Wednesday, January 23, 2019

By Zoe Eisenberg

Did you get a little overzealous with that last trip to the farmers market, resulting in a produce bin bursting with items ready to eat ASAP? The following are simple tricks to make use of your expiring produce, which will allow you to waste less and stretch your dollar.

Make stock. Celery, carrots, peppers or herbs begging to be used, pronto? Give them a quick chop, toss them in a pot with ample water and a splash of salt, bring it to a boil and then simmer for an hour. Strain your produce and reserve the liquid for tasty soup stock. Pro tip: you can freeze the stock for later use!

Pickle it. Cucumbers aren't the only things you can pickle. Carrots, peppers, onion and jicama make great pickles - all you need is vinegar and salt!

Make dog food. You aren't the only one who loves to eat your veggies. Toss wilting produce in a crock-pot with rice and chicken and create your own healthy dog food. Just make sure to skip mushroom, onion, garlic, chives, tomato or potato as they can be toxic for your furry friend.

Freeze them. This works best for super ripe fruit - chop them up and freeze for easy smoothie additions. Not a smoothie fan? Juice or blend your fruit first and make popsicles or tasty ice cubes to jazz up your water.

Make muffins. Carrots, zucchini, bananas, oh my! Use some of these staples to create a batch of healthier muffins for you and your family to enjoy.

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