In collaboration with Love Food Hate Waste.
This week is the second week of the Love Food Hate Waste #giveupbinningfood campaign for Lent. How are you getting on with it so far?
Last week we shared plenty of tips and tricks for meal planning, something I had never done before then and really enjoyed creating. However, things didn’t exactly pan out according to plan. Illness struck the household and much improvisation occurred.
Nonetheless, I did keep to the plan the best as I could, and I am pleased to say there was very little food waste overall last week.
This week the #giveupbinningfood campaign theme is all about food storage. Storing foods correctly can extend their lifespan dramatically. Some foods don’t get on very well with other foods. For example, pineapples don’t like the fridge and apples are great companions with potatoes to stop them from sprouting. Keeping food in the right company, in the right place and in the right conditions can really help keep them fresher and crisper for longer.
FOOD STORAGE TIPS FROM ELIZABETH’S KITCHEN DIARY
Cheddar Cheese – this can be grated and stored in the freezer to prolong shelf life. Many packs say use within 3-7 days of opening and this is not always possible, not in our household anyway, unless I want to eat all of the cheese myself! Use the frozen grated cheese to top pizza, to make a cheese sauce and for cheese toasties.
Leftover Lasagne – freeze in individual portions for up to a month. Defrost and reheat for a quick midweek meal.
Leftover Pancakes – store in an airtight container for another day, or freeze in a single layer on a tray. When they are frozen stack between layers of greaseproof paper and store in a bag or wrapped in foil. Store for up to two months. Reheat in the microwave, oven or toaster.
Open Jars/Packets – If you’ve just opened a jar or packet that needs to be consumed within a specific time, mark the Eat By date on the packet with a black marker to keep track.
Leftover Coconut Milk – freeze in ice cube trays and add, from frozen, to curries.
Fresh Ginger – Freeze whole and grate off what you need straight from frozen.
FOOD STORAGE TIPS FROM LOVE FOOD HATE WASTE
Bananas – these are better stored on their own because their natural gases make other fruit ripen too quickly. But they’re brilliant for avocados if you want to ripen yours quickly.
Milk – Freeze milk that is nearing its best-by date in ice cube trays. Pop the cubes straight into your morning cuppa or as a quick fix béchamel.
Fresh Herbs – Place them in a glass of water to keep fresh like you would any plant. Same goes for celery!
Salt – Add a few grains of uncooked rice to your salt shaker. This will stop the salt from getting damp and having to throw it away.
Peppers – Store a half-used pepper with the stalk and seeds still in – it will last longer
Yoghurt – Mix yoghurts nearing their use by date with over-ripe fruit. Add a stick, pour into lolly moulds and freeze. They’re also great for smoothies.
Potatoes – Store an apple or two next to your potatoes to keep them from sprouting.
Sugar – Store a couple of marshmallows, a slice of bread, or even apple slices in an airtight container with your sugar. The sugar will soak up the moisture and stay soft.
Honey – Store in the cupboard. If it crystallises, place it into a pan of simmering water and stir the honey until it melts again. Honey will keep indefinitely in the cupboard.
Mayonnaise – Store in the fridge door. The inner part of the fridge is too cold for mayo, which can cause it to separate and leave oil at the top of the jar. If kept in the door area, it can last two to three months past the purchase date.
Eggs – Love Food Hate Waste recommend storing them in the fridge to help them last longer, but not in the door. Constant changes in temperature can make them go off quicker so keep them nearer the back of the fridge, where the eggs can just, well, chill.
Avocados – Store your open avocado with the stone left in, spritz it with some lemon juice or olive oil, cover with plastic wrap, and put it in the fridge. This will stop it going brown.
#GIVEUPBINNINGFOOD CAMPAIGN
This six-week long campaign running through Lent is broken down into weekly themes to make reducing food waste at home a more attainable goal. These themes are:
1st March (week 1) Meal planning – when’s this for? Read >> Tip for Weekly Meal Planning
8th March (week 2) Storage – where should I put this?
15th March (week 3) Fridge focus – how do I make the most of my fridge?
22nd March (week 4) Portioning – how much should I use?
29th March (week 5) Food labels – what does this mean?
5th – 13th April (week 6/7) Leftovers – what can I do with my ingredients?
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JOIN US WITH THE NO WASTE FOOD CHALLENGE!
