The woman’s trick to avoid food waste at home – and all you need are two basic items

It can be easy to throw food away without thinking much about it.

In the UK, the habit contributes to billions of pounds of waste, with 9.5 million tonnes of food thrown away every year, according to figures from Business Waste.

Now a food blogger is on a mission to change our wasteful ways. Carleigh Bodrug shared a method to extend the life of our kitchen scraps that could also enhance your culinary creations at home.

Taking to her Instagram account, @plantyou, Carleigh revealed her new garlic onion powder recipe and it’s surprisingly simple.

“Stop throwing away those garlic and onion skins,” she implored her five million followers, before vowing to turn them into “magic” in her Scrappy Cooking series, a project in which she reveals ingenious ways to reuse food scraps that are usually thrown away.

Initially, Carleigh washed the peels with a mixture of vinegar and water. She then arranged them on a baking sheet and dried them in the oven on the lowest setting for several hours.

She didn’t specify the exact length of time the crusts will be in the oven, instead suggesting that followers keep a close eye on them until they’re crisp and moisture-free. “Then mix them together and you’ve got your own onion garlic seasoning,” she explained.

Proving a hit with aspiring chefs, her hack to repurpose onion skins was a treat among her followers. According to the knowledgeable influencer, the secret lies in turning the often discarded food waste into a flavorful and flavorful condiment.

Her step-by-step guide shows her pouring onion powder – made from the skins – into a spare spice jar, ready for powerful use in an assortment of international dishes.

Not only does this handy trick mean you avoid the eye-watering task of chopping onions, but it can also add an intense burst of flavor when paired with garlic. Alternatively, keep the onion and garlic powder separate – either way, you’ll add a flavorful punch to your meals.

Carleigh’s innovative kitchen tip has since sparked a flurry of comments from excited followers. One enthusiastic fan offered his own creative waste-saving technique: “What a great idea! I keep my leftover vegetables in a bag in the freezer. I keep adding to it, then when it’s full, I make broth. So flavorful.”

Another commenter expressed his eagerness to replicate Carleigh’s method, declaring: “I have a bag of onion skins going right now to do this.”