Budget helper - reduce your food waste at home!
Don’t throw out those carrot tops! Save money and reduce food waste by eating these ten things you didn’t know you could eat! And one you definitely mustn’t. ☠️
With growing consciousness of food waste and its toll on the environment, as well as the rising cost of living, we are all looking for ways to live more sustainably and save money by making small everyday changes.
One way we can do this is by rethinking what we usually throw away when we are eating or preparing fruit and vegetables. Leaves, peel, skin, stems and stalks all provide essential fibre, vitamins and minerals and in most cases, can be eaten the same way as the parent fruit or vegetable.
And another tip – leaving the skin on carrots, zucchini, pumpkin and potato saves time and increases the vitamin content of your food. Just give them a quick scrub with a stiff brush.
Here are ten fruits and vegetables which you can eat tip to root:
Brassica leaves
The outer leaves of broccoli and cauliflower can be eaten in the same way as the main part of the vegetable. Just slice and add to the dish!
Celery leaves
These tender bright green leaves can be used along with the celery if making a stock or used as a garnish if your celery is being eaten raw in a salad. They have a savoury taste and can be treated like parsley. For example, you can use them in a gremolata or toss them through a salad.
Carrot tops
Frond-like carrot tops on bunches of spring carrots can be used to flavour soups and stews, and again, used much like parsley a garnish on cooked dishes.
Radish tops
Young radish leaves can be eaten raw in salads or even blended into pesto. More mature radish leaves can be sauteed or steamed. Cooking removes the fuzzy texture of some types of radish leaves.
Young radish leaves can be eaten raw in salads or even blended into pesto
Watermelon rind
The white rind of a watermelon is rather tasteless and usually thrown away. However these can be pickled Japanese-style by placing 2 cups of sliced rind (minus the tough green outer skin) in a solution of 1 tspn each of apple cider vinegar, soy sauce and salt and half a teaspoon of sugar in a mason jar and refrigerating overnight. The watermelon rind will let out liquid and create the pickling solution. For colour, try to leave on a little bit of the pink flesh before it changes to white. They’re great to eat just as they are or as a condiment with rice or a stir fry.
The white rind of Watermelon can be pickled Japanese-style
Mushroom stalks
Picking off the stalk from the cap of a mushroom sacrifices much of the mushroom and is not necessary. Just cut off any dried out ends and then slice the mushrooms through from cap to stalk before cooking.
Kiwi fruit skin
Although fuzzy, the skin of the kiwi fruit can absolutely be eaten. Kiwi skin is a great source of fibre, folate and vitamin E, and has at least 30% more of these nutrients that the actual pulp! If you don’t like the texture of the kiwi skin opt for smooth golden kiwis rather than your usual green ones.
Beetroot leaves are highly nutritious and can be used exactly the same way as you would use chard, spinach, silver beet or kale – wilted or steamed.
Beetroot leaves
Beetroot leaves are highly nutritious and can be used exactly the same way as you would use chard, spinach, silver beet or kale – wilted or steamed.
Pumpkin skins and seeds
Every part of the pumpkin is edible from the flowers to the leaves, stems, seeds and flesh. Their skin softens when roasted and can be eaten.
To roast the seeds, scoop them out of the pumpkin, wash them to remove most of the stringy bits, and simmer in a pot of salted boiling for five minutes. Dry them and toss them in olive oil or melted butter, plus salt, pepper, and any other spices or seasonings you wish. Roast in a moderate oven until crisp and browned around the edges.
Strawberry tops
The green calyx, which is the crown of small green leaves on top of a strawberry, is completely edible and there is no need to cut off the top of your strawberry and throw it away.
Rhubarb leaves, while the stalks are perfectly safe, their leaves are toxic to humans
And the one you definitely must not eat?
Rhubarb leaves
While the stalks are perfectly safe, their leaves are toxic to humans and animals and should not be eaten. They contain high levels of oxalic acid, which can cause kidney damage and even death. If you grow rhubarb or buy rhubarb with the leaves still on it, dispose of them by placing them in a bag and in the rubbish, or safely composting them in a closed compost bin to prevent animal access.
