Waste not, want not

**Kelejan** 8/21/2013, 6:05 pm

Since I have taken up SFGing and being a member of this group, I have learned not to waste anything I have grown; e.g. broccolli. I used to buy only the tops from the grocery store, thinking that the thick stalks were inedible and only fit for the compost heap, then finding from here that thinly sliced they are good in stir fries and also adding to soups.

Right now I am processing a huge amount of beetroot given to me by a friend. I love pickled beets so I had done that, and also eaten many of the leaves in stir fries etc, and now I am drying the leaves to save them for soup etc. One of my questions is; can the long stems between the root and the leaves be treated the same way, drying to add to soups and smoothies?

I also have several pounds of carrots; are the tops edible? I just love plants where one can use the whole of it.

Marc Iverson 8/21/2013, 11:07 pm

Chef Jacques Pepin says that broccoli stalks are one of his very favorite vegetables. He peels them and then chops them into matchstick-sized pieces and either eats them on the spot or uses them for a foundation to put other things on top of.

For me, one thing I refuse to waste is apple cores. I eat 'em. You can throw away half an apple sometimes if you avoid the core. I eat the seeds too, cyanide and all. Have all my life, and half a century later, I'm either immune to cyanide or there's just not that much cyanide in them.

Triciasgarden 8/22/2013, 12:41 am

Kelejan, I so agree with you about learning how to use more of what we have and not wasting it!

Mark so that's what happened to you! I couldn't resist! My oldest sister eats the entire apple and core also! Maybe the cyanide is the healthy kind, lol!

Marc Iverson 8/22/2013, 12:54 am

I don't think it did me any harm, but it may have affected my corodniatoin.

**walshevak** 8/22/2013, 6:36 am

And that is why I have 8 half pint of peach peel jelly. I just couldn't stand to waste the bruised, slightly brown spots from freezing the peaches so I combined the spot and all the peelings from the peaches, boiled them down, drained through cheesecloth and made jelly. Still have two 3 cup bags of juice in the freezer for later.

btw, I added a pinch of allspice and a pinch of cinnamon to the cooking peels and lemon juice when making the jelly.

Kay

Triciasgarden 8/22/2013, 2:37 pm

Marc Iverson wrote:I don't think it did me any harm, but it may have affected my corodniatoin.

Triciasgarden 8/22/2013, 2:39 pm

That was very clever of you to make jelly! I would only have thought of adding the peels to the compost pile. That would have been good but jelly instead, yum!

mschaef 8/22/2013, 4:02 pm

Yes the carrot greens are edible and can be saved for soups and stews later.

**Turan** 8/22/2013, 10:41 pm

I don't see why not to dry the beet stems. That is my DH's favorite part. They are basically the same as chard stems. I love them in the winter cooked into lentils and other stews. I just blanch and freeze though.

**walshevak** 8/22/2013, 10:46 pm

Triciasgarden wrote:That was very clever of you to make jelly! I would only have thought of adding the peels to the compost pile. That would have been good but jelly instead, yum!

And that's exactly where the boiled peachskin pulp wound up after draining off all the good peach juice. WIN WIN

Kay

**Kelejan** 8/23/2013, 6:56 pm

mschaef wrote:Yes the carrot greens are edible and can be saved for soups and stews later.

Thank you, mschaef.

**Kelejan** 8/23/2013, 6:57 pm

Turan wrote:I don't see why not to dry the beet stems. That is my DH's favorite part. They are basically the same as chard stems. I love them in the winter cooked into lentils and other stews. I just blanch and freeze though.

thank you as well, Turan.

murarrie25 8/24/2013, 5:43 am

What happens to the tops of beets from farms is it used for animal food .

**camprn** 8/24/2013, 8:40 am

All beet greens from the garden get eaten by humans in my home. What a Face

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