Reduce Food Waste with This Flavorful Hack
My mother always said, “Waste not, want not.” I don’t know about you, but throwing away food makes me cringe. That once-delicious food cost money, effort, and time—why waste it? Have you ever reached the end of the week, stared at your leftover vegetables, and wondered what to do? You don’t want them to go to waste, but they’re just sitting there, judging you.
A Smart Way to Reduce Food Waste
Being a good steward of your home and budget means not letting food rot in the fridge or on the shelf. I always feel guilty when I toss out spoiled food. It’s like throwing money straight into the trash. That doesn’t make sense, right?
A few years ago, I came up with a simple way to prevent that guilt: a homemade seasoning blend. It keeps veggies from going to waste, sneaks extra nutrition into meals, and adds delicious flavor. My child, like most, would rather eat something fun than a pile of veggies. This trick lets me sneak them in—no complaints!
Meet Mom’s Seasoning Blend
I call it “Mom’s Seasoning Blend” because, well… I’m a mom, and I made it! The recipe changes every week based on what’s leftover. I used to call it “dehydrated veggie broth,” but that lacked pizzazz. While the original method involved making broth and dehydrating the pulp, this version skips that step. Instead, I use roughly chopped raw vegetables, though there’s plenty of room for creativity.
Each batch of seasoning blend tastes slightly different, thanks to the variety of vegetables used. If you love consistency, measure everything precisely. But if you, like me, just want to use up extra produce, don’t stress! The magic of this recipe is that it always turns out great.
How to Make Your Own Seasoning Blend
- Gather all your leftover vegetables from the week or after batch cooking.
- Choose veggies that would work well in a broth—carrots, onions, garlic, celery, peppers, mushrooms, etc.
- Dehydrate them thoroughly. You’ll know they’re ready when they’re crisp and brittle. Anything rubbery could turn your jar into a science experiment. (We want tasty seasoning, not a moldy surprise.)
- Once dried, blend them into a powder or small flakes.
- Store in an airtight jar and use on salads, rice, potatoes, savory oats, pasta, and more.
Some veggies, like beets, lettuce, or kale, might be better dehydrated separately. I store my dehydrated kale in a Mason jar and sprinkle it on savory oatmeal. You could toss it into smoothies if that’s your thing. There are endless ways to use up extra vegetables without wasting a single bite!
Extra Flavor, Less Waste
One of my favorite ways to use this seasoning blend? Sprinkle it on zucchini slices before dehydrating them into chips. They disappear in a day—seriously, they’re that good!
Try this out and let me know how you use it! What tweaks did you make to fit your family’s tastes and lifestyle? Drop your thoughts in the comments—I’d love to hear them!
Chef Tips
- *You may want to use some type of non-stick silpat or parchment paper for wet vegetables like tomatoes.
- *You do not have to have a dehydrator for this recipe. You can use your oven on the lowest setting. Watch to prevent burning. Or you can use the old-fashioned method of dehydrating: screens and the power of the sun.
- *Dehydration time will vary depending on the type of vegetable drying, the size and thickness of the pieces being dehydrated, and temperature used to dehydrate vegetables. You will want to make sure the vegetables are chopped about the same size.
- *In my experience, broccoli and cauliflower are not good choices, but by all means, experiment!
- * Finished product will turn out slightly different each time unless you precisely measure ingredients which defeats the purpose of using vegetables before they go bad.
Get a Dehydrator and Start Saving
Want to make this even easier? Grab a high-quality dehydrator on Amazon to turn extra veggies into flavorful seasoning with minimal effort. It’s a kitchen game-changer! Here are a few of my favorites:
- Commercial Large 10 Trays Food Dehydrator, Usable Area up to 17ft², 1000W Detachable Full Stainless Steel Dryer Machine, up to 190℉ Temperature, for Meat, Fruit, Beef, Herbs, and Pet Food
- COSORI Food Dehydrator for Jerky, 10 Trays, 16.2ft² Drying Space, 165°F Temperature Control, 48H Timer, 1000W Dehydrator Machine, Stainless Steel, for Herbs, Fruit, Meat, and Yogurt, Silver
- Magic Mill Pro Food Dehydrator Machine | 10 Stainless Steel Trays | Dryer for Jerky, Dog Treats, Herb, Meat, Beef, Fruit | Keep Warm Function, Digital Timer and Temperature Control, ETL Approved
- Excalibur Electric Food Dehydrator with 9-Tray Adjustable Thermostat for Jerky, Fruit, Vegetables, Herbs, Meat, and Dog Treats, Accurate Temperature Control, Fast Drying, 600W, 9-Tray, Black
- Excalibur EXC10EL Electric Food Dehydrator Machine with 99-Hour Timer, Automatic Shut Off and Temperature Control, 600 W, 10 Trays, Silver
Also, be sure to check out my other articles and recipes for more ways to reduce food waste and eat healthier!
Health Benefits of the Daniel Fast: A Biblical Diet Explained(Opens in a new browser tab)
Heart Knowledge of God vs. Head Knowledge Explained(Opens in a new browser tab)
How to Make Whole Wheat Bread in a Bread Machine(Opens in a new browser tab)
Mom’s Seasoning Blend
Ingredients
Any vegetable that would work good in a vegetable broth in any quantity that you have. The following are all good choices.
- Garlic Scapes
- Garlic
- Onions and their green tops
- Celery
- Peppers
- Tomatoes
- Carrots
- Herbs
- Lemon or zest
- Salt optional
Instructions
- Roughly chop vegetables. They don’t have to be small, but they do have to fit into a blender or coffee/herb grinder once dehydrated.
- Dehydrate.
- Pulverize into a powder.
- Strain powder into a Mason Jar for storage. Re-pulverize any larger pieces.
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