What you see: A large, knob-like protrusion on your apple. It’s woody, corky or rough. The flesh underneath it looks perfectly fine. What it is: Probably a
Articles
Fuzzy cauliflower?
What you see: Your cauliflower looks...fuzzy? Not like a patch of mold, but something else…What it is: The cauliflower is over mature or experienced challenging
Dark, dented spots on apple?
What you see: Sunken dark spots on an apple. The skin still appears smooth.What it is: A number of issues can cause sunken areas on otherwise smooth apple skin,
Share your waste-fighting kitchen adventures and earn $$
It’s on! The Food Waste Prevention Week Cooking Challenge is open! Rachael Jackson (that's me!), EatOrToss's founding editor is a judge and co-director of this
Very odd lump inside egg
What you see: A beige clump in your egg.What it is: A tumor, yeek.Eat or toss: We can’t imagine anyone wanting to eat it. We also can’t, however, identify any
Food waste lesson plans and activity books for kids
There are also some great resources out there for helping kids learn about why food waste is problematic and how their daily choices can bring about meaningful
A low-waste kids birthday party: How we hosted my 4-year-old’s bash & didn’t need to take out the garbage afterward
Waste and kids birthday parties can go hand in hand, but they don’t have to. Last summer, I wrote an article for The Washington Post outlining ways to celebrate
Virtual tour of a lab that studies apples
Many of the posts on EatOrToss are written after interviews and email exchanges with scientists who study fruits, vegetables and other foods. I was thrilled
Dark, raised bumps on egg shell
What you see: Some dark brown spots on your light brown egg. They don’t look like dirt or manure, but don’t look quite right either. They may or may not be
Corky patches on avocado skin?
What you see: Rough brown patches on the surface of your avocado. They may look a little geometric, possibly like scales. What it is: Most likely, windblown
Leaky egg yolk
What you see: A raw egg in which the yolk appears to be leaking into the clear gloop of the egg white. What it is: Something caused the membrane around the
How much kale do you need for a salad serving 10 people?
Salad is one of the trickier components of a meal to get right when you’re serving a crowd. Sure, a casserole can be frozen or reheated, but a salad? Ehhhh…. If
My 2025 Food Waste Fighting Resolutions
I think I keep my food waste pretty low, but I’m also aware of areas where I could definitely do better. My weaknesses include unusual foods, particularly
Brown flecks on string beans
What you see: Brown lines on your wax beans (or green beans or other snap beans/string beans).What it is: Pod flecking or russeting, which can have various
Gray patch on top of eggshell
What you see: The top of your egg is gray. What it is: Moisture between the shell membrane and the base of the shell.Eat or toss: The egg is fine to eat! It’s
How much food do you need for Thanksgiving – notes from our most recent gathering
One of the best ways to address food waste, at virtually every level – farm, manufacturing facility, store, restaurant, or home – is to measure it and make
