Why You Should Never Be Afraid To Eat Bruised Fruit

By some estimates, Americans throw away half of all the produce grown in our country because it just doesn’t look pretty enough.

But those bruised, discolored and misshapen fruits and vegetables aren’t bad to eat. Throwing them away, on the other hand, is pretty much the worst thing you can do.

The above video from Ted-Ed perfectly explains why certain fruits and vegetables develop those patchy discolored spots and the mushy areas we sometimes call “bruises.” It turns out that simple fungi and bacteria are to blame, but they aren’t the kind that can make you sick ― and they don’t prevent the fruit from being used.

Watch, learn and stock your fridge with ugly produce. Then use it to make some of the killer recipes below: