Ways to reduce food waste
There are heaps of good reasons to try and keep food waste to a minimum. We all know that the less we throw away, the better it is for the environment and our budgets. But sometimes we can be caught out when things go off faster than we expected, and we are left with no choice but to throw food away.
So here are my tops tips to help keep food fresh for longer.
First up is storage. Using proper storage for fresh produce will normally extend shelf by a couple of days or up to a week depending on the type of food. The key thing to remember with fruit and vegetables is to store them separately because fruit can make veggies ripen faster. The correct storage is also important as some items will need to be kept in the fridge while others are better at room temperature or in a cool dry place. An easy way to remember how to store fresh produce is to store it in the same way that you bought it; most supermarkets have a rapid turnover of fruits and vegetables but even so, they still display some things chilled and others at room temperature, so just follow what they do. The best of plans can change, so even after correct storage, if your veggies are not looking their best throw them into a soup such as this one: https://www.maggi.com.au/recipes/vegetarian-recipes/farmhouse-vegetable-soup. Although this recipe uses carrots, onions and zucchini, don’t forget you can customise with other vegetables such as capsicums, mushrooms, spinach or any number of other ingredients that you have hand. For fruits, just blitz them up for a fresh fruit packed smoothie.
With meat, the best thing to do is to wrap up steaks or portions of fillets separately, label and date them and pop into the freezer. If the freezer is full, chop the meat up into small pieces and cook in a casserole or other saucy dishes such as a rich ragu or spicy chilli. When cool, store in covered plastic containers. This will give you an extra couple of days because cooked meat keeps longer than raw.
Most salad produce such as lettuce, cucumbers and tomatoes keep better when dry. Where possible, keep these in separate containers with paper towel and store in the salad drawer of the fridge. Fresh herbs can get another boost of life if you stand them in a glass with a little water in the bottom. Next, cover with a damp paper tissue and store in the fridge. When you decide to use them try this deliciously fresh flavoured beef larb
