Saving money in the kitchen usually means reducing waste. While being sure to use leftovers and not letting food go past their 'good by' date are great ways to save, you can also use things you would normally throw away. Vegetable scraps, the odds and ends leftover when you peel and chop vegetables are very useful in the kitchen. You can save money by using these vegetable scraps in these four ways.

Kitchen Savings with Vegetable Scraps - Compost

Most people who are looking to save money on food and groceries at home will plant a vegetable garden. Turning a one dollar packet of seeds into pounds of produce is a great way to save money. And using vegetable kitchen scraps as compost for that garden is another great way to save.

Kitchen Savings with Vegetable Scraps - Soup and Stock

Vegetable scraps of all kinds: carrot shavings, onion skins, peels and seeds, can be used to make vegetable stock or a base for many types of soup. Take all the cuttings and other scraps and boil them in a big pot of water for an hour or so until all the flavors are infused. Strain it, and use to make soup, rice, pasta, or other dishes that call for stock. It can be stored easily by freezing it in ice cube trays or plastic bags in the freezer.

Kitchen Savings with Vegetable Scraps - Flavor Filler

All vegetable scraps that are edible can be chopped up in a food processor or blender and saved to use as flavorful fillers in other foods. You should not do this with onion skins, stalks, or nonedible peels. If you do not use a food processor, you can boil the vegetable scraps until they are soft and then mash them. You can even do this with the bits leftover after making the stock described above.

This vegetable scrap mash can be used in meatloaf or meatballs, to thicken soups or stews, and in pasta sauces.

Kitchen Savings with Vegetable Scraps - Feeding Pets

Many types of pets will enjoy edible vegetable scraps from your kitchen. This can save you money on treats and pet food as long as you pay close attention to your animal's nutritional needs. Vegetables are obviously great for rabbits and rodents in moderation, but can also be fed to dogs and cats.

Using vegetable scraps that are left over from preparing meals is a great way to save money and prevent waste. By making soups, stock, flavorful fillers and pet food, you can extend the use of your vegetables. Using whatever is left for compost is a great way to grow more healthy vegetables for next year.

Learn more about this author, Melanie Marten.
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