Jump to content
Join the Unexplained Mysteries community today! It's free and setting up an account only takes a moment.
- Sign In or Create Account -

Would you eat food made with “trash”?


Still Waters

Recommended Posts

Would you eat ketchup made from tossed-out tomatoes? Drink beer made with stale scraps of bread?

If so, join the club. A growing number of companies are making food and drink products out of ingredients traditionally considered waste. And, according to new research, consumers increasingly accept—and even prefer—such products.

“Consumers are actually willing to pay more for food made from surplus products,” says Jonathan Deutsch, a professor of culinary arts at Drexel University, who led the study.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/would-you-eat-food-made-trash-180967655/

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Well, we all hear about how much food is wasted in this country. 

It's easy to understand people wanting to do something about it. 

I dunno if I'd pay more for surplus foods, but I'd buy them. 

As long as the food hasn't spoiled, it's still good food. 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

working in restaurants is a good way to see first hand just how much food is wasted. it's so, so much. too much.

so yeah, i'd be fine with it.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

27 minutes ago, seanjo said:

This is a good thing...soylent green for the win...

eh, i don't know about that. it varies from person to person*

 

*old joke, sorry

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Why not just learn how to cook instead? I mean I might not be the best cook ever but I when I cook I always use every edible part, I mean if you're gonna cook something use all the edible parts instead of eating food trash from some "fancy" place, I mean you can even use the bones to make some bullion 

Edited by _KB_
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sure would. I have no problem with value-added surplus. I kind of already do with some of the cooking and eating habits around here. I'm frugal, a gardener, and a cook with a degree- part of my job around here is working that all into keeping food costs down while still eating really good and pretty much healthy. And that means using stuff to the max, and also less waste.

Like when I do a turkey or whole chicken- lots of folks toss the carcass and bits and buy stock or broth. I keep that carcass, strip all the meat off that I can, and then make a gallon or more of homemade stock. I make stock out of all my bones from various meats. Quite often I hold the drippings or stewing juices from these for "quick fats and marinades" for a future cooking of the same meat, or super flavorful liquids in other dishes. Fresh shucked corn cobs for corn stock (awesome in chowders)- fresh shucked, not the fresh eaten off the cobs, those get tossed into the compost. I save up my fat-backs from smoked hams to render down into "pork gold", save bacon fat for cooking... All beautiful stuff a lot of folks normally toss after taking the "edible parts"- and then they turn around and buy stuff to impart those flavors to their cooking.  "Bad" onions or garlic that have sprouted get stuck into dirt in a sunny window to harvest a round of fresh onion greens to snip into dishes. I regularly buy the clearance short sale produce and to make soups and dishes for the freezer or run through the dehydrator. Stale bread makes for great breadcrumbs and croutons. Typically leftovers are either eaten, packaged for the freezer, or reworked into another dinner depending on what it is.

I also have been lucky enough to have lived in areas where there was commercial produce farming going on. And I've made it a habit to hit their farmers stands to scoop up their "unsuitable" produce. Stuff they can't send on to their client, and they don't have a local grocer to supply otherwise. Amazing huge heads of tender sweet cauliflower that were too big for the processors specs, bushels of ugly oversized beets perfect for pickling, tiny brussels sprouts undersized for specs, corked peppers that most folk don't like to see but is actually a desirable thing.. but I digress here.

So yep, kind of already living the value-added surplus lifestyle. I fully realize that my lifestyle and ability/willingness to address this so much isn't something everyone is willing or able to do. So I think other folks doing this on a commercial scale to make it available is great. Was totally humorous to see the catch-phrases being tossed around in the article though.

The spent grains in the article was extra cool. I know brewers, and mash can be a lot of waste. I dehydrate a lot of stuff, but not sure I'd try spent grains. I might be willing to pay a bit more for this if it tasted good. I tend to not like a lot of bars on the market in general. I rather like the term spent grains, kind of earthy and honestly what it is- and after all, folks eat sprouted grains...  and also, the term edible upcycling just made me fall over laughing. Spent grains is way better than edible upcycling.

 

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Presumably in most areas like where I live, the transfer of previously cooked food is heavily regulated by State law and the county Health Dept.

Potential for rancidity and growth of harmful bacteria/spores is very high if too aged or environmentally uncontrolled. For some other products there is little to no issue.

