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.
I agree that extra food, for whatever reason you have it, is a blessing, but it tends to stress me out. I want to avoid waste if I can, and the thought of something lurking at the back of the fridge until it goes bad haunts me. If I can share some of my bounty, it's helpful.
ReplyDeleteMy FIL shares his extra tomatoes with a local homeless shelter. I wonder if that would be a possibility for you with some of your garden produce?
I haven't tried this, but it sounds yummy and versatile--would it be useful to you? https://www.loveandlemons.com/roasted-garlic-recipe/#wprm-recipe-container-52561
Hi Kris,
Deletei do share some with our older neighbors. Most of what I've grown hasn't looked all that great, so I will usually make something from our produce to share, like jam or quick breads.
The roasted garlic sounds like a perfect use for some of my bounty. I will give that a try this weekend. Thank you for the suggestion, Kris!
I try to preserve whatever food I have excessive of mostly by freezing but it's rarely fresh food. It is more prepared meals that we don't want to eat for several days in a row. I prefer to freeze them in portion sizes for a future busy day. I don't have my dad anymore who would give me garden veggies but I still have some in the freezer that he have me last year but that is dwindling. Getting older and now mostly just two of us, I don't have to need to have a freezer full of preserved things. We really eat very little at meals so putting away portions in freezer portions is better. I no longer have a huge grocery list either. Mostly I pick up a few things here and there.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Kris, that perhaps you could donate some produce to a local food pantry or something like that. Dad used to do that in his town and they accepted what he grew.
Alice
Hi Alice,
DeleteRecently, my husband and I had a hint at what being a household of two will be like. Both daughters were gone for two weeks. It just seemed like we had so many leftovers. I froze as much as I could, kept bread in the fridge so it wouldn't grow mold, and we basically ate leftovers (sometimes re-created) most days. We're back to four again, but one daughter isn't eating the same foods for a couple of days, so dinner tonight was difficult to judge how much to make. That daughter had her wisdom teeth extracted this morning. She's doing okay, but sticking to super soft foods.
I think donating food to a local pantry is such a great idea. A lot of my garden produce looks subpar, but we don't mind. We're used to slug holes and deformed looking peppers. But if we do get a lot of zucchini, I will see if our church's pantry will take some. Thank you for the suggestion, Alice!
If you have more in your garden you can reasonably handle, the food banks around here are happy to have produce in the summer. Also, I know we have people at church who bring extra produce and just put it out for anyone to take. Senior centers also really appreciate produce in the summer for their participants. Many don't live in a place where they can garden anymore. Or you could do like our neighbor used to do--leave veggies on our porch early in the morning before we could say that we didn't need any more zucchini or whatnot. :) Actually, we always appreciated his gifts.
ReplyDeleteHi Live and Learn,
DeleteI'm known as the "jam lady" in our neighborhood. A couple of times per summer I make the rounds of the neighbor's houses and leave a jar of homemade jam with a note on doorsteps. Our old church was a smaller one and people often brought in boxes of homegrown fruit to leave for anyone to take some home. I loved that about that church. If any of my vegetables look worthy enough for the food pantry, I'll see if our church's pantry will take it. Thanks for the suggestion!
I'm sure your neighbors are happy to see the Jam Lady coming. :)
DeleteLive and Learn, do you live in the South? Sneaking zucchini onto neighbors porches, leaving it hanging on mailboxes, or hiding it in unlocked cars is such a southern thing.
ReplyDeleteLili, I’ve been doing a lot of dehydrating lately. Stores great in glass jars, takes up less space, and I don’t have to worry about freezers conking out. You can dry your garlic, grind it and make garlic powder. We donate a lot of different dried herbs to the food bank with little pieces of paper stating what it is and how to use it. Herbs and seasonings are pretty expensive and not in a lot of people’s budgets, but they can make plain and simple food taste so much better.
Have you ever thought about starting a little farm stand at your house to sell some of your extra veggies, bread and jams? People would love to buy your homemade hamburger and hot dog buns. Not everyone can make it to traditional farmers markets during the set hours but love the little honor system farm stands. Annie
Hi Annie,
DeleteThank you for your suggestions. That's a really good idea to dry the garlic. And I love the idea of donating dried herbs to the food pantry.
I'm thinking on how I could set up an honor system stand at the edge of the driveway. Thanks for the encouragement.
We have the little farm stands everywhere here in the country. Sometimes it’s as simple as a table with an umbrella over it or a baker’s rack (you can find them all the time at Goodwill). Sometimes just a large cooler with a sign leaning against it 😀. If you have a neighborhood Facebook page you can post and let people know what day/time breads will be available, or what seasonal products you have each week. Include some of your lovely flowers. People love being able to buy little bouquets of fresh flowers instead of the overpriced ones at the grocery store. For your preserves, set a price and offer $.50 discount on the next jar if they return the empty. Jars, rings and lids are pricey and this helps offset your cost, gives them an incentive to recycle, and brings them back for more purchases. I know recently you were thinking of ideas for some additional income post retirement. You already have so many skills that would naturally translate to this type venture while providing a great service to your neighborhood. Plus, there’s always porch pickup. You can post what’s available, along with prices, have folks Venmo you payment and have an agreed upon pickup time. Possibilities are endless. Annie
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