Saving party appetizers from the compost pile

[eridani]

I can't resist taking home the leftovers from snack tables after local meetings. Before I retired, they'd sit in the fridge to be used in a few days if I remembered them; otherwise to grow green fur.

Now I have the time to deal with them for longer term storage. Leftover mini-carrots, snap peas, broccoli and cherry tomatoes. Sliced the tomatoes in half, and cut up the carrots. Briefly blanched the mix and cooled it, and then put in small freezer bags to be used with leftover ham etc. in ramen.

The three pounds of grapes I knew neither of us would never eat before they rotted, so I looked up some recipes for fruit sauces, hoping to find something that would be suitable for flavoring plain yogurt. Variations included come recipes calling for weight per weight addition of sugar and boiling the bejeezus out of the mix, some with no sugar at all, one with cornstarch used as a thickener, some calling for pureeing and others for pushing the product through a sieve and discarding skins etc.

I decided on 2 tablespoons of sugar per 1/2 lb of grapes, and added some of the frozen OJ that I keep on hand for making dressings and sauces.

1. Mix sugar and grapes and OJ and heat on high while mashing them with a potato masher.
2. Puree in batches in blender or food processor.
3. Bring to a boil and stir for 5 minutes or so. Allow to cool.
4. Repeat step 3 a couple of times until sauce is of desired consistency.

I wound up with a sauce that tasted pretty good, and is about the consistency you find in "Fruit at bottom" yogurt single serving cups. Sieving would probably produce something clearer that could be used as a coulis or a fancier dessert topping. Thinking of getting a yogurt maker also.

Salami slices and cheese will wind up on a pizza.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

1. I think the title of the OP is scaring people!

:scared: I thought it might be an article related to dumpster diving. Glad to pleasantly surprised.

Somehow we often have have too many grapes- I guess because they are pre-bagged now. Your solution is excellent.

[mtnester]

6. You are right there, I was not expecting the post that I read

I thought - "WTF is someone posting about pulling stuff out of dumpsters and using it for APPETIZERS?"

:)

I am pleasantly surprised (and relieved as well)

[pleah]

2. Great idea.

I never know what to do with all the grapes when they start getting old (before the fur).

I might try that with sponge cake as a sauce topping.

[eyesroll]

3. Yogurt maker: A pot with a lid, and a thermometer.

Heat milk (of any kind--whole milk will taste better and be of a more uniform consistency, but I've used 2% and it's come out well) to 180-190 degrees, stirring frequently.

Cool to 120-130.

Add a big spoonful of existing yogurt with live cultures. Stir well and cover tightly.

Let it sit in a slightly warm place overnight. I use my oven, about 20 minutes after I've cooked something in it--shut it off, let it mostly cool.

The next day, refrigerate. You can strain it through cheesecloth (better method) or coffee filters (not-so-better method); save the whey for other cooking or baking (replace the water in just about anything with the whey).

[Mind_your_head]

4. Interesting and sounds easy to do

What's the advantage of using whey rather than water in other cooking & baking? Nutritional, taste, texture, or :shrug: ???

[eyesroll]

5. It's more of a waste thing.

There is some protein and other nutrients in whey, but I just don't like to throw things out. :D