Woman shares clever way to use veggie scraps: 'This is awesome'

Composting is a great way to make use of leftover veggie scraps in your kitchen. But there's another way to give those scraps a second life. A delicious, versatile second life. 

The scoop

Sustainability TikTok account Sustaining Way (@sustainingway) posted about an easy method for turning veggie bits into delicious stock.

@sustainingway In this video, Abbi shows us how to make veggie stock from leftover veggie scraps! 😍🥬🌽 This is a super versatile recipe that can be used in many different ways. Abbi says she made a shrimp étouffée I made with it, and is hoping to use it some more during this very cold week we have coming up to make some soup and other warm comfort dishes. This stock lasts one week in the fridge but can then be frozen for up to 3 weeks!🍲 We hope everyone is staying warm! ❄️☃️ #greenville #soupseason #soup #recipe #sustainability #cooking #cookwithme #veggies #recipesoftiktok ♬ Summer Walker - Anonymous Beats

Toss 'em in a pot with some salt and water and you can make an easy-peasy vegetable stock. That stock can be the base of soups and stews, and if you use it to cook rice and pasta, it adds a wonderful depth of flavor.

Plus, making your own vegetable stock saves money. It's also an efficient, simple way to put your unwanted produce bits to good use. 

How it's helping

Good veggie stocks tend to be anywhere from $4 to $7, depending on the brand and whether or not they're organic. But, as with most homemade dishes, stocks made in your own kitchen are tastier and far more satisfying than boxed or canned stocks. Plus, when you have one simmering away on the stove, your kitchen just smells like home. Yum.

It also helps with food waste. According to Earth.org, Americans throw away half the produce grown in the country because it looks too "ugly" to eat, which amounts to around 60 million tons of fruit and vegetables each year. Not only does this waste food, it wastes a tremendous amount of water and energy used to grow the produce.

Making veggie stock from veggie scraps is a great way to combat food waste. Another way is to support companies that sell food retailers have decided is not shelf-worthy, such as Flashfood, Too Good To Go, and Misfits Market. 

What everyone's saying

Simple, delicious, and efficient ways to use food are appealing to pretty much everyone who uses their kitchen. People were thrilled to see this easy way to turn veggie scraps into stock gold.

"Wait, this is awesome," one person said.

What is the biggest reason you don't grow food at home? Not enough time ⏳ Not enough space 🤏 It seems too hard 😬 I have a garden already 😎 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

"I love making my own veggie broth!" another gushed. "So fun and such a good way to cut down on food waste."

"Best and healthiest way to make your own veggie stock. Yum!" a happy reader replied.

And it really celebrates the whole vegetable.

"It's just a great way to repurpose some underloved parts of the veggies," the TikToker said.

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