Imperfect Produce
By some estimates, as much as half of all produce grown in the U.S. is discarded or used to feed the livestock because of appearance. This is a tremendous waste. But, thankfully, someone stepped in to fill the gap.
Imperfect Produce is a company dedicated to bringing you produce that might have slight cosmetic imperfections. And yet, perfectly delicious to eat. It is a subscription service, so fruits and vegetables are delivered to your doorstep. Your order is customizable to fit your wants and needs. There’s also an organic version.
They’ve also put together a pretty awesome resource page that has everything from a Grocery Storage Guide to How to Build a Better Pantry. See the full resource page here.
As awareness grows around food waste, hopefully, there will be other companies who step in with similar business models.
If you don’t want to commit to a weekly subscription, check with your grocery store about discounted fruits and vegetables. Many local, non-chain, grocery stores sell slightly imperfect fruits and vegetables at a significant discount. Everything is perfectly fine to eat, something might be just a tad overripe and needs to be eaten or cooked immediately. During the summer, you’ll see them discount boxes of peaches or tomatoes that are considered too ripe to sell by the pound but they will be perfect to cook, can, or bake with.
Here are a couple of easy recipes to help you use some of the produce bounties.