How can I reuse or recycle Parmesan cheese rinds?
Over on Twitter, scrapiana asked/thought aloud:
Parmesan rinds. Why am I keeping them? Dim recollection that Jamie Oliver has some use for them. Must find out soon or they’re for the bin.
Apparently, like broccoli stalks, it’s one of those things that some people ALWAYS cook and they don’t understand why the rest of us don’t use them all the time. What do you use them for? Away from the dinner plate, would they be ok to add to a bird feeder fat mix, or would they be too salty?
Away from parmesan, the biggest thing holding me back is when the rind feels a little fabric-y, like the cheesecloth is part of the rind. I presume – possibly wrongly – that that sort of rind isn’t edible – so what else can be done with it?
Stick a parmesan rind in the pan while you cook a risotto. It will melt slowly as you cook, giving the rice a gorgeous unctousness and flavour.
I’m sure I’ve seen it recommended for soups too. And I think you can freeze it till you need it.
I have used it in soups before, to add extra flavour if the stock isn’t very flavoursome. Just remember to remove it if you are liquidising it!
I’ve also heard about using it in risotto but never tried it. I will now though!
Wow – these are great tips. I have never even thought about using the rind. I totally trying the risotto one. Yummy!
Goes great in a minestrone (or any tomato/vege based) soup. Yum :)
Just remember to pull it out before serving.
I like adding paremesan rind when I make tomato sauce-it adds great flavor!
my dad gets kilo’s of parmesan when he travels to Italy, so we have lots of rinds.
He mades a hearty Tomato Bread Soup and uses the rinds.
He cuts them up into tiny rectangular pieces and adds them into the soup. The pieces become soft and almost chewy. Its a nice contrast to the pieces of sourdough bread in the soup which absorbs the tomato base and become soft.
VERY tasty (and im a picky eater)
i’d definately recommend it
Last year we went on holiday to Switzerland in the summer. What surprised me massively was the amount of sparrows in cities. They were so tame that a couple even came and ate cheese rind from my hand. They loved it! So I’m thinking that it could be a welcome addition to bird feeders.
Found out that you can freeze cheese. Such a great idea so that cheese wont go off as fast.