We're in tough times, so I'm going to share some ways I personally spice life up:
- Dehydrated/Frozen vegetable scraps for stock. (Makes it really easy to peal onions too, you can just cut through the 1st layer, remove it and put it in the scrap box) Carrot tops/Bell pepper cores with seeds can also be added to a veg stock.
- If you're a fan of taters, a light soak makes them easy to clean with a dedicated scrub, after you remove eyes and sprouts (they're unsafe afaik) you can keep the peels in slightly acidic water to preserve freshness and add to meals later. (I add about quarter teaspoon to a liter of water and idk how long it can last for, but I always use them within a couple days.) It's a nice way to add something to a stir fry. Alternatively, if you're adding them to the scrap box pat them down with a clean towel after soaking them.
- If you're just making some veg soup (you can also do this with the peels) roast them in the oven 10-15 minutes 180c
- Should you find yourself be using sets of dry herbs regularly, don't keep them all in separate jars make a masala.
- Fermenting is not for everyone, but if you're into it sauerkraut is probably the easiest stuff to make at home. 2 teaspoons per a kg of cabbage, shred it and cover it with salt (Caraway seeds good addition, optional) then you have to give it a really good massage VERY IMPORTANT DO NOT SKIP, it has to get a bit squishy and the brine is what you're after here, pack the cabbage down with your fist into a wide top jar, pour the brine in and weigh it down with a bit smaller jar on top, you have to keep all the cabbage below the brine or it will mold . Let it ferment in room temperature away from sunlight up to 1 month, if you prefer it mild good time to start tasting is 1 week, once it's done you can transfer it to fridge to stop it from fermenting.
Disclaimer: I'm not a good teacher, not trying to educate anyone. I'm just lonely and wanted to share my interests. There are countless more qualified individuals/culinary resources to consult. They can tech you how to do anything I do better than I do.
I highly encourage to simply ignore me and link better resources in the discussion section.
Candied lemon peels are delicious and easy to make, just use a veggie peeler to take off the top layer of lemon peel, trim off any white on it you see, cut them to the desired size, and toss them in a pot with enough water to cover them. Bring to a boil, strain them, and repeat that two more times. The take a 1:1 ratio of water and suger, about a cup each per lemon, and mix over medium heat until dissolved. Toss in the lemon peels and simmer for around 45 minutes.
When they're translucent take them out & use a wire rack to dry them. I usually use them as garnishes for baking so I toss the finished peels in a small jar with some more sugar and give it a good shake to cover them.
After you take all the peels out give the syrup a quick strain & save it, it's a delicious lemon syrup that you can use for whatever you like. I like to mix it with lemon just & sparking water to make lemonade!