I challenge you, dear reader, to share your own recipes and tips to help prevent food waste! What are your food storage tips? You don’t have to have a blog to enter, simply let me know your recipe or suggestion in the comments below and fill out the Rafflecopter form. You can share an image of your dish, if you like, on Twitter as an extra entry option. Tag me @tangoraindrop and use the hashtag #nowastefoodchallenge to help spread the word! I will include a selection of my favourites in next month’s round-up, where we’ll get to do the challenge all over again! Bloggers – link up with the linky tool, as usual, to be included in the roundup – click here for the full No Waste Food Challenge rules. If you want to enter the giveaway, leave a comment and enter via the Rafflecopter form.
HOW TO ENTER
For your chance to win a £25 Amazon Gift Voucher enter using the Rafflecopter form below. Share your recipe, meal planning or food waste prevention tip in the blog comments. Come back and tweet about the giveaway every day for more chances to win!
TERMS & CONDITIONS
This giveaway is open to UK entries only. Entrants must be age 18 or over. The winner will need to respond within 30 days of being contacted; failure to do this may result in another winner being selected.
The prize is offered and provided by Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary. The prize is to win a £25 Amazon Gift Voucher. There is no cash alternative and the prize is not transferable.
There is no entry fee and no purchase is necessary to enter this giveaway.
The promoter (Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary) reserves the right to cancel or amend the giveaway and these terms and conditions without notice.
Entry into our giveaways will be deemed as acceptance of these terms and conditions.
If you need some help using Rafflecopter, here’s a quick clip to show you how. Rafflecopter will pick the winner at random from all the entries received. I will be verifying entries. Any automated entries or those who have claimed they have made the mandatory blog post comment and really haven’t will be disqualified. It’s mandatory! Please make sure your comment is eight words or longer or Google views it as spam and this negatively affects my spam score. All entries with comments fewer than the mandatory 8 words will be disqualified and deleted.
Closing date is midnight (that’s 00:00 hours, 12 am on Tuesday night/Wednesday morning) on Wednesday 15 March 2017 (GMT). The winner will be announced afterwards.
This is a paid post in collaboration with Love Food Hate Waste, although all thoughts and opinions expressed are our own. Thank you for supporting the brands who make it possible for me to do what I love: mess up my kitchen and share recipe stories.
Image source: Shutterstock.
Tips For Weekly Meal Planning #GiveUpBinningFood
A large collection of tins and jars in the larder for decanting open packets, and quality plastic containers for freezing leftovers
If you have any leftover potatoes and/or veg, don’t throw it out. Once cool, cover and store in the fridge until the next day, when you can put it all together with some seasoning and make tasty Bubble and Squeak, or something similar depending on the ingredients.
I freeze what I can, but we really struggle and do waste a lot of food, as I cook everything from fresh no packets or jarred sauces and most things that are sold are in packets big enough for 4 people, but there are only 2 of us.
Freeze everything and get it out a day before!
I always freeze leftover fresh herbs then just pop directly in soups,stews etc
Once I have finished with big bottles of diluting juice or fizzy drinks I cut the top of the bottle off with the lid attached and then when I open a new loaf of bread or if I open a pack of pasta and only use some of the contents I put the bottle top, without the lid over the packaging and pull the packaging through. I then fold the packaging over the top of the bottle and screw the lid on. Air-tight container for nothing x
My wife grumbles that she can’t use transparent boxes as I see them and get nibbling!
I have a wire rack which I use in my food cupboard to create the extra shelf- I store pasta below the wire shelf and other bits on top which makes things so much easier!
i often freeze leftovers for future use and anything leftover from cans i put in a lidded tub in the fridge
Make sure you have plenty of different sized pots or tubs to use
any leftovers from canned food gets put in a plastic tub straight away!
I bulk buy chicken and mince, separate it into portion sizes then freeze. It works out cheaper and there is less waste as I only defrost what I need.
I always buy woopsie food and then freeze it. I cook it, portion it, freeze it and then have a tasty meal at hand even when I don’t have time to cook. Xx
I try to freeze anything if I think I won’t use it before it goes off – living on my own is a massive pain as most shops don’ sell produce in small enough quantities!
I bought a simple meal planner and it helps so much, less wasted food = less wasted money, I get satisfaction from not throwing away food I’d recommend a meal planner to everyone!
