I am a man who seriously does not appreciate all the "filler" added to various foods in the name of more production to drive down the cost so that the profits can be increased. I once heard that certain "nuggets of chicken" may been using Styrofoam as a filler and certain "burgers" may have been using Kangaroo meat. If those claims are true, I find such to be unacceptable, especially when it is done unbeknownst to the consumer. If you want to feed me Kangaroo, then put it on the menu and if I desire to consume it, I'll let you know.

However, in the world of making good, healthy food and making more of it, this is one easy "food hack" that allows you to make a whole lot more sauce or salsa just by adding one simple ingredient.

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I first heard of this idea some years back when I ran into a man at a supercenter. His cart was overflowing with canning items; jars, vinegar, pickling salt, etc... I thought, "Now this is a man that I have to meet." It looked like he actually may have cleared out a lot of the items from the canning section, which is a lot of items. If my memory is accurate, he may have even had two carts, but I definitely remember one cart completely overfilled.

We talked briefly about things like growing our own food and self-sufficiency, and he happened to mention an incredible idea that I had never heard of before. He let me know how to "stretch" salsas and sauces. I've tried it multiple times since, and it has always seemed to work very well, so you have my personal approval of this method. The best part is that you only have to add one ingredient to the sauce or salsa to stretch it.

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THE SECRET INGREDIENT : ZUCCHINI

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Since Zucchini is a great garden plant that is low in Saturated Fat, Cholesterol, and Sodium, and a good, natural source of Vitamin C, Vitamin B6 and Potassium, I do not find this to be worthless additive just to "bulk up" a batch. Rather, it is simply a healthy addition. I know that adding Zucchini to a pasta or spaghetti sauce may sound a little more reasonable than adding it to a salsa, but it actually works very well in both.

Zucchini is great summer squash with many culinary options when they are young and smaller, but those BIG Zucchinis that suddenly appear in the garden are often a little harder to use. Zucchini Bread is a great option, and it sure is delicious. My mother makes a good deal of it each summer and we sure appreciate being able to enjoy it. Now, because of this simple food hack, we have another option for using giant zucchini.

Zucchini works well to stretch sauces and salsas because it takes on the flavor of what it is added to. I just wash them and throw them in a blender, and then mix them into the pot. Last night I made the first batch of salsa for the year (most likely there will be many more to come, after all, I'm @papa-pepper). Since we had some larger Zucchinis that were not designated for any upcoming meal, I figured I'd stretch my salsa, and clue you in.

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This is the pot of salsa after adding in three medium sized Zucchinis. I even left about half of the dark green skin on the Zucchinis when I was blending them. (The man who shared this idea with me gave me no specific instruction; he only exposed me to the general concept). The salsa still tasted amazing, and it didn't seem to be lacking anything. Plus, it was still red.

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Also, by adding the three Zucchinis to the mix, I turned what would have been about four pints worth of salsa into just over eight. Yeah, I kept the same great flavor and doubled the final amount. As a man with six mouths to feed (including me) this is some good news.

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Give it a try sometime and see what you think.

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Not only is it a cheaper way to get a lot more sauce or salsa, it's a creative and fun way to get a bigger return on your garden investment. If my family needs eight jars of salsa and I only make four, that's four that I still have to buy. I'd rather use this food hack and take care of it myself, at home with the family.

proof-of zucchini