{"id":168,"date":"2015-08-25T16:41:32","date_gmt":"2015-08-25T16:41:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ivaluefood.com\/resources\/?post_type=take-action&p=168"},"modified":"2017-08-08T19:30:15","modified_gmt":"2017-08-08T19:30:15","slug":"10-ways-to-use-extra-garden-vegetables","status":"publish","type":"take-action","link":"https:\/\/ivaluefood.com\/resources\/take-action\/10-ways-to-use-extra-garden-vegetables\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Ways to Use Extra Garden Vegetables"},"content":{"rendered":"

Got a bumper crop of veggies on your hands? Here’s how to make sure none of it goes to waste.<\/h1>\n
\n

By Amanda Bergman<\/p>\n

If your garden did well this year, there\u2019s only so much tomato sauce you can make and so many zucchini breads you can freeze before you realize there\u2019s just no way you\u2019re going to be able to eat your garden\u2019s bounty by yourself. Thankfully, there are many of ways to make good use of the surplus, from donating to food pantries to composting it for new soil for your garden. After all,\u00a0the average American wastes over 20 pounds of food each month<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 don\u2019t let your overflowing garden add even more to this number!<\/p>\n

1. Make veggie-filled goodie bags.<\/strong>
\nHaving friends or family over? Fill paper or plastic bags with garden-fresh veggies and hand them out as your guests leave. Email them your favorite recipes for cooking inspiration or tuck printed cards in each bag.<\/p>\n

2. Preserve your pickings.<\/strong>
\nIt takes time and effort to prep and process fruits and vegetables, but you\u2019ll be rewarded with peak-flavor results all year long.\u00a0Canning whole or chopped veggies<\/a>\u00a0is\u00a0one option<\/a>, but you can also\u00a0freeze<\/a>\u00a0many items\u00a0even tomatoes<\/a>\u00a0with very minimal preparation. Other food preservation options include\u00a0quick pickling<\/a>,\u00a0fermenting<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0dehydrating<\/a>.<\/p>\n

3. Donate to a local food pantry.<\/strong>
\nNot all food panties can accept fresh produce. To find one in your area that does, start by searching\u00a0ampleharvest.org<\/a>. Or, find a food rescue group in your area through our Food Rescue Locator<\/a>.<\/p>\n

4. Start a produce stand in your front yard.<\/strong>
\nA simple \u201cFREE\u201d sign taped to a basket or table of zucchini, tomatoes and peppers will help your veggies find good homes. If you have a lockbox you can secure to the table, you could even solicit donations in exchange for the vegetables and deliver the proceeds to a food pantry. TIP: Want to get your neighbors in on a collaborative growing effort next year? Check out\u00a0Food Is Free<\/a>\u00a0for steps to get started.<\/p>\n

Take the Challenge:<\/span> Learn easy ways to waste less food and save money.<\/a><\/div>\n

5. Add a listing to a local crop-swap site.<\/strong>
\nRipe Near Me<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Cropmobster<\/a>\u00a0(San Francisco area only so far) allow users to browse for available produce (for free or sale) right in their neighborhoods. Or sign up for\u00a0Nextdoor<\/a>, a social networking site for neighborhoods, to let your neighbors know you have food to share.<\/p>\n

6. Post ads on\u00a0Freecycle<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0Craigslist<\/a>.<\/strong>
\nThere\u2019s generally always going to be a taker for free produce from these sites. You could offer to meet people with a selection of harvested items in a convenient public place if you\u2019d rather not share your home address.<\/p>\n

7. Cook a meal for a neighbor in need.<\/strong>
\nMaybe you\u2019re sick of\u00a0ratatouille<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0eggplant parmesan<\/a>, but the elderly man a few houses down or the family who just had a baby would absolutely love a home-cooked meal featuring the flavorful products of your garden.<\/p>\n

8. Barter for goods and services.<\/strong>
\nYou might have to ask around, but odds are you\u2019ll find people nearby who will be happy to swap a few eggplant for a dozen eggs from their backyard coop, or trade other items or services (like weeding or watering assistance!) in exchange for garden-fresh produce.<\/p>\n

9. Deliver a box to your local volunteer fire department.<\/strong>
\nThey have to cook for a big group of hungry firefighters multiple times a day, so your surplus will likely be much appreciated by the chef! Call ahead to verify what they might be able to use.<\/p>\n

10. Compost it.<\/strong>
\nIf you\u2019ve exhausted all your other options, or have let the produce get past the point of edible ripeness, you can\u00a0transform leftover fruits and veggies into a nutritious soil for your next growing season<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-168","take-action","type-take-action","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ivaluefood.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/take-action\/168"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ivaluefood.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/take-action"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ivaluefood.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/take-action"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ivaluefood.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=168"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}