With proper address of these legitimate health concerns, much good can be done in re-using otherwise wasted food from, say, restaurants (full service or chain fast-food)

In some locals this actually has been, for years, already in effect to supplement homeless-shelter food supplies (under County HD guidance)

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, _KB_ said:

Why not just learn how to cook instead? I mean I might not be the best cook ever but I when I cook I always use every edible part, I mean if you're gonna cook something use all the edible parts instead of eating food trash from some "fancy" place, I mean you can even use the bones to make some bullion 

I think you're misunderstanding. 

You could still cook using surplus food products. 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

This has been going on for some time in the UK. TV chef/personality Jamie Oliver was all over the TV asking the nation to eat 'wonky veg'....as he put it.... for example, in most supermarkets/shops all you ever see is straight cucumbers....BUT....cucumbers often curl.....same product, same taste...but a bent cucumber isnt seen as desirable so is discarded....total madness.....same with potatoes that are 'knobbly'...and any other fruit or veg that maybe doesnt look 'ideal'

 

Quote

 

Asda trials 'wonky veg' boxes in response to Jamie Oliver challenge

Asda will be selling boxes filled with 'ugly' winter vegetables in 128 of their supermarket stores in an effort to reduce food waste across the supply chain. The exclusive wonky veg boxes are an extension of their Wonky Fruit and Vegetable range, which was introduced to a handful of stores in January 2015 after Jamie Oliver challenged the supermarket chain to encourage its customers to buy produce with "knobbles and blemishes".
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/food-and-drink/features/asda-trials-wonky-veg-boxes-in-response-to-jamie-oliver-challeng/

 

 

 

 

Then we had stories of people who would go to the back of supermarkets where they keep their huge bins....and they would pull out all manner of things that were discarded just because the date expired. For example biscuits,bread, fruit, veg....all perfectly fine still, and only  just past its sell by date.....

Of course we also have foodbanks where free food is given to the needy... originally they relied on donations from the public....but I seem to remember news saying a certain supermarket chain would now give their perfectly edible waste...to the foodbanks

As Rashore said.... I also make stocks...something I learned as a young chef.   A huge pot on the cooker....and literally anything chucked in for a veg stock, potato peel, peel from onions, peel from carrots...outer tough leaves of cabbages....the stalks from broccoli, .basically the kind of stuff youd usually chuck away....but it still has flavour and goodness... and besides, you wont be eating all the peelings and stalks as you strain the stock after a long while cooking softly.. and you are left with pure flavor and goodness

I like to grow, among other stuff, chilli's....and always have many more than I want to cook with.  So I will leave some to dry out then crumble them up in a jar... same as shop bought chilli flakes... I also cook the other chillis - liquidize them, and make my own pouring hot sauce....tastes as good as shop bought hot sauces... more important tho....I usually make about 6 bottles of chilli sauce which can last me an entire year if stored right....best thing about chilli's is, the seeds can be saved for planting next year

In 3 pots outside I grow thyme,  rosemary and mint....and again, I pick the plant to use fresh, or dry the herbs and never need to buy any... in my garden border...a strip of land barely six inches wide next to the fence....I grow chives...tomatoes..and blueberries....I even have a barrel which Ive grown potatoes in!   And when your garlic goes soft and gets a little green shoot on it....its usually thrown away.....but dont do that....PLANT IT....thats what that little green shoot means....its trying to GROW!!

Eggs!!  Ive had eggs  in the fridge, often past their use by date.....I just crack one at a time in a cup, look carefully at it, smell it....if it doesnt look bad or  smell 'off'....its good to eat. Ive been doing stuff like this for years and years...even tho I can easily afford to shop fresh weekly....Ive grown to hate waste...

and Ive never been ill from eating that stuff either... so YES people....think before you throw stuff away!!

 

 

 

Edited by seeder
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks to all for pointing-out the potentially rich source from supermarkets... Makes sense; I forgot about them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 minutes ago, twobytwice said:

No thanks. I'll stay in the first world. Enjoy your diarrhea.

 

perhaps you didnt understand the concept...

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 
On 12/31/2017 at 1:07 AM, ChaosRose said:

I think you're misunderstanding. 

You could still cook using surplus food products. 

I think you're misunderstanding, why even leave surplus products in the first place?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.