What you see: Moldy cheese. What it is: Moldy cheese!Eat or toss: Discard soft cheese with any amount of mold. A small amount of mold on a hard cheese can be
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Sweet potato with a white, “web-like” pattern
What you see: A sweet potato with white, spiderweb-like patches inside. You're particularly likely to see this in older sweet potatoes that have sprouted. What
Waffle tacos use up lots of kitchen extras!
I’m a sucker for tamales, but have never been interested in the work it takes to make them. So I’m always on the lookout for recipes that are easy, but evoke
Cauliflower with brown core and internal cracks or gaps
What you see: Your cauliflower’s core is firm, but has some hollow areas or an internal crack; the core may also be brown. The florets of the cauliflower may
Do this with leftover sushi
Usually, leftovers are a win for the next day’s lunch or dinner. But with sushi? Ehhh. As someone who’s waste averse, I used to find it oddly stressful to
Onion with a green bit in the middle
What you see: Something greenish at the center of your white or yellow onion. What it is: The beginnings of a sprout!Eat or toss: Eat! As a sprout gets bigger
Basil with black spots
What you see: Distinct black spots on your basil. What it is: Likely the work of a hungry microbe. Eat or toss: Leaves with black spots, eeeehhh… I’m
The recipes that helped me save the most food in 2025
Whoaaa… it’s almost 2026! But before we dive into a new year, a year when hopefully we’ll all waste less food (hoping!), I’m taking a minute to review the
18 ideas for using up extra coconut
For some of us (like me!) shredded coconut is one of those ingredients you get for one recipe and then forget about forever. No more! Assess how much coconut
White webbing near top of bell pepper
What you see: Something like a cobweb on the top of your pepper.What it is: The work of a spider!Eat or toss: Wipe it off and eat. Don’t be too surprised if the
Pink in McIntosh Apple?
What you see: Random patches of reddish pink INSIDE your apple. What it is: Bonus apple pigments!Eat or toss: Eat! This apple is quirky, but still fine to
Clear-out-the-kitchen oatmeal cookies, aka chametz cookies
Let's say you want to clear out your kitchen of various odds and ends AND you want cookies. Enter: Clear-out-the-kitchen oatmeal cookies. I also call these
Gray patches on basil
What you see: Your fresh basil has grayish areas; in extreme cases, much of it may look black. What it is: Chilling injury. The basil was stored in a too-cold
How to tell if food has freezer burn
What you see/taste: Dry, whitish, grayish or light brownish patches on your frozen food that can't be wiped away. You could also see noticeable shrinking or
Do ice crystals mean food has freezer burn?
What you see: Unexpected ice crystals, or maybe something that looks like a snowdrift on your frozen food.What it is: Frost!Eat or toss: In many cases, eat! If
How long can you leave food in the freezer?
So, how long will that frozen food last in your freezer? It seems like a straightforward question, but it actually depends on many, many factors. My quick
