DON’T LET A LITTLE MOLD STOP YOU FROM EATING THESE FOODS

Let’s face it. Moldy food looks gross, and if your natural inclination is to toss it out, that’s perfectly understandable. But hear me out – some foods are still perfectly fine to eat once there’s mold growing on them.

I know this from personal experience. The other week I bought a pineapple. Organic pineapples are pricey, so it was a bit of an indulgence, but it was MARCH and it’s still snowy, so I needed something tropical to take the edge off. For one reason or another, I didn’t get around to eating the pineapple until a couple weeks later, and when I picked it up off the counter I was heartbroken to discover a coating of white fuzz on the bottom. Heartbroken, but not deterred. It was a nine dollar pineapple, and it was snowing again. I decided to cut it open and see how the inside looked, and to my surprise, it was fine. Golden-yellow and sweet smelling, not a hint of brown. The rot was totally superficial, and it was actually one of the most delicious pineapples I’d ever eaten.

This got me thinking. There are probably lots of other foods that are totally fine to eat even with a little mold, and knowing what they are could probably save us from wasting food and money.

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Foods You Can Still Eat With Mold:

• Fruits and Veggies with a Thick Skin: Like the pineapple, if the mold only impacts the skin, the inside of the fruit or veg should still be perfectly edible. You’ll be able to tell when you open it up. Be careful not to drag your knife through the moldy part when you cut it so you don’t cross-contaminate the good part.

• Firm Fruits and Veggies: Carrots, apples, bell peppers etc with moldy spots are perfectly fine to eat, just cut out one inch around the mold, and you’re good to go.

• Hard Cheeses: Asiago, Pecorino, cheddar – any cheese like this that starts to grow mold can be salvaged. Again, cut a one inch area around the moldy spot and your cheese is good as new. Cheese that’s pre-sliced or shredded, on the other hand, should be tossed as soon as it grows moldy.

• Hard Cured Salami/Dry Cured Ham: It’s perfectly normal for these products to grow mold on the surface. Just scrub it off and use as normal.

*If you have any health concerns that prevent you from eating mold (such as allergies), you should of course follow advice from your medical professional!