We talked in the past few Foraging Friday Posts about how to not waste food you have at home.
In this post, we are going to talk about the best parts of any small grocery store, farmers market, or local produce stand; the “these are overripe and 75% off” part of the produce section.
Yesterday, in this very section of my local produce store, I picked up 4 lbs of Hungarian peppers, 2 1/2 lbs tomatoes, a bunch of basil, and some overripe bananas for under $10. One of my salad staples is banana peppers, so when I saw the Hungarian peppers – I thought, I can make those myself – and so I did. And with the tomatoes and basil, along with other vegetables, I made homemade tomato sauce.
This section of fruits and vegetables often gets looked over. People just brush by these slightly bruised, over ripe items – but don’t make that mistake! These fruits and vegetables, much like the ones that sometimes get a little overripe on your counter, are perfect for sauces, breads, and pickling! And the best part is, they’re usually so incredibly cheap.
When you buy items like this, you are reducing food waste, and you are benefitting from eating clean by making your own pickled items or sauces. Fruits in these sections are also really great for jams and syrups!
Foraging Fridays Post 1: Homemade Tomato Sauce
Foraging Fridays Post 2: Waste Not, Want Not – Pickled Cucumbers and Beets
Night Shades 