When Using What You Have Collides With Incoming More

Part of good stewardship is using what's been given to you. Not wasting means there will be more for another day or for someone or something else.

I think we can all relate to the occasional surplus beyond our comfort zone. Maybe we didn't plan well. Perhaps we've been gifted part of someone else's bounty. Or perhaps our circumstances changed and made it difficult to use what we'd acquired. Another possibility is a garden that has overproduced, leaving us with a glut of one or two vegetables. Whatever the reason, when that surplus comes face to face with a new supply, it can be difficult to not look a gift horse in the mouth.

I am grateful for our vegetable garden bounty. I really am. Right now, however, we've still got a surplus in fresh and frozen vegetables while the new crop is about to come in. And I don't want to face my no-waste mindset with even more.

I have a 5-lb bag of garlic bulbs still to use, and my garlic is beginning to show signs it will die back soon. I have a gallon-sized freezer bag of garden celery left from last year. It's mostly celery leaves, which makes using it take longer. (Celery leaves have a stronger taste than celery stalks.) I still have many jars of jam and preserves to use up, and I haven't made a single batch of jam or preserves this season.

For the most part we've used up most of what we put away for the off-season. But I do find myself scrambling to use the surpluses we do have as fast as I can.

The old-time sensibility would say to go ahead and put up (in whatever manner possible) what comes in this season, as you never know whether or not you'll have a bounty in the next season. And I think that's just what I'll do. If I have a big harvest of garlic later in August, and I haven't used last season's supply, I'll find a way to preserve the new stuff.

Chances are, we'll mostly use our surpluses between now and new harvests. But I will need to prioritize using these foods and de-prioritize buying a lot of fresh produce in the meantime.

Having an abundance of food is a blessing. Ultimately, recognizing this blessing shifts my perspective from simple consumption to deep gratitude. I am reminded that this abundance is not of my own work, but has been given to me. It's up to me to decide if I will squander this gift in wastefulness or be mindful of using every last bit. I believe that demonstrating my gratitude hinges on taking care to use it all.