Vegetable Stalks, Stems and Leaves

[Food4thought]

I believe in using all the edible parts of a vegetable. When I cook cauliflower Idon't just use the florets, I cut up parts of the the stem, I include the floret stalks and use some of the green outer leaves, which cook like cabbage. When preparing broccoli I cut the stem into cubes or slices. I can also make stock from the ends and offcuts of vegetables such as onions, carrots and Brussels sprouts.

I don't like to see food wasted and it's a good way to get better value for money.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

We often eat the stem/stalks as well as the leaves on things that are not usually associated with being eaten and have done for over 20 years.
Broccoli stem is really tasty and we eat any leaves that are there as well.

I often do not peel veg either - so many people do. Often most of the vitamins are in the skin!

I have actually met someone who peeled mushrooms before eating them. she used a knife to do so having no idea that if you really wanted to peel a mushroom, pulling the stalk out (which we eat) and then easing your finger under the skin and pulling it back did a far better job!

 

[Caribbean girl]

I agree that it is a good idea to eat the stalks, stems and leaves of vegetables. However, I have gotten into the habit of throwing away these parts and cooking only the main part of the vegetable. I would sometimes use some celery leaves in my cooking though. All of these parts are edible, and throwing them away is definitely wastage. I think I am going to start cooking the brocolli stems in future. When eating out at a restaurant, I notice that they tend to use these parts of the vegetables.

 

[Berties]

Sprout tops are the seasonal throw away , they pull these off the plant to allow the plant to grow strong, I get hold of them and use them November time,
All out outer leaves we give to a pig farmer , but not onion skins

 

[winterybella]

I remember when I uśed to throw out the stem of the brocolli. Not anymore. I try to make a hand of everything. I feel like I use to waste so many things and that just isn't what I want to be doing anymore. Nutrients are in every part of the fruit OR vegetable,

 

[ChanellG]

Whatever edible parts I don't include in my meals, I use to make vegetable stock. Sometimes I will puree stems for quick soups, but anything leftover goes to the compost bin. One way or the other, all the vegetable and fruit parts get used for something.

 

[Pat]

I also put the parts of the vegetables I don't eat into a soup. When we have vegetables leftover from a meal they also are saved to go into a soup. I don't peel potatoes when I make french fries, I just cut them up and fry the whole potatoe.

 

[queenbellevue]

I also put the parts of the vegetables I don't eat into a soup. When we have vegetables leftover from a meal they also are saved to go into a soup. I don't peel potatoes when I make french fries, I just cut them up and fry the whole potatoe.

Argh, throwing away the skin from a potato bugs me, because that skin is sooooooooooooooooooo crispy and delicious. Here's a quick recipe. Cut up some potatoes with the skin on, toss into foil, drizzle with olive oil, butter, garlic, salt and pepper, wrap up the foil and grill it. Yum.

 

[ReadmeByAmy]

Absolutely right! We should take into consideration of not throwing the vegetables stalks, stems and leaves that was left when we are cooking and we can still use it in some other ways. Nowadays where some prices of fruits and vegetables are high we should learn how to avoid wastes so as to save money also.

 

[winterybella]

Only Sunday after I shredded some cabbage I added what remained to my stem veg and sure enough it was devoured. Even if I won't eat everything and I should, my husband is the clean up man especially in the fruit and vegetable department. I feel good that I don't waste things like before.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Argh, throwing away the skin from a potato bugs me, because that skin is sooooooooooooooooooo crispy and delicious. Here's a quick recipe. Cut up some potatoes with the skin on, toss into foil, drizzle with olive oil, butter, garlic, salt and pepper, wrap up the foil and grill it. Yum.

And the skin holds most of the nutrients in potatoes! The calories are in underneath the skin!

 

[Hopless500]

I don't end up with many vegetable scraps as most bits go into stock or soup, but the ones I do have go to the chickens (apart from onion and potato peelings - they go direct to the compost heap). And their bedding goes on the compost heap so it all gets reused

 

[JoanMcWench]

Agreed. Waste can be a huge issue for some people but I've rarely felt it's a matter of them just being lazy. Surprisingly a lot of people want to use as much of what they put their money into as they can. It seems to be the lack of knowing what to do with the 'undesirables'.