When eggs are going out of date, whisk them up and freeze them in sandwich bags held in a cup cake tin
I generally make soup out of any leftovers of freeze anything they can be frozen .x
Empty nesters now but we still batch cook and freeze. Invested in a large energy efficient chest freezer when I retired. It’s so well used. Wouldn’t be without it for storing home cooked meals, fruit and veg from the garden and reduced bargains at the supermarket
everything that’s opened goes in a sealed tub to help prolong life
We buy big joints of meat and cut them into smaller pieces and freeze them for use later on.
I do a lot of the tricks above but I also freeze a lot too. If I have a can of refried beans, for instance, I put the rest of the tin that I don’t use into ramekins of portion size and freeze them.
I take food out of boxes and put in freezer bags, then cut of the cooking instructions etc, and attach.
When we bought chillis four years ago we kept seeds and planted them, and have never needed to buy them ever since! We even give them to friends and family
We take food out of bulky boxes and store it in fresh bags or coloured tubs to save space
I used to throw away lots of food but now I make interesting casseroles and soups with things left in the fridge. I cut up fruit which has a bit of a bashing and use the good part in fruit salads.
I cook a whole chicken for us and the dog’s meals and boil the left over bones to use for stock for his and our dinners. Freeze the rest. I did try a cling film wrap (which tends not to cling these days!) on an avocado the other day, no lemon, just that and it worked until without going brown. Maybe a fluke without the lemon juice?!
I always freeze leftover fresh herbs then just pop directly in soups,stews etc
The freezer is my best friend. I didn’t know you could freeze fresh ginger!
Plan each days menu for a week then only buy enough food for the week
I always buy reduced bread in bulk and freeze
I always freeze leftovers like casseroles and soups for future meals
If I have some chicken which is close to use by date I cook it and strip the carcass and freeze the meat so can use when needed and it doesn’t get wasted
I bake 2 loafs of bread and freeze one of them. I defrost it after a couple of days and the bread is fresh.
Takeway comtainers are brilliant for storing food in the freezer. They stack easily and are an ideal size
use labels in the freezer, sounds like a given but if you are disorganised you are never going to remember what that small pot is in the freezer – could be bolognese, chilli or whatever!
Have a weekly meal plan, so you can store food / avoid as much waste as you can
I re use the jars & pots with lids from baby food by washing them up and filling them with home cooked meals for baby then freezing them.
We don’t freeze much. My husband swears he tastes freezer burn on the food.
I use zip lock bags to store my nuts and any dried fruits etc – label each with best before dates and recycle any packaging – takes up much less room.
When I buy large packs of food such as sausages or bacon I separate them into portion size packs and freeze them until I’m ready to use them.
I have an allotment, so a lot of the things I grow arrive all at the same time, so summer and autumn are the main food storage times for me – freeze, jam, pickle, can, chutney, ferment, soak in alcohol (hic), and some are just dark & cool in boxes – I was using last year’s stored apples & squashes right up til last month.
I use tupper ware boxes and ties for bread wrappers. Also anything that can be refrigerated or frozen then in it goes. Bananas I keep in the fridge as find they last longer than being in a fruit bowl.
We keep all tubs/cartons that can be used to store food, they come in really handy when batch cooking.
I batch cook and portion up meals in tupperware containers to freeze
I use takeaway containers to store leftover casseroles etc in the freezer. Each pot is an ideal single portion.
I use my freezer… alot!! I also like making herby butter/oil with my wilting herbs and freezing
I find crumpets go off very quickly so the packet has been opened I keep them in the fridge in a zip lock bag and they last a lot longer
good quality freezer boxes in the freezer – last for years
keep my salad at the bottom inthe draw always keeps fr4esh longer
i store things in air tight containers
I freeze everything in single portions in re-usable freezer bags! I hate waste and its amazing how easy it is to use everything up
Designate one dinner each week as a “use-it-up” meal. Instead of cooking a new meal, look around in the cupboards and fridge for leftovers and other food that might otherwise get overlooked.
i make lists to ensure i have enough room to store and no waste
I recycle plastic takeaway containers to store portions of dishes in the freezer.
