Beat food waste with these cute mini veges

Food waste is a hot topic, and anyone with a garden will tell you they’re as guilty as a supermarket shopper when it comes to biffing out past-their-best-by vegetables. The problem, however, isn’t that we want to be wasteful; it’s just that, especially as a family downsizes, it’s actually impossible to stir-fry your way through a kilo cabbage or eat an entire pumpkin before it begins to spoil. Now, thanks to a range of mini-vegetables, the answer for gardeners wanting to avoid food waste is easier than you think.

What are they?

What mini-vegetables are not, are standard sized vegetables harvested at an immature state (which many consider to be the worst form of food waste). Mini veges are true dwarf varieties which produce a mature fruit, head or root that is much smaller in size than that of a standard form of the same variety. Because they are faster to mature, minis are often more tender and sweet than their full sized cousins.

Growing advantages

Because mini vegetables are fast to mature, it’s often possible to grow several harvests in one season. And because they take up much less space, they can be grown in containers as well as in the garden, an attribute which makes them perfect for popping into pots to create an edible balcony garden.

Lunch box beauties

Ever tried packaging wedges of stuffed pumpkin? Or slices of cooked beetroot? The mess is unbelievable! But with mini vegetables, entire fruits and roots can be popped into lunch boxes or picnic baskets without any fuss – and they are a feast for the eye as well as the palette. Toss cherry tomatoes, whole steamed scaloppini, and baby gem lettuces in a snap-lock box with a pottle of mayo – cordon bleu cooking without the fuss!

Try these

As you browse the latest seed catalogues, be sure to place a tick in the margin of our favourite minis:

Jack be Little 

Jack be Little is a cute little pumpkin small enough to hold in the palm of your hand. When cured, it’s as long keeping as its big brothers, and just as tasty. Enjoy these little beauties stuffed, and serve them one-to-a-plate for some very appreciative comments.

Cabbage Conehead 

This is a sweet mini cabbage perfect for two. Order it now as it is best grown in the cooler months of spring and early summer. If you live in a mild climate, sow it again in late summer for an autumn harvest.

Cucumber Mini White

This darling little cucurbit is ready for harvest when just over 7cm long, and while it’s happy to be popped into a pickle, it’s not a gherkin! Best of all, its fine skin is so tender no peeling is necessary.

Mini Cauliflower

Who can resist a no-waste cauliflower cheese for two! Cauliflower Majestic Mini F1 Hybrid is ideal for just two servings, but make no mistake – while its pure white heart is saucer-sized, its leafy outer takes up almost as much space as a regular sized cauli (but just think of what all that leaf will do for your compost!).

Tom Thumb lettuce 

Go all-out heritage with this sweet baby lettuce. At only 10-15 cm across, it’s just made for a salad for two. And although it’s a mini – it still has a heart!