How to use vegetable offcuts: Celebrity chef Adam Liaw shares the scraps he NEVER throws away

To save a few extra dollars, Australian shoppers have been resorting to snapping off the stalks of broccoli after the price rose to $11.90 a kilo – but celebrity chef Adam Liaw has revealed how to use the vegetable offcuts in the kitchen.

The 43-year-old cookbook author and podcaster said nothing should be thrown away as the vegetable ‘scraps’ can be used to elevate a variety of dishes.

‘It’s waste reduction, saves you money and they’re full of flavour and nutrients,’ Mr Liaw told 9Honey.

At the moment the rising cost of living has caused the price of vegetables to skyrocket, with broccoli costing $11.90 a kilo (stock image)

‘Don’t throw anything away, stalks for broccoli and mushrooms, peels from carrots, you can chop them or blend and drop into a bolognese or anything,’ Mr Liaw said.

Broccoli stalks and mushrooms in particular are perfect for stir fry, while carrot peel is ideal for soups and stews.

Mushrooms are also a fantastic substitute for meat and are rich in B vitamins. 

Vegetables often tend to be neglected or forgotten about at the bottom of the fridge, but it’s possible to breathe life back into wilted food.

Mr Liaw said dry, wilted carrots are perfect for pickling and potato peels can be fried to make tasty chips.

To bring carrots and bok choy back to life, place the raw food in a bowl of water for at least 24 hours – this will rehydrate the vegetables. 

Flooding and bad weather in areas where much of Australia’s fresh produce is grown, has seen the cost of fruit and vegetables sky rocket recently with some stores charging up to $12 for a head of iceberg lettuce. 

Supermarkets are now also checking customers’ broccoli purchases at the checkout to ensure the stems are still attached, after a viral video showed shoppers snapping them off to save money.

A sign placed in front of a broccoli stand asks grocery shoppers to refrain from breaking apart the green vegetable despite rising supermarket costs sweeping the country.

The sign, which has been shared to Twitter by radio show 3AW Breakfast, reads: ‘ATT (attention) customers. You must not break the stems of the broccoli.

‘This is classed as theft. All broccoli purchases will be checked at the registers. Thanks, Management.’

It isn’t known which supermarket posted the sign but it has been met with annoyance online. 

A sign placed in front of a broccoli stand asks grocery shoppers to refrain from breaking apart the green vegetable despite rising supermarket costs sweeping the country

Earlier this month a top nutritionist has shared how you can save money on your grocery bill by swapping out their favourite vegetables for others that are lower in cost and higher in nutrients.

Dietitian Susie Burrell, who has two honours degrees in nutrition and dietetics and psychology, instead of broccoli for $10 per kilo, cauliflower is a much cheaper and healthy substitution while tinned tomatoes can be more flavoursome and affordable than fresh varieties.

Cauliflower’s go for $4-$5 each at most major supermarkets and have many of the same nutritional benefits as broccoli. 

Sydney dietitian Susie Burrell (pictured) has shared which vegetables to add to your shopping list this winter that are low in both calories and cost

‘Broccoli is a superfood, rich in anti cancer molecules, Vitamin C and fibre but so is cauliflower at half the price,’ Susie told FEMAIL. 

‘Plus cauliflower makes a low carb rice alternative that can easily be made onto a tasty risotto.’ 

Susie recommended opting for fresh or frozen kale rather than lettuce and canned tomatoes instead of fresh tomatoes.