Overripe Produce?
November 11, 2020 by Lisa Aschenbrenner
What do to with over ripe produce?
When you have produce that is almost ready for the compost, but it’s not quite there yet, there are some options to use what you can to be able to keep from tossing it out, and making good use of those nutrients! These are a few tricks that I would like to share in order to really aim to reduce food waste, as food waste is a big problem and we can all do something to lessen what ends up in the garbage.
One idea is to toss your “almost” over ripe veggies into a pot with water and make a veggie broth. You can add seasonings and onions and/or garlic to enhance the flavour. You then boil the pot, which can pull some of the goodness and all of the flavour out into the water. You strain out the liquid and “ta da” you have an amazing veggie broth that you can freeze or use right away.
What can you use that veggie broth for? Well, the base of an amazing soup would be an easy option, but you can also use it to cook your rice or quinoa, etc, instead of using just plain water. That way you get added flavour and nutrients! You can also freeze the veggies, as is, and use them to create a veggie broth in the future. I have a big bag always on the go in the freezer to put all veggies that I want to use for future veggie broths or to add to bone broths.
Another option is, if you have a dog, you can feed some (not all!) veggies and fruits to your pups. There are some items that are totally off limits and can actually cause illness and even death in dogs. Items you wouldn’t think of, like grapes, can cause kidney failure. Also potatoes are not good for them, chocolate, avocado, cherries, mushrooms, onions, and tomatoes are all off limits for dogs.
Also while on the topic, I want to mention to be very careful with xylitol containing products with your animals. While xylitol is a great substance for us humans, it is very harmful to dogs. Products that contain xylitol, like gum, and some toothpastes, and naturally sweetened xylitol foods, are all ones to watch for. This is not well know and I have read sad stories of dogs getting into gum with xylitol by accident and not being able to recover from it unless they get to the vet fast.
So, back to produce. I don’t feed fruit very often to my dogs as they contain too much sugar. Some handy veggie items to keep on hand for your dog would be, the core of cabbage, kale stems, cauliflower leaves and core, broccoli stems, pea pods, and cores of romaine lettuce. These are all great options for adding nutrients and fibre to your dogs diet. I am sure it is a big reason our golden is so healthy and full of life even at almost 11 years old. When we slice cabbage, she comes running. Makes me smile every time.
Have a great week,
Lisa.
