3 genius ways to turn food scraps into delicious treats, from coffee grounds to apple cores
Chef Joel Gamoran, who hosts the TV show Scraps and is author of Cooking Scrappy, knows how to make the most out of every meal — including food scraps. “Don’t waste them,” Gamoran, who founded Homemade, which offers virtual cooking events, tells Yahoo Life.
Here, Gamoran shares recipes and creative tips on how to do more with less this holiday season by maximizing the leftover ingredients you already have in your fridge and pantry. Bonus: These edible treats also make perfect homemade gifts for family, friends, teachers and neighbors.
With these food hacks, Gamoran says, “You’re saving the earth, you’re saving money and you’re saving flavor.”
Herb salt blend recipe
The holiday season often means that people are cooking up a storm. But what to do with all of those leftover herbs? Gamoran recommends making a custom herb salt blend, which lasts for up to five years. Put the salt herb blend into glass jars and give them out as holiday gifts.
What you need:
½ cup Morton coarse sea salt
Herb stems
Mortar and pestle
1 small jar
Directions: Using mortar and pestle, crush leftover herb stems. Add sea salt and grind until mixture is blended.
Apple-infused Bourbon recipe
“Apples are in season and they’re delicious,” says Gamoran. “But almost every recipe in the world has you throw away the apple core.” Instead, Gamoran suggests not letting those apple cores go to waste. “Use them to flavor your spirits,” he says. You can store the beverage for at least five years.
What you need:
3 or more apple cores
2 or more cups of bourbon or other spirit
1 large jar or container
Directions: Core 3 apples and place in jar. Pour bourbon over apples in jar. Let apple cores soak for at least two weeks in the pantry, and then enjoy your favorite spirit with its new festive flavor.
Shortbread recipe
Many people guzzle coffee to get through the busy holiday season, but we’re “always left with used coffee grounds,” says Gamoran. Rather than throwing the grounds away or composting, you can use them to enhance the flavors of a classic treat by making coffee ground shortbread. “These smell and look insane,” says Gamoran.
What you need:
Stand mixer
Baking sheet
Parchment paper
¾ lb. unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp. used coffee grounds
1 tsp. vanilla
3 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ tsp. Morton coarse sea salt
Directions: Place butter in mixer. Add sugar and blend. Once beaten and “nice and airy,” add flour. Next add big pinch of salt and coffee grounds. Then pour in vanilla and blend. Roll mixture to form a log, wrap in parchment paper, and place in fridge until it’s chilled. Cut the chilled log into thick slices and place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. When done, sprinkle shortbread slices with sea salt. The cookies have a shelf life of seven days.
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