Composting Your Ugly Fruits & Veg

Image courtesy of Lifehacker

Today we are going to talk about something a little different- composting!

For those who don’t know, composting is nature’s process of recycling decomposed organic materials into a rich soil known as compost. Just to name a few benefits, composting adds nutrients to plants and add nutrients to the soils by recycling waste, and helps to reduce landfill waste. Talk about a triple whammy!

While we try to encourage consumption of all of our fruits and vegetables as much as we can without throwing any way, some of them inevitably ends up in the bin such as apple cores, vegetable peels and fruit rinds. Not all food scraps can be composted, but it is safe to say all vegetable/fruit wastes including moody and ugly parts are compostable.

Simply find a bin that make it your compost bin and leave it under the kitchen sink for easy composting. Or if that’s not a viable option, here’s a little tip I want to share from Lifehacker.

CREATE AN INSTANT COLD COMPOST IN A BLENDER

Throw your food scraps in the blender for some instant compost! You can fill up the mixture with other plant scraps, newspapers, coffee grounds, old bread or anything made from flour, any grains (the list goes on! check out the nice little infographic below), add some water to just above the scraps and blend until smooth. Now that it’s like a puree consistency, spread it out in your garden, even mix it into the soil or mix in new soil if you’ve got some.

While this mixture isn’t technically compost yet, by breaking down the raw materials in a blender will help organic matter decompose faster.

Tip:

• A great way to get rid of the fruit flies is to freeze your scraps until they need to be blended!

Trust me, your garden will be reaping the rewards later! This is a great way to recycle waste such as your rotten fruits and vegetables!

-VS

Food waste is ‘berry bad

Image courtesy of http://everydayfoodiecanada.blogspot.com.au

The weather is getting warmer and summer is just a shy month or so away, you know what that means… strawberry season is upon us!

Those luscious and bright red berries are so sweet, and it’s got just the right hint of tang. Add that healthy dose of anti-oxidents, who could resist! They literally come in all shapes and sizes, and I have often found the stranger they look the sweeter they become. Unfortunately, misshapen strawberries are a fact of life but luckily, they taste no less sweeter than the perfectly symmetrical ones.

What Causes Deformed Strawberries?

Nubbins and button strawberries are caused by external, usually damaging agents. Feeding by plant bugs, cold injury to nutrients deficiencies  can cause deformed strawberries to form.  Additionally, inadequate pollination and high temperatures can result in poorly formed strawberries.

The other type of deformed strawberries have a cockscomb or fasciated appearance, hence their name.  They generally look like several strawberries have fused and grown together as a single fruit. This deformity is usually caused by either short daylight intervals or cold, dry weather.

Misshapen strawberries are safe to eat.

To spot truly spoiled strawberries, look for splotches on the exterior. You can also press a few of the strawberries with your index finger; the texture should be firm but give slightly to the pressure. Overripe strawberries are mushy, they are still fine to eat within a day and are best to use them in recipes. If the berry has gone bad it will often have a rotten odor and you should discard them right away. Strawberry mold often start out looking white, then progresses to a light greenish grey colour.

Strawberries are so versatile in the kitchen and knowing how to store them can dramatically reduce unnecessary wastage. They are also very delicate fruits, they are similar to a sponge in the sense that they will absorb absolutely everything! Some of the main causes of spoilage is if they come into contact with dirty water or equipment during harvesting; unhygienic handling of strawberries can also easily spread disease within the fruit.

STORAGE TIPS

• Keep your strawberries dry and only wash before eating them. Strawberries soak up every bit of moisture which makes them more likely to get mushy, spoil faster, and get moldy quicker.
• Keep stems intact until you eat them to prolong shelf life
• Old can spread easily so if you notice a moody strawberry or two in a container, remove them from the rest

If you don’t plan on eating your strawberries the day you bring them home, then refrigerate them. It is highly recommended you remove them from the original container, and store them whole and unwashed in a partially-closed container lined with paper towels to absorb any excess moisture, preferably in a single layer so they don’t get crushed. They should stay fresh for up to 7 days.

To keep strawberries for a longer period, you can freeze them. Remove the stems, then freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet until solid. You can store them in an airtight container or tiptop freezer bag. Frozen strawberries are great as you can throw them into any smoothie, oats or any baking recipes like muffins or cupcakes. We might just share some of our favourite recipes in the coming week!

-VS