I tend to make ‘too much’ on purpose so that I can freeze a couple of home made meals a week which is ideal for our family with busy parents and working teens – this means we can always ensure that there is home made goodness ready to go. I also use all the weeks veg that needs using by making a soup once a week that we freeze for lunches and also make a pudding/cake with any fruit that looks like it will be wasted
Tupperware and ziplock bags for left overs
we use tupper wear or jars to store left overs or re-use products the next day and storing it in a fridge or freezer
I like to re-use any containers that food comes in. Coffee jars are great for many things.
I like to chop up a load of onions and freeze them in a freezer bag, then just cook a handful from frozen with meals I am making
I freeze everything too, including fluid that veggies have been boiled in. It’s great for soups and sauces
i put leftover food in sandwich bags to put in flat in the freezer – takes up much less room than storing in pots
I freeze leftovers in tubs they make a perfect portion for one when I’m on my own at lunchtime.
I freeze bars of butter that I don’t plan to use quickly, as butter can stay in the freezer for about a year
I cook up veg which is about to go off into soup and freeze. Have learnt from your blog to put an apple with my potatoes thankyou for the tips.
I used tuppaware tubs, or garden pegs to keep bags closed 🙂
in cupboard use empty space above cans/condiments etc. by placing a metal rack above them acting as a temporary second shelf (within a shelf so to speak)
I always make more than we need when I do lasagne or cottage pie then put a couple of portions in small plastic containers, great for a quick meal the next day or they can go in the freezer. Got my son some of those foil containers with lids for uni and now he often cooks in bulk and put the rest in the fridge/freezer then he’s sorted for the week!
I tend to do most cooking on the weekend and then freeze it for to have the rest of the week and sunday dinners are always made into bubble and squeek
I have so many plastic storage items and I always put cereal in a big one to keep it fresh
I have a place for everything. So I can always see what I am low on for when making shopping lists, and it helps not mislaying and wasting something. When opening something I always put a sandwich bag or foil round it, so it keeps fresher. I use freezer clips on opened bags in the freezer. I keep flour in large see through pourable containers and they are labelled. As soon as I open a new bottle of cooking oil or sauce for ice-cream, I stand it in a sandwich bag. Then it doesn’t run down the bottle onto my cupboard shelves and make them sticky. It tends to run down into the bag instead
I am Coeliac so make most of my food from scratch. I also try to bake my own cakes. I love traditional fruit cake. They are expensive to make and take a few hours in the oven. To ensure that they do not go stale I follow a tip that my Grandmother gave me. I keep an apple in the cake tin. The apple dries out and the cake remains moist. I don’t know why it works, but it does
I use old bread bags as freeze bag and I twist and use clothes pegs as the closing snapper
well I like to make lots of things in advances, store and freeze them in well labeled and dated tupperware boxes!
When making meals I always make extra and freeze ahead so that I have less waste and less time in the kitchen
To save space and avoid “freezer burn”, when you open a box of frozen food but only use some of it, rip off the important info from the box and put it with the remaining food in freezer bags. If you buy mushrooms in plastic tubs, open them immediately and store in paper bags – they keep much longer.
I tend to make a lot of the dish I’m cooking & then freeze in portion sized tubs in the freezer. Although we are very limited because our freezer isn’t the largest of freezers.
So many tricks. I use clothes pegs on cereal bags to stop them going stale, same with things like rice cakes, porridge oats etc… I save all my takeaway containers – wash them and then store leftover food in them and I freeze as much as possible to reduce waste 🙂
I plan all my meals for the week in advance before shopping so I am buy just what I need.
Even though I live by myself I still bulk cook some food and then freeze it
If something is on the verge of going off, either use it o freeze it
Do a weekly meal plan so you only buy the food you need.
I buy fresh fruit for my smoothies, cut them up and freeze them for future use 🙂
Meal planning and using seasonal vegetables and fruit – Not forgetting pickling to store over the seasons
I always have a pack of freezer zip bags, and I use them to store all sorts of things in the fridge.
Freezer bags get more in freezer
I freeze anything that can be frozen and am very mindful of use by dates.
i make small portions and freeze
Cook in bulk and then freeze, making sure i use same container type for each different type of meal, then can just grap the container i want.
I try and use the same type of storage containers for same type of food, then I don’t have to remember which is which, can just grab the particular container for meal I want.
Always reusing those plastic boxes you get chinese takeaway in. Store leftovers in them in the freezer!
