Posted by Matt
Back when I was a bachelor, I very rarely purchased vegetables. I tried for awhile, but found that I was throwing far too much of it out. I guess I was not alone: My wife recently found an article online that indicates that the average American household annually throws away about $300 worth of produce that spoiled before it was eaten.
To reduce this waste, the article has several tips for getting the most life out of your fruits and vegetables; for example, not storing bananas in the refrigerator. I used to refrigerate bananas because I found that, even though the banana peel turned brown faster in the fridge, the insides lasted much longer. They never tasted as good, though, and maybe that supports the article's contention that the cold interferes with ripening. These days, my wife keeps the bananas on the counter and we just try to remember to eat them quickly. There's no getting around the fact that you have to eat produce fairly soon after purchasing it, but you can extend your window of opportunity by buying according to the suggestions (and excellent photo examples) in the article.
I think it would be humorous if someone followed all the tips, threw out hardly any produce, and then went out and spent the money they saved on compost for their yard.
Monday, February 18, 2008
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1 comment:
…or better yet, make compost whenever you do have to throw out trimmings -- or even occasional spoiled produce. Some of it gets away from us all, but it's black gold in the garden!
By the way, if it's only a little bit of vegetative waste you throw out, you don't even have to compost it. Bury it 4-6 inches deep in a gap in your garden, and nature will take care of it after a couple of warmish months. It will use up some nitrogen as it breaks down, so don't compost it too close to hungry plants like roses.
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