I read two articles recently about reducing waste and becoming more green in the kitchen.
The the first link is:
5 Easy Ways to Reduce Food Waste
http://www.chowmama.com/2009/04/29/5-easy-ways-to-reduce-food-waste-orange-cardamom-french-toast/
The 5 Ways are:
1. PLAN AHEAD, make a SHOPPING LIST
Whenever possible, plan meals ahead of time and buy only what you need. If you belong to a CSA or have a bunch of leftovers from a previous shop, take a few minutes to take stock and plan around what you have. Don’t forget to look in your pantry—beans, sauces you just had to try, dried fruit and nuts, pasta, rice, and other non-perishable staples make a solid foundation for quick, nutritious meals.
If planning ahead is not your forte or, like me, you have a tendency to change your mind mid-week, this tip from Lifehacker might be useful: “I keep my grocery receipt and highlight things that need to be used in a timely fashion, or things that I hope to cook with that week. Then I stick it firmly to the front of the fridge, a visual reminder every time I open it.”
2. Commit to COOKING, even just a little bit
Be honest with yourself about how often you’re really going to cook and then stick to it. If you just can’t (need more therapy or just have an unpredictable schedule?), err on the conservative side. I keep my freezer stocked with things like veggie burgers, frozen left over stews or meatballs, and tons of frozen veggies for weeks when I think that I might not have time to cook as much as I’d like.
Keep in mind that cooking doesn’t have to mean making a Michelin star meal. Be easy on yourself. If you see that 3 different veggies you bought for 3 different meals are all starting to shrivel, just throw them together in a steamer or roasting pan. You’ll have them on hand for dinner, snacking, or packed lunches with minimal work. And you can make that hollandaise you were planning to pair with the asparagus next week.
3. EAT HEAD TO TAIL, so to speak
For those of you who purchase entire animals or raise animals for food, that’s a literal suggestion. For the rest of us, though, I’m suggesting some creativity in using up what you’ve got. If you’ve made beets, steam the beet greens for a salad or side. When you finish that parmesan, throw the rind in a stock or homemade tomato sauce (store the rind in the freezer until the next time you plan on making a stock or sauce). If that perfect loaf of french bread is stale, make bread crumbs or croutons before it’s rock solid or moldy. Not sure what to do with what you’ve got? Google it. Someone surely has an idea.
4. Be deliberate about LEFTOVERS
Planning for leftovers can help avoid that mystery-tupperware-in-the-back-of-the-fridge problem. I try to be deliberate about how and when I increase a recipe so that it can either be eaten a second night that week (when I know I’ll be working late, for example) or can be packed for lunch (saves money and guarantees a more nutritious lunch for Isaac). For us, the key is planning exactly when we’ll eat the leftovers. If I just assume leftovers will be eaten at some point, I’m usually wrong. I’ll buy fewer groceries knowing that Wed night, for example, will be chili night… again. If leftovers are intendend for lunch, I pack in them in easy-to-grab lunch portions so there’s no fuss the next morning.
5. USE YOUR FREEZER!
Before I started making Isaac’s baby food, I hardly ever used my freezer. What a discovery! It has become totally indispensable, especially in my quest to reduce food waste. Every couple of days, I take 5 minutes to check my fridge and reassess my plan for the week. As soon as I see something that’s at risk for sitting too long—meat that I probably won’t end up making or leftovers that my planning couldn’t save—I pack it in a freezer safe container, label it, and toss it in the freezer.
But the real trick isn’t getting things into the freezer. It’s getting stuff out. That brings us full circle, back to planning ahead. I reminded you to check your pantry when planning meals for the week, but you should also be sure to check your freezer. If you don’t have enough of one thing to feed the whole family, don’t ignore it—have a “tapas” night! It’s easy enough to defrost and reheat already prepared foods, so take out a bunch of things, put them on small plates, and serve family style.
Here is the second one:
Tips for a Green Kitchen, Part II
http://chocolateandzucchini.com/archives/2009/04/tips_for_a_green_kitchen.php
This is a long post- so I thought I pick two my favorite “Green” tip. Feel free though, to tell me your favorite parts of the piece!
