Here at Microplane, we are all about taking your culinary game to the next level while keeping things eco-friendly. As we celebrate Earth Month this April, we're diving into the world of food waste in the kitchen and serving up some scrumptious solutions just for you!
We're on a mission to provide tips and ideas for repurposing your ingredients and giving you creative ways to reduce the food you may typically throw away. So, grab your favorite Microplane tool, and let's embark on this waste-free adventure together. With sustainability and taste going hand in hand, we'll zest, and grate our way to a greener kitchen, one ingenious bite at a time!
Here are 10 foods you may waste and how you can repurpose them:
Carrot Tops - Grate the green tops of your carrots to create a unique pesto or chimichurri sauce, adding a fresh, earthy flavor to pasta, sandwiches or grilled dishes.
Ginger - Say goodbye to spoiled ginger, freezing your ginger not only prolongs its life but also makes it a breeze to grate with a fine grater or zester. Simple store your ginger in your freezer and grate the frozen ginger directly into your dish- no thawing required.
Leftover Holiday Chocolate - If you received a lot of chocolate for Easter, you can use a ribbon grater to grate leftover chocolate into shavings or curls to garnish desserts, coffee drinks, or make hot chocolate.
Parmesan Rinds - Grate the hard rinds of parmesan cheese with a coarse grater to add extra flavor to soups,stews, and risottos.
Broccoli Stalks: Grate the fibrous stalks of broccoli to create crunchy slaws, or incorporate them into your stir-fry.
Cucumber Ends: You can grate the end of cucumbers to create a refreshing addition to your salads, tzatziki sauce, or chilled soups.
Cheese - After you use your grater to grate cheese, freeze any leftovers. It will last for several months and can be used for pizzas, pastas and grilled cheese sandwiches
Stale Bread: Grate leftover bread and make breadcrumbs. We recommend using an extra coarse grater and also to store your breadcrumbs in an airtight container.
Potatoes: Have a large bag of potatoes. Don’t let them go to waste. Grate potatoes to make a hash or casserole.
Garlic: Grate garlic and freeze in ice cube trays with olive oil and butter. This way, you can use just the amount you need for cooking
Food waste is a major problem that affects not only our environment but also our economy and social well-being. However, there are many small ways in which we can combat food waste in our own kitchens. Using a kitchen grater is just one example of how we can reduce waste by utilizing ingredients that might otherwise go to waste. By incorporating these simple tips into our daily routines, we can make a significant impact on reducing food waste and creating a more sustainable and healthy food system for ourselves and future generations. Let's all do our part to reduce food waste and make a positive impact on our planet.