(don’t) let it go (bad)!
I actually haven’t seen Frozen, but I just couldn’t help myself with the title. Sorry guys.
Anyway. If you didn’t already get this from my super clever title, I’m writing about food waste and how to be more efficient in your kitchen while ensuring that you get to eat delicious, home cooked food every day.
Food waste has always made me feel bad. Even in my pre-farm-life days, I got a twinge every time I had to throw something away or didn’t finish what was on my plate. Lately, I’ve been even more aware of how much perfectly good food goes to waste around me everyday. The leftovers from the meals I deliver to start-up offices in San Francisco, the hummus I bought at Trader Joe’s last week that didn’t taste as good as I thought it would, the crème fraîche my mom made that we didn’t use fast enough. All these things either already have been, or mostly likely soon will be, thrown away. The crème fraîche was a bit dodgy smelling, but otherwise all of that food is/was totally edible.
So, when I watched a John Oliver segment on food waste today I was A) happy to see this issue being discussed on an at least somewhat influential television show and B) inspired to share a few tips on saving food and money (and time, in the long run) from my other favorite Oliver, Jamie.
First.
Do the big Sunday cook. This will not only help you reduce waste, it will also help you make the most of your food budget and keep you eating tasty home cooked food all week long. I did this a lot last year when I was working nine-to-five in an office and it worked very well for me. I’d spend a long weekend afternoon making the most of whatever I had in my fridge, with maybe a few extras from the market, and then I’d have yummy homemade for lunch everyday at work. Soup is the easiest thing to do this with, but it also works with bread, fruit, meat, and cookies. Just make a bunch of food, box or bag it up into individual portions, write the date on it, and pop it in the freezer. Then you have grab-and-go treats on-hand for when you don’t have time to cook.
Which brings me to our second point. Your freezer is your best friend.
Leftovers, soups, overripe fruit, herbs in oil, meat you bought a few days ago that you suddenly realized you’re not going to eat before it goes bad, etc., throw it all in there (well-sealed and labeled, of course).
If you feel like making jams and pickles while you’re at it, great, more power to you, but for most of us freezing is more practical.
Even if you do a big Sunday cook every other weekend (or even once a month if you’re really pressed for time - parents are you listening?), you can save money, reduce waste, and eat really good food every day.
