish out when they've done their thing.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

I would definitely put them, uncut, in a baggie by itself to use for seasoning. By keeping them whole, you can easily fish them out when your dish is done, especially if you tie them together first.

I do this when I get celery. I hated having to throw out half the celery that I didn't use, so I've started processing it when I buy it.

The tender inside I mince or fine dice it for adding to sandwich salads such as tuna, egg or chicken.

The medium tender stalks get cut into 1/4" or less soup size for adding to soups and stews, some in a baggie for quick use, the rest in a baggie for the freezer for later use.

The outer tough stalks, I cut into 6" or so pieces. These go in the freezer to add to soups or stews or even beans when I want the flavor but don't necessarily want pieces of celery.

I've learned not to let these sit in a soup or stew from the beginning of the dish as it imparts a pretty strong flavor and can be a bit overpowering. I put a few stalks in at the beginning, but take them out in an hour. Again, because the pieces are large, it's easy to fish out when they've done their thing.

Great Tip Zhizara!! Thanks!

 

[Andy M.]

What an excellent idea. Do you keep the sherry in the fridge?

I keep the ginger in sherry in a container in the fridge.

I keep the sherry bottle in a cabinet with the marsala and vermouth.

 

[ChefJune]

I used to keep ginger in the freezer and that works well.

Now I keep it in a container peeled and submerged in dry sherry. It will last forever and I can take out a chunk and grate off as much as I need and return the piece to the container. I also can use the ginger flavored wine in my Chinese dishes.

Why didn't I think of that? Years ago when I first purchased truffles from a Burgundy winemaker, she told us to keep them in Cognac. They keep a really long time that way... and the same goes for using the truffle flavored brandy in cooking.

Broccoli stems and the tough ends of asparagus -- I save these and use them for soup. After long, slow cooking, all but the very woodiest parts can be pureed, and you need just a few "tops" to garnish the soup. I've never done it with cauliflower, but I'm sure that would work, too.

 

[4meandthem]

Not a food use, but I have heard that a few cucumber peels in your cabinets will rid roaches if you have them.
The peels are supposed to cause intense pain in their feelers.

I have not tried this since I don't have a roach problem
but thought I would throw it out there.

 

[taxlady]

...

Broccoli stems and the tough ends of asparagus -- I save these and use them for soup. After long, slow cooking, all but the very woodiest parts can be pureed, and you need just a few "tops" to garnish the soup. I've never done it with cauliflower, but I'm sure that would work, too.

I don't bother doing something like that with the stems of broccoli. I just cut off the woody outside part and the dried up bit at the bottom quarter or half inch. Then I slice it up and cook it with the rest of the broccoli or put it in the salad too or munch it while I'm cooking. It's really yummy - like broccoli, but slightly different and maybe even better. The little leaves are good too.

Cauliflower stems don't even need to be peeled. I don't see a woody bit. I don't know how the stem cooks because it always gets eaten raw at my house.