Five foods you didn’t know you could eat
There are tonnes of edible pips, stalks, shoots and roots which go to waste each year. A little know-how can soon turn them into darn right delicious dishes.
Squeezing every last drop out of your food shop will save you money and help the planet. Some even say that eating an apple whole is a pretty cool party trick...We’ll let you be the judge of that one.
Read on for five edible bits that are easy to miss, and how to eat them for maximum enjoyment.
1. Peel and rind too often get left behind
Melon rind makes a delicious pickle.
Kiwi skins contain triple the amount of fibre than the flesh. Orange peel can be candied, used in a chutney, jam, sauce or marmalade or given a quick twist to release zest into sweets, salad dressings, cocktails and more.
Adventurous chefs should try citrus extract powder or a fermented Mexican pineapple peel tepache. The lazy among us should infuse into oil, honey or vinegar. Try this fruit peel vinegar.
Banana peel can bulk out a smoothie, curry or chutney and be steeped to form a refreshing caffeine free tea.
When it comes to veg, the peel is often the most fibrous and nutritious part. Wash don’t peel where possible. And we get it, onion skins are less than appealing. Pop them in a stock along with any other shoots roots and leaves that get left behind.
2. Core blimey, you didn’t…
…Just eat the whole apple. We did. Eating the core of fresh apples is one of those things that you’ll try once and never come back from. Pips (seeds!) often have a sweet and nutty taste with the surrounding flesh tasting much like the rest.
Seeds and cores can also contribute to a simple fruit vinegar or kvass. Try this delicious food waste reducing apple core kvass from Beets and Bones, using both apple cores and stale rye bread.
3. Shoot! I binned the good bit
The number of shoots and leaves that get left behind is one of life’s great mysteries. Beetroot leaves and stalks can be cooked just like spinach. Carrot tops make a tasty pesto or dahl.
Cauliflower and broccoli leaves can be steamed or roasted along with the rest of the vegetable.
Try out this cauliflower sweet piccalilli, a great way to use up leaves and the stem .
4. Bean there, thrown the pod
If you are lucky enough to have a whole pea or bean pod, think about eating the whole thing. Steam the pea pods and fry the bean pods.
Pods can be stir-fried or, if you’re feeling adventurous made into a delicious tempura. You might want to compost the stringy bits.
5. A seed of an idea
Seeds are the ultimate snack. Save pumpkin, squash and melon seeds from your cooking and roast them for a nutritious but unforgettable snack.
Food Savvy tip
Don’t have time to try out these new dishes today? Sling your shoots, peels and roots in the freezer and cook later. Leaves will need blanching (dunking in boiling water) first. All of the above would also be happy in a nourishing veg stock, from frozen or fresh.
If cooking every night isn’t your thang, then get to grips with cooking ahead of time.
Batch, Please! 10 tips to help make meal prep easy
Hungry for more?
We’ve raided our fridges and spoken to expert chefs to come up with ten totally delicious, super easy dinner recipes. All of our meal ideas have an environmental twist, so get your apron on and we’ll polish your green halo while you’re cooking.
