Do you ever have vegetables past-their-prime in your fridge or pantry? You know, those sad carrots and celery or an onion that’s starting to sprout? Don’t throw them away; you can use them! Using vegetables past their prime saves you money and reduces waste:
Carrots) Wimpy and weak? Either peel and chop them to add to soup, or leave them whole to throw into homemade chicken broth. You could also steam and puree them to use in muffins or add to pizza sauce, macaroni & cheese, or spaghetti sauce. The kids don’t even know it’s there, and it adds nutrition without affecting the color.
Celery) Floppy? That won’t matter if you clean and chop the stalks, then freeze the celery to throw into casseroles or soups later. I even save the tops, cleaned, in a bag in the freezer for my homemade chicken broth.
Onions) If I end up with too many onions (sometimes there’s a BOGO sale on the 3-lb bags), I’ll chop a bunch up before they go bad and freeze them in 1-cup portions. Then they’re easy to throw into the crockpot for Pulled Pork Sandwiches, soups (like Sausage Lentil Soup), or spaghetti sauce. I find that they do get a little “wet” as they defrost, so they’re better in recipes where they’ll cook to soft anyway (not a stir-fry).
Using vegetables past their prime really works for me!
What do you do with your old veggies?
For more Works for Me Wednesday tips (not just money-saving, all kinds!), head to WFMW at We Are That Family. For more Frugal tips, head to Frugal Friday at Life As Mom.
Image from graibeard at Flickr
I am getting so much better at using them. I used to have to throw them away because I would let them get so far past their prime they were unsavable. But now I am much better. I usually make soup as well.
These are great ideas! When I have a variety of questionable vegetables, I use them in this pasta dish. It’s great for the odds and ends from an appetizer platter, veggies that were left out for a few hours and you don’t know who handled them….