Nothing Wasted- Potatoes
I have written about things that I do to make little to no waste, when I can.
As most of you know I am living off grid, and working towards self sustainability.
Enter the potato!
We eat about 150 pounds of potatoes over the course of the winter months.
Because of the limited space that I have, I grow only 25 pounds myself, and go to a nearby farm to buy the rest.
We prefer the red potatoes. I feel that there are more nutrients, and that they are less genetically modified.
I like that I can support local farmers, opposed to a potato that travels thousands of kilometers to your plate.
I am not a potato expert, just my ideas and thoughts. :)
Eating the potatoes!
We love them as a sidedish, anyway that they are prepared!
I also make perogies, stuffed with potatoey bacony cheesey goodness!!
We eat potato bread. There was a time, many years ago, that my son and I had very little to eat. I remember sending him fishing, making it fun for him, and praying that he could catch our dinner. An elderly gentleman came by one day with the biggest box of the smallest potatoes I had ever seen. There was at least 50 pounds in there. He said that they were too small to sell and his wife didn't like them that small. He knew. I knew he knew. His wife enclosed a potato bread recipe, and the rest is history. I will never forget their kindness.
When the potatoes are starting to look like they will sprout, I preserve as many as I can in the spring. They are amazing for quick potato salad on those really hot summer days. Its a win win for me!!
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Potato Skins!
I usually cook potatoes with the skins on, but sometimes they are so dirty, that I just peel them. I dry those peels and add them to the fireplace. The potassium in the peels, helps keep the pipes clean.
Sprouted potatoes!
Every year, no matter how hard I try, there are always sprouted potatoes.
Of course I cut off the eyes, and I store them in damp shredded newspaper until they can be planted outside. That is what I use to grow the potatoes that we harvest in the fall.
So that is how we make the most of our potatoes.
I know that it is simple, but so many things go to waste. We have a vermi-composter, but they really don't care for the peels. Potatoes even grow in there!!
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What do you do so that there is nothing wasted?
I didn't know that about the potato skins and the chimney! Huh!
I am pretty close to zero waste, but not scrupulous about it (that's good for my mental health; the OCD can still rear it's head on occasion). The vast majority of my waste is kitty litter scooping. In second place is tissues from when I run out of handkerchiefs, but I just bought a box of 8 to add to the four I had sewed, so there will be less of that now. I have allergies, there is a lot of nose blowing in my life. 😂 What's left in the trash is just odds and ends after that, especially now that I have a compost system going!
I've lived in this apartment for over ten years, and in that time I bought one box of tiny size trash bags; I still have one from that box, lol. I use whatever packaging happens my way: the bag from toilet roll, or kitty kibble, for example, and that's enough to contain my trash. So I think I'm doing okay.
I use an old cloth shopping bag whose handle broke to hold my recycleables, and probably fill it once a week or so, in addition.
THAT! IS AWESOME!!
I put the litter in the composting toilet! LOL Kleenex composts! :) I love that you are leaing a zero carbon footprint!! That is incredible in my eyes!!!
Well, I'm not zero carbon, but doing a lot better than your average American! LOL I actually did a survey from an old Sierra magazine just recently, and I believe I came in just shy of half the carbon footprint of an average American; once I get my tiny house, which is the goal, I will be near a quarter. Which still would be more than one Earth if everyone lived that way!! I've been thinking of making a post about that quiz, it's really interesting. My current apartment gets points for being in a big building, but it's in the middle category for being 600some square feet, and it's really inefficient as far as insulation and such goes. Drafts, I have drafts. 😂
would love that post on the quiz! We are working towards zero here. Getting closer every day! :)
How great that you want a tiny home. Ours is 16x16. Looking to go small earthship one day :)
I love earthships, too. I would be happy with an earthship, a cob house, a tiny house on wheels or foundation ...I just want a small space I can handle!
Potatoes and bread where the two hardest things for me to give up when I became diabetic. Occasionally I take an "off the diet" day and allow myself that one day to eat my comfort foods, lol.
I do hope things are better for you now. I understand the pain your experiences sending your son fishing. I went through a period when my son was young and we had gotten away from his father. I had to go shoplifting at least once a month to make sure he did not go hungry part of the month.
Keep your chin up! I am adding this to the Sotall Directory and will post again from the Sotall account when it is finished.
They are certainly comfort foods!! Things are amazingly better! living the way that we do now, brings us closer to our food source. It reminds me that people can be so kind! Its amazing that we live through, often keeping it hidden.
Thank you for the directory post! That is a great resource!!
What a kindness your neighbour showed! You have reminded me to plant potatoes. Beetroot is one of my favourites as you can eat the tops as well as roast them and pickle them... a great vegie to make the most of. I didn't know that about the potassium in potato skins cleaning the pipes!!!
He was my christmas miracle! :) I am so not a fan of beets, they taste like dirt LOL BUT I do love the tops!! and they make an amazing dye!! My mom used to pickle them. Always n the table for christmas dinner!
Good memories!
Potato 🥔 skin look yummy
My family loves potatoes, so I never have enough left to preserve lol We do occasionally have sprouts that get planted, but I am like you, no waste ever!
I know that feeling!!! LOL I am so glad there are people out there that think like us!!
Nifty! I would have never thought of the peels for the fire place! We usually just compost everythin we can lol
I say wooohooo! for compost! Nothing wasted!!
You're gonna love my upcycled trash thrones once I post them LOL! I found some lawn chairs in a dumpster and decided to use plastic bags to weave into them and fix the broken fabric parts. I am experimenting right now with different patterns, but I will make a video sometime soon when I have Wifi again.
I am looking forward to it!! I love it!! I have a couple chairs that i need to repair! Looking forward to seeing how you do it!
Once I get my technique down better and have some more down time with Wifi I will get a video up. I got one done and am working on figuring out how to finish/cast off with out it unraveling. Might just have to melt the ends down.
I made potato bread for many years, every other day. Then I had to give up wheat and that was that.
wih i could get my hands on some einkorn wheat. the REAL wheat! Then we could all enjoy it again!
I tried einkorn, as there is a breeder/grower right near me. It lasted 1 week and the symptoms returned, so no wheat for me.
Darn! No wheat for you! :( how did you found the einkorn? To bake with?
I can't recall, it was many years back. I've been using millet with decent results for most things.
That is so good to know. Always good to have a back up plan. Rice is our gluten free go to, but results can often be iffy. And now, all the arsenic in rice. Will look into millet. :) must grow around here somewhere!!
I tried rice, and oatmeal flour and did not like the results from either. So it's been millet for a long time now.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge! This post has been added to our growing directory of Steemit "how to" posts for the Homesteading/Survival/Foraging/Prepper communities. Your post is helping people learn to survive and thrive now and in the future!
Thank you so much for sharing, I am so grateful to contribute!!!
I never thought about that chimney trick. Thanks! I always use them for my compost pile.
Zero waste is zero waste! Woohoooo!! Love it!