I hate wasting food. When I think about the food that so many Americans throw out, I feel bad for the people in other countries who would give anything to have what we so carelessly throw away.
Ingredients for Future Meals
When I have leftovers, I first think “How will I use these?” Sometimes, I just eat the leftovers as is in a meal the next day. Other times, they become ingredients for future meals. Here are some examples:
Leftover mashed potatoes come to mind. I love making potato cakes by adding dried green onion, salt, pepper, and an egg to the mashed potatoes and forming the potatoes into balls. These balls are then rolled In flour, cornmeal, and seasoning salt then mashed into patties. These patties are then fried. Left-over bacon grease makes a flavorful grease for this purpose.
If I have mashed potatoes in which neither extra salt nor pepper was added, I use it as a bread-making base. This was used in centuries past when wheat flour was in short supply.
Excess Fruits and Vegetables in the Refrigerator
It is sad whenever we throw out fruits and vegetables that mold in the back of the refrigerator. I try to avoid letting this happen. I try to rescue as many of them as possible by drying anything that we could not eat fresh.
Celery, onion, tomatoes, carrots, and peppers are some of the vegetables and strawberries, pears, and apples are two fruits that we like to put in the food dehydrator. The vegetables can be used as flavoring for soups and stews. Fruits can be added to breakfast oatmeal to create a variety of flavors.
I thoroughly wash celery, potatoes, carrots, and onions well before peeling. After peeling the vegetables, I store the peelings in a plastic freezer bag and place the bag in the freezer. When I have enough vegetable scraps to fill a stock pot, I put it in a pot cover it with water, and boil it until the peelings turn to mush. Allow the vegetables to cool. Strain the cooked vegetables from the stock and then use the stock for soup making. It’s best to use the stock right away or freeze it rather than canning (bottling) it.
What’s Left Still Doesn’t Go In the Trash
At my house, when all else fails, leftovers and scraps go to my cats or chickens. Meat and milk products that don’t have a different use go to the cats. I put the vegetable scraps and some greasy foods on top of the compost pile. What the chickens don’t eat, gets composted. It’s a simple process.
Are you looking to save even more money? Here are a few more articles that I’ve written that will help you balance your budget
Recycling in the Garden https://the-perpetual-homestead-er.com/2022/04/04/recycling-in-the-garden/
Crafting a Stable Bucket Pantry https://the-perpetual-homestead-er.com/2024/02/28/crafting-a-stable-bucket-pantry/
30 Uses for Baking Soda https://the-perpetual-homestead-er.com/2024/06/12/30-uses-for-baking-soda/
Seven Ways to Save on the Grocery Bill https://the-perpetual-homestead-er.com/2024/05/29/seven-ways-to-save-on-the-grocery-bill/
Should I Store Food? https://the-perpetual-homestead-er.com/2024/11/06/should-i-store-food/
The Perpetual Homesteader 