16 food reuse tips
Peels can be used at home, in food or as a beauty product
Resized image by Caroline Attwood, available on Unsplash
After meals, the vast majority of people throw away what is left of their food. This also happens after the consumption of fruits and other vegetables. But the idea that this seemingly useless waste can be used in a variety of ways is already becoming popular. The reuse of food is a solution to several current problems that are simple to be taken, such as waste, waste generation, pollution, among others, just a small change in habits is enough.
- Food waste: economic and environmental causes and damages
There are prejudices. Many do not appreciate the taste or texture of the peels, not to mention that they have a higher rate of pesticides, so prefer organic products and favor markets that sell products whose origin is as close as possible to you. But at the same time, they have nutrients and fiber that are reusable. Regardless of opinions, which may vary, citrus peels, potatoes, pitted avocados and even banana peels are reused. All these foods can be reused in three ways: at home, in food or as a beauty product.
Here, we'll show you 15 ways to reuse foods such as peels. Prefer organic products and favor markets that sell products whose origin is as close as possible. If by chance you don't have the time or help to make the products and apply them to the new order, that's no problem as most of them can be frozen for later use. Let's go to the recipes:
1. Internal Kettle Cleaning
Do you know when the inside of the kettle gets too dark? To clean, fill it with water and a handful of lemon rinds and bring it to a boil. Once it starts bubbling, turn off the heat and let it sit for an hour. Then, just drain and wash well;
2. Grease cleaning
Before using products considered toxic, such as detergents, in the kitchen, try lemon. Apply the following ingredients to the area affected by fat: salt and baking soda. Then introduce squeezed lemon. Just be careful not to use the mixture on sensitive surfaces such as those made of marble. Also pay attention to washing your hands thoroughly after cleaning so that lemon residues do not remain on your skin, as contact with the sun can cause burns;
- Lemon Peel: How to Make Juice, Cake and 18 Other Uses
3. Dye fabric
Although the fruit is not so common in Brazil, pomegranate peels are great red fabric dyes. Just fill a large stainless steel pot with hot water, add pomegranate peels and leave to rest overnight. Boil the water with the skins the next day, then remove the skins and add the fabric you want to dye red, but it needs to be wet. Boil the clothes for an hour and let them cool for another night. Remove it from the pan the next day, rinse it in cold water and then wash it with similarly colored clothes;
4. Scare away mosquitoes
Use it in one of those old insect repellent devices that plug in and replace the conventional tablet with a piece of orange peel or some other citrus fruit;
- Benefits of whole orange and orange juice
5. Freeze slushies
If you have juiced a lemon, orange or some other citrus fruit and the skins are left over, you can grate them with a grater and store them in the freezer in a suitable container. When you feel like it, just remove the chips from the freezer and make your slushie.
6. citrus oil
Crush citrus peels with a pestle (in a metal or wooden pot) with a little oil. Put in a bottle with more oil and let it rest for six hours. After that time, pack it in a clean container for use on your salad;
- Benefits of different types of olive oil
7. Make french fries
Mix potato skins with plenty of lemon juice and oil. Spread the potato skins in layers on a baking sheet and bake at 200°C, stirring occasionally until golden (about ten minutes). Season to taste;
8. Make a soup
Boil potato, onion, carrot peels, leeks and other vegetables to taste to make a nice soup. Parsley and chives also go well in this broth;
- Seven Benefits of Raw and Cooked Onions
- Parsley tea: what is it for and benefits
- carrot benefits
9. Coffee grounds
The reuse of coffee grounds can be through its use as a skin exfoliant, hair growth stimulator, cellulite appearance reducer, odor neutralizer, among other uses you can check in the article: "Coffee grounds: 13 incredible uses ".
10. Composting
Composting is not only a way of reusing food so that it is transformed into a rich humus, it is also a means of reducing the emission of greenhouse gases. If all organic waste produced in Brazil were treated with compost it would be possible to avoid methane gas emissions, produce about 37.5 tons of humus per year, reduce the spaces occupied in landfills and dumps and also the pollution of soils, sheets water tables and the atmosphere. Want to know more about the topic? Take a look at the article: "Composte: what it is, how it works and its benefits".
11. Soft brown sugar
If you're a victim of hardened brown sugar, try adding lemon peel to keep it moist and pliable;
Beauty
12. Sugar scrub
Renewing the skin rejuvenates it, which is why dermatologists and beauticians recommend exfoliating to remove dead skin cells. The basic recipe on how to make a homemade sugar scrub can be found in the article: "Natural scrub for the face and body: use sugar";
13. Banana Sugar Scrub
Put sugar in the banana skin and gently rub it into the body. Afterwards, just rinse in the bath;
14. Eye relief
Potato and cucumber peels can reduce puffiness around the eyes; press the damp side of the fresh peels into the skin for 15 minutes. Reusing potato skins in this way can also help alleviate acne symptoms;
15. Hydrate
Rub the skinny part of an avocado on your face and you have a very effective moisturizer.
- The benefits of avocado
16. Make coffee cubes
Is there any coffee left? No problem! Make ice cubes and then add to drinks and other cold drinks to give that energy.