Minimizing Food Waste

There’s one thing we’re constantly combating within the food industry, particularly among fresh produce and perishable varieties. And that’s food waste.

Food waste is all the food that goes uneaten, or is discarded, by restaurants, retail, and other food operations. This food often ends up in landfills and affects profit margins for businesses along the supply chain. It’s estimated that restaurants lose about $162 billion each year to food waste.

Produce is perishable and a contributor to this problem, but that doesn’t mean fresh varieties should leave the menu. It means undertaking better business practices, or adapting strategies, to minimize food waste:

1. Citrus: Don’t discard those citrus peels! Zest rinds to add flavor to sauces and marinades, infuse them into water or liquors, steep into vinegars, candy for dishes, use as a garnish, or for getting out pesky stains. A lot of versatile uses for citrus peels.
2. Baby Arugula: Don’t let that baby arugula go to waste! The entire leaf is edible and can be used in salads, sandwiches, and salsas. If the arugula starts to wilt, preserve in a pesto or freeze in oil.
3. Carrots: The tops of carrots can be processed to make granola or pesto.
4. Frisee: The perfect item to cross-utilize on a menu. Frisee can be used as a sandwich green or garnish.
5. Okra: Don’t throw away those okra caps! They are perfectly edible, similar in texture to an artichoke heart.
6. Tomatoes: Use them on the small plate menu in bruschetta, incorporate them into entrees, or preserve them for later use. A very versatile variety.
7. Romanesco: The central core and leaves are entirely edible. Consider subbing for broccoli or cauliflower
8. Pomegranates: While rinds can be composted, the arils can be frozen. Although, we recommend juicing the pom and then freezing the juice to preserve quality in flavor and texture.
9. Tomatillo: The husks are inedible but not unusable. In Mexico, the husks for typically boiled and added to tamales, or other doughs to increase elasticity.
10. Jerusalem Artichokes: Sometimes referred to as sunchokes, this variety is suited across menu parts. It can be used raw in salads or roasted.
11. Papaya: Don’t go throwing away those papaya seeds. They are edible and can be used like black peppercorn for dishes. They can also be pickled, capered, or dried.
12. Pineapples: The core in gold pineapples is not edible, so consider baby instead. Their core and flesh is entirely edible. Or, use the skin and crown as a decorative element in dishes to boost the dining experience.
13. Leeks: Add the green tops to meat or vegetable stocks to enhance flavor.
14. Squash: Roast the leftover seeds of hard squashes to use in other dishes, as a garnish, salad add-in, or as a nutty flavor in chutney’s and sauces.