Home cook shares money-saving hack to make the most of popular grocery item: 'I'll have to try this'

A TikTok user got attention for posting a food scrap hack.

@theecoconnection you can reduce food waste at home by getting creative with your food scraps! I made some delicious homemade strawberry syrup by using the strawberry tops! 🍓 #foodscraps #strawberrysyrup #homemadesyrup #sustainabliving #reducefoodwasteathome #reducereuserecycle #strawberries #strawberryrecipe #ecoconscious #ecofriendly ♬ Money so big - Iqbal12

The scoop

Instead of discarding the tops of her strawberries, Maressa (@theecoconnection) shared a use for them. She boiled them in sugar water to create a syrup before straining the liquid into containers for future use. 

The creative idea allows for one final use of food scraps that would otherwise be thrown out. The user even adds a personal touch to the recipe, storing the syrup in vintage reusable containers.

Fruit-flavored syrups can be used in a multitude of ways. From desserts to beverages, adding a little flavored syrup can be an excellent pick-me-up.

How it's helping

Excess food waste is a major problem worldwide. The Department of Agriculture estimates food waste in the United States is 30% to 40% of the food supply. The U.N. World Food Programme says one-fifth of food around the globe each year is thrown out before it can be eaten. 

Using food scraps and leftovers keeps food waste out of landfills and prevents food from producing harmful methane gas that can linger in the atmosphere for up to 12 years while trapping heat. 

Once food scraps have been used to their fullest extent, they'd ideally be composted. In 2019, the Environmental Protection Agency reported that while more than 66 million tons of food waste was generated in the U.S., only about 5% was composted. Responsible food waste management can help boost that figure. 

What everyone's saying

Many commenters confessed to simply eating their strawberries whole, leaves and all, an eco-friendly if questionable approach.

Others chimed in with suggestions on how to eliminate the waste. 

"Also if you have a dog you can blend them up, no sugar, with plain Greek yogurt, pour into molds and serve as treats!" one commenter said. "Great vitamins in the greens."

What's the most common reason you end up throwing away food? Bought more than I could eat 🛒 Went bad sooner than I expected 👎 Forgot it was in the fridge 😞 Didn't want leftovers 🥡 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

"You could also cover them in sugar (equal weight or enough to cover them) in a jar and let that sit for a while to draw out the moisture," another user wrote. "The result is a much more concentrated syrup!"

Someone else was convinced to give it a go, saying, "I usually just add them to the compost, but I'll have to try this."

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