Reuse Packaging and Containers
It is impossible to eliminate packaging and containers entirely, but what you can do is make the most of those that do enter your kitchen, finding other uses for them beyond their original purpose.
- Glass jars -- inarguably the most popular of reusable containers -- and take out containers can be used for food storage, leftover storage, and as pantry organizers.
- Food bags (bread bags, cereal bags, chip bags, produce bags...) can be used to store other foods or as trash/litter bags.
- Yogurt containers can be used to dispose of oil and cooking grease cleanly.
- T.R. "can only get onions in net bags, and make nylon scrubbies out of them."
- Old newspapers (not a food packaging, but handy nonetheless) can be used to "deodorize food containers (just stuff a ball in it and leave it overnight) or to line bottom of produce bins to absorb excess moisture." (Jenn)
- Butter wrapping papers can be saved in the fridge or freezer and used to grease cake pans.
- The corks from wine bottles can "go into the planters. They keep moisture in and mischievous little pet noses/paws out." (Elizabeth)
Save Energy
When buying a new appliance, make sure you opt for the most energy-efficient model.
"Use [the] electric kettle to boil water rather than the stove -- it's much faster and uses less energy. I do this whenever I need boiling water -- say, for pasta, vegetables etc." (Anne)
"Make casseroles using a slow cooker (crockpot); it uses far less energy than a conventional oven." (Annabel)
"I try not to turn on the oven unless absolutely necessary and when I do I try to bake two or three things at once." (Kate) "I'll throw a foil-wrapped head of garlic in to roast or a couple or potatoes for another time." (Becca) "In the winter, after using the oven, keep the door open to warm your house. I often put my wet dishtowels over the oven door to dry." (Christine)
"When cooking for one or two, use a toaster oven instead of a conventional oven. The compact space requires less energy to heat." (Marianne)
"Whenever I cook a meal, I make sure to make a double recipe. Not only do I have leftovers for an easy lunch or dinner the next day, but I also save energy because the stove doesn't need to be turned on the next day." (Cookin' Canuck)
"Plan ahead of time and defrost items in the fridge instead of using the microwave." (Caitlin)
"Use a pressure cooker for beans and stews. It cuts down on electricity usage by shortening cooking time and keeps the kitchen cooler which means you're using less electricity if the a/c is on. Plus it means that you can get dried beans instead of canned which cuts down on packaging and other stuff from the manufacturing process." (Kim)
"Use your hands. Leave the food processor alone; use a knife. Use a whisk, not a mixer. Let your food prep be slower, but more hands-on, and more satisfying." (Meri)
"When cooking, remember to use your saucepan lids, when appropriate, and turn down the heat!" (Helen)
"To avoid boiling the kettle repeatedly during the day (and using lots of electricity), I boil a full kettle once in the morning and then fill up a thermos flask with hot water. Then I can make myself cups of tea or coffee throughout the day without having to boil the kettle again." (Charlotte) "I like to make sun-brewed iced tea - saves on the energy used to heat the water, *and* it tastes better (to me, at least)!" (Tiffany)
"Don't pre-boil pasta water. Put your pasta in the pot, fill to cover just a little over the pasta, then boil. We tried it and not only does the pasta come out fine, but you save water, some energy, and you have this fantastic thick pasta water that makes sauces creamier." (Anna)
"Clean your refrigerator coils. They dissipate heat, so if they're clogged with dust, your refrigerator is less efficient and uses more energy to keep itself cool. This is a big deal since refrigerators use a lot of energy -- about 15% of a home's electricity. You can clean the coils twice a year with a vacuum and/or brush." (Anna)
"I unplug everything but the refrigerator in my kitchen when it is not being used. Microwave, mixer, coffee maker, electric can opener, etc. Around my house I also unplug lamps in areas seldom used (like the formal living room), cell phone chargers, night lights, etc." (Libby)
"I bought an electricity measurement device and measured actual electricity use. It led to a better understanding of actual energy use. It persuaded me to use my oven less, stove and countertop appliances more." (Rob)
Thoughts? Tips? Reviews (on the tips above?). Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the above and how you are making your kitchen more green.
Sincerely, CC