Abstract
We used conventional and eco-cooking methods for cutting and compared the reduction in waste of 50 vegetables frequently used in home cooking. Domestic seasonal vegetables were prepared by the conventional technique, similar to that used at home, in accordance with the method practiced in university cooking classes. For a comparison with the eco-cooking method, we removed the tips, roots, and seeds of vegetables, while retaining the skin. This increased the edible parts of 45 vegetables and reduced the overall waste by 9.1%. Those vegetables that had a particularly high reduction in waste were turnips (33.1%), celery (32.1%), butterbur (27.7%), green onion (26.2%), and broccoli (23.3%). The edible parts of some vegetables, however, may not be appropriate for certain recipes, and accordingly, such other preparation methods as chopping, grating, and parboiling the skins and other hard parts may be necessary to efficiently cook these vegetables.
