Cauliflower cores and stems don’t need to be discarded! They may seem all hard and unapproachable, but with a little coaxing in some boiling water and a nice
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A plum that’s brownish inside?
What you see: Brownish discoloration inside a plum What it is: Likely flesh browning from too-cold storage Eat or toss: The plum doesn’t taste good, right? It’s
Why did this orange turn purple?!?
What you see: An orange slice that looked normal and, many hours later, turned purple. What it is: A pigment in the orange reacted with iron on the knife used
You say mango pit? I say, let’s jam
Mangos are easily my favorite fruit to eat, and one of my least favorite to cut up. Despite myriad “hacks” offered on the internet, every technique seems to
EatOrToss’s Rachael Jackson writes about freezer safety for the Washington Post
Check out my latest in the Washington Post, about the sad day when our freezer stopped freezing and how you can avoid or mitigate your own soggy, defrosted
The tale of the roughed up plum
What you see: Rough, pockmarked plum skin with sunken areasWhat it is: Dehydration and pitting probably caused by poor storage; this plum may have also suffered
Chard stalks are perfect for hummus
A chard stalk is a silly thing to waste. It’s so pretty! And so delicious, and not terribly fibrous, which makes it especially adaptable for recipes. If you
Bumps on your eggshell
What you see: Hard, sand-like bumps or a gritty texture on your egg’s shell. What it is: Calcium carbonate deposits. Eat or toss: The egg is fine. Large
She cut open a pepper and water gushed out?!?
What you see: Water spilling out of your pepper when you slice it open What it is: It’s hard to say for certain, but if the pepper otherwise looks fine, it
Hard, white area in onion?
What you see: An onion with a thick, white “core” What it is: An especially prominent onion stem Eat or toss: Cut around the stem area; it will be too thick and
Don’t toss citrus peels! Candy them!
The first time you make candied citrus peels, you might feel like you’re somehow cheating. After all, these gummy-bear-like candies cost pennies to make, but
What can you eat in the forest? I spent a morning learning from experts
On a blue-sky day in September I went to the woods with an open mind and also, erm, an open mouth. My objective was to sample and contemplate the food that
Green areas inside your carrot?
What you see: Green inside your carrot What it is: Chlorophyll that developed after excess sun exposure Eat or toss: If it’s just a green ring, like you see
No-bake South Pole truffles
There was an lunchtime book club meeting in just a few short hours. I was about to head to work and had 20 minutes, tops, to assemble my potluck contribution. I
Yep, that greenish “dirt” on your kale is caterpillar droppings
What you see: A greenish brownish, maybe wet "dirt" on your kale leaves. What it is: Caterpillar poop. Eat or toss: If the kale is otherwise healthy looking,
Dark scratch on grapefruit
What you see: A dark, scratched-out-looking spot on your grapefruit. What it is: Probably an injury from the harvest process. Eat or toss? Eat! As long as