A popular chef is showing the world that lemon seeds shouldn't be thrown away.
Carleigh Bodrug (@plantyou), a chef and Instagrammer who boasts 3.3 million followers, is showing her audience that lemon seeds can be used to make delicious homemade jam and even vegan cream cheese.
"You'll magically be left with a delicious healthy jam!" she says in the Reel.
The scoop
The video begins with Carleigh suggesting that her viewers "stop throwing out those lemon seeds."
She goes on to show how she collects the seeds "in a tea infuser or cheese cloth." She explains how lemon seeds contain pectin, which will help thicken a homemade jam.
She simmers the seeds with berries along with lemon juice and maple syrup before concluding with images of some delicious jelly.
How it's helping
This is an excellent way to prevent food waste, even if it's only the seeds of a lemon.
Between 30%-40% of all food is thrown away in the U.S. each year; that's around 119 billion pounds, most of which ends up in landfills.
Since food production requires lots of energy and uses up lots of land, food waste is an environmental problem — especially considering that between 8%-10% of planet-warming carbon pollution is linked to unconsumed produce.
Plus, using parts of food that are traditionally regarded as waste is cost-effective, saving you a trip to the store.
What people are saying
Overall, commenters seemed quite enthusiastic about the lemon seed-saving hack.
"I can't explain how much I love these videos! Looks so delicious!" one person wrote.
"Didn't know this," another added.
"Okay, I'm totally trying this the next time I make some jam. That's so cool!" one Instagrammer wrote, to which Carleigh responded, "The blueberry bagel was totally inspired by you and now I can't stop."
Another commenter asked an interesting question: "How long are they good for? If I were to collect some over a few days, maybe a fortnight, would I be able to use them to make jam?"
"Yes, you can keep citrus seeds in the fridge for up to a week," Carleigh answered.
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