Evaluation of vegetable wastes by drying technique within the scope of sustainable gastronomy

The increasing population and the industry created by directing the social life have led to the dimensional imbalance of the waste along with the current demand and supply. The increase in consumption, which is also influenced by popular culture, causes growth in every sector, but difficult and costly solutions to prevent. The recycling, recovery or disposal of wastes, especially from areas where the population is dense and urbanization has increased, has become a nationally focused problem. Greenhouse gases arising from the disposal of waste and increased carbon emissions due to the growth of the industry lead to climate change, thus to the difficulty of agriculture, and more to food inefficiency. According to UNDP's reports, the expected famine and water shortage are a result of this situation. Waste can be generated in every process, including the production, processing, preparation, presentation and consumption of food. For this reason, it is important to determine the usage possibilities of the remaining parts of the food and to offer alternative solutions. In this thesis, it is aimed to extend the shelf life of vegetables, which are the most consumed herbal fresh food group, by using the drying technique of the unused parts, and to adapt them to reusable form. In this context, green pepper, potato and eggplant vegetables, which are in the top 5 according to the production data of 2021, were evaluated as food waste. 138.5 grams of waste skin was obtained from 1061.5 grams of potato, 206 grams of stem and seed waste from 1013.5 grams of green pepper, and 183 grams of peel and stem waste from 1043.5 grams of eggplant. Drying method, which is the shortest and most effective method of traditional storage methods, was used as an evaluation method. The dried wastes were then passed through the grinding device and turned into powder. The powdered wastes are turned into foam by the foaming method, which is one of the modern presentation techniques, which is also frequently used in professional kitchens. In order to be used as a gastronomic accessory, the foam samples obtained with potato, green pepper and eggplant, acidity (pH: 5.71, 5.30 and 5.42), dry matter (32%, 28%, and 30%), color and sensory analyzes and parameters determined and statistically evaluated over numerical values about their suitability for consumption. When the color values were examined, the most popular foam sample was potato foam. According to the results of the sensory analysis for the use of foam samples as gastronomic accessories, the product with the most general appreciation was the product made from green pepper waste foam. Then, the eggplant foam samples prepared with potato and eggplant addition, which are the basic taste, have an equal score. In the light of these data, it was determined that all three samples produced were accepted with high scores. With this study, it has been demonstrated that the recycling and recycling of food shells or wastes formed in gastronomic kitchens can be done practically by using the foaming technique, which belongs to a modern trend. In line with the necessity of sustainability, the methods used and the analysis results, this study will also be a source for alternative new studies to ensure recycling from different food wastes with different techniques.