The average American household throws away a lot of kitchen garbage!  Some of our trash is packaging, but a lot of it is food scraps.  In many cases, these food scraps could be used, cutting down waste and saving you money, if you only knew how to use it.

Of course, most food scraps can be composted.  (Don’t compost animal products, though, except for eggshells.  They’re more likely to attract unwanted critters.)  But some don’t have to be; they can be used in other ways, for crafting, cleaning, or even eating!

Apple Peels/Cores

• Eat them!  Seriously, if you can avoid peeling your applies in the first place, that’s a good thing.  (Of course, make sure your apples are well-scrubbed.)
• steep them as tea (peels)
• Make apple “cider” vinegar (peels & cores)
• dry them and use as a base for potpourri (peels)
• season and dry them as snacks (peels)
• add them to smoothies (peels)
• make jelly with them (peels & cores)
• shred them up and add to cole slaw

Potato Peels

• Eat them!  Potatoes with the peels on are more nutritious.  (As with the apples, be sure to scrub them well first!)
• make chips
• add them to the garden as fertilizer and/or mulch

Citrus Rinds

• make candles
• freshen the garbage disposal (Just run them through the disposal.  If you like, you can put some ice cubes through at the same time.)
• simmer them to freshen the air & scent the house
• zest them, or freeze for zesting later  (It is easier to zest first, and then peel the fruit.  Also, be sure your fruit is well scrubbed before zesting, to remove any contaminants or wax.)
• candy them

Bones

• make bone broth
• eat the marrow
• grind them up and use as fertilizer
• (clean them, and) burn them together with your firewood

Nut Shells

• use them as mulch (if you have a lot of them)
• use them as gift containers for tiny things (larger shells, esp. walnuts)
• grind them to use as an exfoliant in scrubs
• use them as the “insides” of noisemakers
• burn them
• make tealights/floating candles with them (walnut shells)
• make ornaments (walnut shells or others that split neatly in half; there are so many options — search it!)
• take advantage of almond/pistachio shells’ petal shape to make flowers (pistachio, almond)

Lettuce Core or Ends

• grow more lettuce!
• stamp with them

Carrot Tops/Peels

• pesto (tops)
• add to broth (both tops and peels)

Celery Ends/Leaves

• add to broth (both ends and leaves)
• use as you would parsley (leaves)
• stamp with it (base end)

Onion Ends/Peels

• add them to broth
• dye with them (You can dye eggs this way, too.)

Coffee Grounds

• add them to the garden (they’ll increase the acidity of the soil & run off slugs; also worms like them)
• play with them — make “mud” playdough; make “fossils”; hide fossils IN them
• deodorize — use just like you would baking soda (in the fridge, for instance), or stuff in pantyhose for less mess; make garbage disposal cleaning tablets, or deodorizing soap (see below)
• cover scratches in wood furniture
• craft with them — use them as dye for eggs, fabric, or paper; add them to candles (I’d use soy wax rather than old candles); add them to soap; make wood look weathered; add to a salt scrub (I probably wouldn’t recommend the lemon EO she used, as most citrus oils are photosensitizing, including lemon.)

Winter Squash Rinds

• use as candle molds

Corn Cobs, Silks, & Husks

• make corn syrup (cobs — This  is probably not the healthiest option on this list)
• steep & drink as tea (silks — these are good for kidney stones! There’s a ton of additional herbal information here)
• dry and use to wrap tamales (husks)
• dry and use for corn-husk dolls (husks)

Melon or Pumpkin Seeds

• roast them (I love the flavoring options Chrystal offers; another option here, says it tastes like Doritos) 
  We’re used to doing this with pumpkin seeds, but you can also roast other squash seeds (like acorn or butternut) or watermelon, honeydew, cantaloupe seeds.  For extra salty flavor, brine the seeds first.

Broccoli or Cauliflower Stems/Leaves

• Broccoli stems are edible.  Peel them before use.
• Broccoli or cauliflower leaves are also edible.  Toss them in salad or cook like any other greens.
• add to broth

Beet/Turnip Greens

• cook as you would any other greens

Watermelon Rind

• pickle it (here’s a sweet alternative)
• make jelly

Bread Crusts

• dry them, then run through the blender to make bread crumbs
• cut them up, season them, and dry to make croutons

Cherry Pits

• make vinegar or syrup
• use as filler in a heating pad

Peach/Apricot Pits

• make vinegar or syrup
• make jelly
• grind and use as exfoliant in scrubs
• craft with them — make rings, buttons, etc.
• use as vase filler

Apple & Other Fruit Seeds

• using a needle, string them like beads

Avocado Pit

• sprout it and plant an avocado tree
• dye with it (& the skin — dyes PINK!)
• add it to a smoothie
• grind it and use as exfoliant in a scrub