Wasted Treasures: Food Scraps

Food scraps are unfortunately often wasted. However; scraps such as leek tops, potato skins, citrus peels or even parmesan rinds are full of aroma and flavor. Upcycling food scraps not only helps reduce waste, but also brings about a wealth of new tastes to your kitchen. Here are some delicious tips that will help you take another step towards a “zero waste” lifestyle.

Mixed Scrap Broth

One of the simplest and most efficient ways of using food scraps is vegetable broth. You can freeze any type of scrap as you use the vegetables and prepare a broth later when enough scraps have accumulated. Celery and pepper bits, ends of onions, aromatic herb scraps, tomato cores and other scraps will make a perfect broth that will enhance any recipe.

Skinny Chips

Potato skin chips are almost as delicious as potato chips. Drizzle the chips with salt and pepper, saute in oil and serve with a dipping of your choice. The fresher the peels, the better the results.

Citrus Freshness

Citrus peels are packed with freshness and flavor. Lemons, oranges, tangerines and grapefruits have different aromas that will significantly enhance any recipe. Peels can be used to enrich black tea, candied, marmaladed or dipped in vinegar to make a cleaner. The simplest way is drying out the zest of peels and use in any recipe that needs a little flavor boost. Here are some more ideas for using lemon peels.