Food Waste

Make This Delicious Candied Orange Peel Recipe

July 27, 2022By 0 comment

#WhyWasteFoodWednesday

Can We Reuse Leftover Orange Peels?

Most of us have probably eaten an orange for a quick snack and thrown away the peel without giving it much thought. But, this action contributes to a bigger problem… our growing landfill epidemic. Fun fact: A shocking 3.8 million tons of orange peels go to waste each year! That’s a huge amount of fruit peels making it to our landfills annually. So, how can we help? Try reusing your leftover citrus peels to make a fun snack! This #WhyWasteWednesday, check out our delicious candied orange peel recipe.

unpeeled orange with peels left to be discarded
Unpeeled naval orange with peels left to be discarded.
candied orange peels
Candied Orange Peels

Candied Orange Peel Ingredients

  • 1 large naval orange
  • ¾ cup of sugar
  • ½ cup of water
  • ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Source: Food Network

THE STEP BY STEP RECIPE:

Step 1: Prep the orange peels.

Cut orange peels.

For this recipe, you will need to first cut your orange peels strategically to make the most of the fruit scraps. Make about ¾ –1 inch cuts from the orange part of the peel to the green stem. You will need to continue doing so until the peel is completely used. While it might make things easier to use a vegetable peeler, you can also do so by just eye balling it!

Step 2: Boil water and add your peels.

Next, bring half a cup of water to a boil in a saucepan. Once the water is boiled, add in the orange peels you’ve just cut! You will want to cook them for about 1 minute. (Try not to go over this time or else they will be too hard.) After doing so, drain water used and run cold water over the peels. Quick Tip: Repeat this step with fresh water for maximum flavor!

Person boiling water over a stove.

Step 3: Stir sugar and simmer over medium heat.

Woman pouring sugar.

Now it’s time to add the sugar! Stir in the amount needed and wait for it to dissolve. For this step, you will need to put another half cup of water into the saucepan. Make sure to stir until there are no remaining traces of sugar left in the pan. Simmer peels for about 15 minutes or until tender.

Step 4: Transfer to baking sheet and leave to cool.

Candied orange peels left to dry

Make sure to line a pan with parchment paper to place your peels on. You will want to use tongs (or a fork will do the trick) to transfer your peels to parchment paper. After doing so, leave to dry for about 1 hour.

Step 5: Melt chocolate and drizzle on peels.

Melted chocolate in bowl.

Lastly, add the finishing touch…chocolate! You will need melted chocolate for this next portion. Put chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl and warm them for about 30 seconds. Then, you can drizzle the chocolate on your orange peels! You will need to leave them on the parchment paper to set, which should take about 15 minutes in the refrigerator.

Hope you enjoyed this recipe! Be sure to let us know how your candied orange peels came out.

If you have any other repurposed recipes, please send them to us at marketing@foodfinders.org !

Make an impact on reducing food waste and eliminating hunger by donating food to our Summer to End Hunger Food Drive.

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Food Waste

Simple Avocado Smoothie Recipe

July 12, 2022By 0 comment

#WhyWasteFoodWednesday

What Can We Do With Overripe Avocados?

It’s summer time and this hot weather is not very kind to our avocados. If you have some avocados just sitting on the counter, they will get mushy! While it might be tempting to throw them away, we challenge you to reconsider. So much of our produce ends up in our landfills when it could have been repurposed into something else instead. This Wednesday, we are sharing a simple avocado smoothie recipe that you can make in 3 easy steps!

Fresh Avocados
Fresh avocados on cutting board.

Avocado Smoothie Ingredients

💚 1-2 overripe avocado(s)

💚 1 ¼ cup of whole milk

💚 1 tablespoon of sugar

💚 1 ½ tablespoons of lime juice

💚 1 tablespoon of chopped basil

Source: Bonappetit

Step 1: Scoop out edible avocado bits!

It’s important to know what state your avocados are in first! Cut them in half and check the inside of your avocado. If the inside appears to be turning brown, please know that it is still safe to be eat. Fun fact! The change in color is usually a sign of a chemical reaction happening and not of a spoiled avocado. Use a spoon to scoop out your avocado bits and put aside for the base of your smoothie.

NOTE: If there appears to be mold, remove by cutting off molded portions (if it can be salvaged). Avocados that are rancid smelling will be harmful to your body, so dispose immediately.

Stale avocado that is turning brown in color.

Step 2: Mix in key smoothie ingredients and lightly purée.

Blender with avocado bits and smoothie ingredients inside.

Now that you have a solid avocado to work with, you’ll want to gather all the ingredients needed to make a delicious smoothie!

This list includes: lime juice, chopped basil, sugar, and whole milk — plus avocados of course! Add a cup of ice and blend until smooth.

Step 3: Time to garnish and serve!

Healthy avocado smoothie

After the purée is finished, it is now time to garnish and serve!

We recommend chilling the glasses ahead of time as it makes the drink taste much cooler. This will be just perfect on a hot summer day! Now pour your smoothie into a glass and accent with basil as a finishing touch.

And that’s it, yay! You’ve just made a delicious smoothie in 3 simple steps!!

If you have any other repurposed recipes, please send them to us at marketing@foodfinders.org !

Make an impact on reducing food waste and eliminating hunger by donating food to our Summer to End Hunger Food Drive.

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why-waste-food-wedesday-avocadoFood Waste

#Why Waste Food Wednesday: Avocado Pesto

February 23, 2022By 0 comment

The Avocado, delicious and finicky! It is hard to know when they are ripe, and then–they are over-ripe. Or are they? Too many avocados are tossed in the trash when they could be repurposed into something else delicious and highly nutritious. While overripe avocados are not great for slicing, they’re actually easier to mash or purée than ripe avocados, which comes in handy if you’re trying to make dips and spreads.

Before I get to the recipe: How do you know when it is still good to eat an avocado that has gone from green to brown? The real trick is your nose. If an avocado smells bad, then do not eat it. Brown does not mean it is not nutritious. An isolated brown spot may be due to bruising, rather than widespread spoilage, and can be cut away. Mold is another sign that you cannot eat an over-ripe avocado. The bottom line is to smell before using.

Avocado Pesto

Ingredients

Ingredient Checklist

  • 1 large bunch fresh basil
  • 2 ripe avocados
  • ½ cup walnuts or hemp seeds
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice 
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • Ground pepper to taste

Directions

Instructions Checklist

  • Step 1 Strip basil leaves from the stems and add to a food processor along with avocados, walnuts (or hemp seeds), lemon juice, garlic and salt; pulse until finely chopped. Add oil and process to form a thick paste. Season with pepper.

Tips

Make Ahead Tip: Press a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent browning and refrigerate for up to 5 days.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 2-Tbsp.Per Serving: 126 calories; protein 1.1g; carbohydrates 3g; dietary fiber 2g; sugars 0.3g; fat 12.8g; saturated fat 1.7g; vitamin a iu 236.2IU; vitamin c 4.1mg; folate 26.4mcg; calcium 13.9mg; iron 0.4mg; magnesium 14.9mg; potassium 151.2mg; sodium 37.1mg.Exchanges: 

2 1/2 fat

Recipe Source: https://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/251078/avocado-pesto/

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