Why you don’t need to throw out veg that’s about to go off

How often do you open the fridge, see some veg that’s a bit past its best and casually chuck it in the bin?

We’ve all done it.

But it makes no sense, particularly if you’re struggling with money and trying to keep costs down.

Most veg that looks a bit sad is still perfectly usable - and turning it into other meals could save you more money than you think.

Make a vegetable soup

Add your veg to some boiling water, throw in a stock cube and leave on the boil for about 20 to 30 minutes.

Then throw it in the blender and that’s it - you’ve got vegetable soup made of food you were about to throw out.

You don’t even need a recipe - just about any combination works once the blender has worked its magic.

Chuck it in a curry

Curries are the perfect dish for hiding veg that’s gone slightly soft.

Fry up your veg with some curry paste or powder and add a tin of tomatoes or coconut milk and you’ve suddenly got a cheap, tasty and healthy vegetable curry.

Depending on how much curry you make, you could even put aside a few servings and put in the freezer for a later date.

Make a pasta sauce

Cook the veg down with a tin of tomatoes, chuck in some garlic or herbs, and you’ve instantly got a tasty pasta sauce.

You can serve it as it is, or blend it if you want a nice smooth sauce with your pasta, which could be ideal if you want to hide vegetables from fussy kids.

Roast your veg

If your veg isn’t as fresh as you’d like it, chop it up and place it on an oven tray.

Add a little oil, salt and pepper, and put in the oven for about 25 to 35 minutes.

You’ve then got delicious roasted veg that you can serve in countless ways, maybe with a chicken breast, pasta or in a wrap.

Freeze veg for future meals

If you have veg that’s going soft, just chop it up and put it in a freezer bag or container.

Then label it so you know what it is and bung it in the freezer.

You can then throw it in other meals like soup, curry, stir fry or pasta sauce at your leisure.

Create homemade stock

Keep a bag in your freezer and add leftover veg to it, as well as odds and ends like carrot peelings and onion ends.

Once the bag is full, tip the frozen scraps into a large pan, cover them with water and bring it to the boil.

Leave to simmer for about 30 to 45 minutes and then pour the liquid through a sieve or colander into another pan or bowl.

You can throw the cooked veg scraps away and keep the liquid - that’s your stock and it didn’t cost you a thing.

Add it to soups, stews or sauces, or let it cool and put in the freezer so it’s there when you need it later.

When should I throw veg out?

Vegetables are still fine to use if they’re soft, wrinkly and going a bit brown.

You only need to chuck them if they’re mouldy, slimy or smell bad.

But if you follow our tips, you won’t ever have to worry about this happening in your fridge.