Too soft for salad, just fine for sauce
The other night I cooked up a tragic, inedible version of Gluten-Free Paleo Eggplant Parmigiana. I returned from a trip and discovered some eggplants that were clearly past their prime. They smelled okay, but the flesh was grey and had a wet, rubbery texture in many spots. Used them anyway. The slices would not give up their moisture, no matter how much salting and frying I applied. Used them anyway. The resultant eggplant parm was like eating a fishing boot.
Over ripe avocados are another item that isn’t worth salvaging. Once the fruits go from soft to wrinkled, the flesh inside turns brown and wooden. Serve your guests a guacamole made with these avocados and they will spit it out. And red lettuce! Have you noticed that the bits of red lettuce in a mesclun mix go bad before everything else? I used to hand-pick them out but have recently decided it’s not worth the bother. If you advertise a spring mix without red lettuce, I will pay a premium for it.
Red bell peppers, on the other hand, are perfectly usable for roasting after they become wrinkled and even develop a spot of mold or two. Cut out the bad parts and roast as usual and they will be fine. And what of squishy tomatoes or flaccid carrots and celery? Excise any moldy bits and parts that have turned to mush and make sauces or stocks with the rest. Also, even the limpest head of celery has a treat lurking at the base. Slice off the bottom then slice again one inch or so up the salt, and you have a crunchy, healthy snack.
Onions tend to age unevenly inside. One layer will turn yellow and stink, but the layers above and below it are fine. Take it apart, then wash and use the good layers as an ingredient. Dried up garlic has an unappetizing texture, but can be heated slowly in oil to flavor it, then discarded.
Even after lemons, limes, oranges and other citrus fruit have turned soft and maybe developed a spot of mold, the juice inside is still viable. Squeeze it out and refrigerate and it will be usable for several more days.
Cabbage will keep for months in the refrigerator; I stock up when it’s on sale around St. Patrick’s Day then eat through my supply as a base for recipes like Vincent’s Garlic Cole Slaw. Simply peel off the outer layers till you get to one that’s fresh and not wilted or discolored.
Bananas are, of course, the queen of spoiled food because they aren’t really good to eat till they start to go bad. I like to take them to the very brink and then make Leftover Banana Bread, which also utilizes that extra can of Eagle Brand condensed milk you didn’t put into a pie.
What are your favorite rotten foods? Tips and usage suggestions would be appreciated.
