Do you have a lot of food scraps that is been thrown out in the waste every day? If are someone who likes to reuse and recycle then these scraps can actually be put to use in many different ways? In this article we will talk about 15 different ways to reuse food peels and scarps in the most amazing ways ever.
Clever Ways to Use Food Scraps
1. Make Orange peel candy with orange peels
Cut orange peel into wide strips of ¼ inch thin strips from 4-5 oranges. Be careful to trim off just the peel, not the white bitter pith. Place the orange peel segments into a medium saucepot. Set over medium to medium-low heat. Add 2 cups of water, 1 cup of sugar, and 1/2 tsp of salt. Bring to a simmer. Once simmering, set the timer and simmer approximately 20 minutes, or until the peels look soft. Use tongs to move the orange peels to the cooling rack. Allow the orange peels to rest at least 15 minutes to dry and cool. Then toss them in the sugar or chocolate to coat them.
2. Use egg shells as plant compost – Instead of discarding your egg shells, you can dry them up in the sun for a couple of days and then crush them using your hands or in a blender. Mix this with your manure and mud and use them as compost for your plants. Egg shells are rich in calcium and will act as natural nutrients for your plants to grow healthy.
3. Regrow your basil from the stem, do not throw away the stalks – Take the stems of basil and place/submerge half the basil stem in a glass of water and keep it in an area with sufficient (not direct) sunlight for 10 to 14 days. You can change the water once in a few days to prevent the growth of algae, bacterial and the breeding of mosquitoes. After 10 to 14 days, you will see the roots starting to grow. You can then plant this in the mud, with good manure and grow it like any other plant.
4. Make vegan chocolate mousse with Leftover chickpea water – Blend 1/2 cup aquafaba ( chickpea water from the can) with 1 teaspoon lemon juice and 2 tbsp of maple syrup for 5-10 minutes until a stiff peak forms. Fold in 1/2 cup of melted chocolate to the mixture and then pour it into 2-3 cups and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight before you serve.
5. Onion peel water to stop hair fall.
Wash the onion peel and add it to a pot with 1 cup of water. Let it simmer for 15 mins and strain the peels. Spray this water on your scalp 30 mins before hair wash 3 times a week to stop hair fall and regrow hair. Or use it as a hair rinse after hair wash.
6. Use banana peels to make plant fertilizer
You do not need to throw out your banana peels. Into 2 jugs of water, drop in your banana peels and then leave it there for a few days. Then, throw out the peels and spray this banana peel water over your plants once a week as a phosphorous-rich plant fertilizer.
7. Make cleaning solution from lemon peels
Do not throw away your used lemon peels. Add lemon peels into a container, pour plain white vinegar into the container over them. Soak the citrus in vinegar for at least one week, and up to three weeks. Strain the peels and use this cleaner to on kitchen counters, sinks, shower, toilets, bathtub, on tile, stainless steel appliances, inside the fridge, and other durable, sealed surfaces. Store it in a bottle and you can use this to spray it over your countertops as an antibacterial spray, as well as a freshener for a good fragrance.
8. Make caffeine free coffee with dates seed
Gather your leftover date seeds and dry roast them. Grind them into a fine powder using a grinder. Use your date seed powder as you would ground coffee, preparing it with a french press or pour-over. Add your milk or creamer, a hint of sweetener, and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Serve and enjoy!
9. Bone broth
Use your leftover beef and poultry bones to make a rich and flavorful bone broth. To a large pot or Dutch oven, add the bones leftover from a whole roasted chicken. Top with 12 cups of filtered water. Add salt, pepper and 2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar. Bring to a boil and then lower the flame and cook until the water is reduced to half.
10. Stale bread
Bake leftover bread crusts to make croutons that are perfect for soups, salads, or crumbs on top of a casserole. Or blend the stale bread to make breadcrumbs.
11. Make apple cider vinegar from apple peels and scraps.
Mix one tablespoon sugar per cup of water. Gather 500 grams of apple scraps and place them in a glass jar. Pour the sugar water over it and cover the jar with a dishtowel. Set it in a warm, dark place for around two weeks and give it a stir every few days. After 2 weeks, strain the peels and set the strained liquid aside for another 2-4 weeks. when the liquid smells vinegary and tastes sour then your homemade apple cider vinegar is ready to use.
12. Use leftover pulp from seed or nut milk to make delicious granola – After you made your homemade seed milk or nut milk, save the leftover pulp. Mix 1/2 cup of the leftover seed or nut milk pulp with 1/2 cup of nuts ( almonds, peanuts or any nuts of choice) with 1/2 cup of seeds ( pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds, sunflower seeds). Add in 2-3 tbsp of honey or date syrup, 1 tbsp of melted coconut oil, 1 tsp of vanilla extract and dash of cinnamon and salt. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Evenly spread mixture on baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes, stirring halfway through. Once golden brown, remove from oven to cool. Serve and enjoy!
13. Freeze herbs that are wilting
Take your wilting herbs and remove all the leaves from the stems. Then, place these herbs in ice cube trays fill them with water (or oil). Try to make sure all the herbs are properly submerged as much as possible. Then, freeze them overnight or until frozen and you can defrost/thaw when you need to use them.
14. Avocado peel fabric dye
Place the avocado skins into your pot. Cover with enough water so the skins are all submerged. Add in the fabric of your choice and simmer the water for a few hours, turn off the stove and let the dyebath soak over night. Take off the fabric and let it dry naturally. One dried, wash it on a quick, gentle cycle in the washing machine.
15. Make vegetable stock with leftover veggie scarps
Gather the vegetable scraps like the tops/bottoms/skins/stems from any vegetables and place them in a ziplock bag – they can stay frozen up to 6 months. Add your vegetable scraps to a pot filled with water. Bring water to a boil and then let it simmer for at least 30 minutes. Strain water out of stock and enjoy.
16. Make potato peel chips
Once you’ve skinned your potatoes and have potato peels, give them a good wash. Then, lay a baking sheet of paper on your baking tray. Pat dry the potato skins and place them on the tray. Spritz some oil over them, along with some seasonings of your choice like salt, pepper, paprika, oregano etc. then, bake this for 15 to 20 minutes in the oven. Make sure to keep an eye on them that they do not brown too much.
17. Use coffee grounds as a scrub
Keep your coffee grounds as you can use it as an exfoliant for your face as well as for your scalp. To make the scrub, you can combine equal parts of coffee grounds, with sugar or cane sugar and then mix it along with water (if used for the face) or oil (if used for the hair), until it becomes a semi-liquidy paste and then use it as a scrub. Take a teaspoon of the coffee grounds and gently massage it on your scalp for 60 secs to remove dead skin cells.