The plastic chinese/indian takeaway tubs are perfect for freezing the leftovers. I often deliberately cook too much to be able to freeze for later.
I have a gazillion Tupperware storage boxes. I also use Mason jars. They always look cute.
Make sure you label things correctly before putting them in the freezer, that way you will actually use them rather than throwing away that strange unidentifiable package!
I re-cycle my ice-cream tubs as cheap tupperware replacements for freezing leftovers – have to remember to label them though as my other half once bit into frozen soup expecting Asda Choccy Soft Scoop 😉
I totally do this too. I have such a collection of Porelli vanilla ice cream tubs, lol!
I have so many tupperware dishes and i store left over food and freeze it. This is great for super quick meal times when needed
Keep tomatoes out of the fridge and on a kitchen shelf instead. And eat leftovers for next day’s lunch!
I’ve decanted my non-fridge foodstuffs from a wall cupboard into baskets which I now store in a big floor cupboard which is fitted with a carousel unit. It’s now really easy to see what we have, instead of things being hidden behind other things and us buying twice because we didn’t realise we already had it.
I use a fruit and vegetable preserver, that works by absorbing the ethylene they release. It slows down the ripening process so they last longer.
Ditch the spice rack and put your herbs and spices in Tupperware boxes without lids. That way they can be stored easily in a cupboard, instead of collecting dust on the counter-top.
I always like to plan my meals and if there is anything left over I try to use it the next day or I freeze it so there is a quick easy meal if I’m ever in a hurry
I always try to store food before it’s right on the expiry date
Always keep asparagus in a cup of water, it stays fresh well over a week.
I whizz up any stale bread in the food processor to make crumbs, then divide it into bags of various sizes so that I have different amounts just right for panneing, bread sauce or stuffing. Then label with the date and put them in a bigger bag in the freezer. That way I always have some breadcrumbs handy for whatever task I need them for.
I’ll try to hop back with a recipe later in the month
Jane
We use old margarine tubs and filler pots to freeze our food or keep it in the fridge, we also use old bread bags for keeping other items fresh for longer i.e rolls
We use the cereal tubs to store all our cereal.
We make things in bulk and then freeze them in smaller containers
I always freeze any left overs and save until enough to make a meal. Sometimes strange combinations but so what
I organize stuff in the cupboards and fridge by the use-by date so nothing goes to waste 🙂
I keep my fridge really cold, and I’ve noticed my salad stuff stays fresh for much longer than the dates on the packaging suggest.
I use Tupperware and because I don’t use a lot of bread I freeze my bread
We have an extra freezer and cook mostly frozen food, so there is rarely any leftovers.
Taking products out of their packaging and placing in freezer bags, clearly marking what they are and the used by dates. This saves lots of space.
Put fresh cookies in a sealed jar on the day you buy or make them and they will taste just baked for a few days
Cut up fresh brocoli and freeze it in bags, then chuck it frozen in stewsor casseroles, it cooks quickere
always make meals out of our leftovers so we can pull them out when we want them and there’s no left overs then!
BUYING FOR ONE IS EASY I JUST BUY WHAT I NEED FOR THE WEEK
Keep leftovers and food close to their end by dates at the front, that way it will remind you or inspire if feeling bold.
I freeze as much as I can tot reduce waste as much as possible.
I use those clip top containers to store breakfast cereal in. With kids in the house we always seem to have 23 different cereals on the go at any one time and they go stale real quick if they’re left in the cardboard boxes.
I have green bags that keep things fresh so I use these to store my fruit and veg in, I also freeze things when I know I’m not going to use them so they stay fresh and there’s no waste
I wrap celery, broccoli, and lettuce in aluminum foil to help it stay crisp for weeks.
Make sure when sorting out food to be frozen that you clearly mark on the container what it is!
If you are storing leftovers in the fridge make sure everything is visible and doesnt get pushed to the back and forgotten. I usually make extra in order to have leftovers and plan it for the next day’s meal. For example – Mon we had Chilli con carne with rice. I made extra rice and Tues that became Chicken fried rice with some leftover chicken from Sunday’s roast.
Oh and if storing in the freezer – LABEL!!!
I store food that needs to be used first at the front of the fridge, and if cooking extra to use up leftovers I store in airtight plastic boxes in the freezer
Clothes pegs to keep packets sealed 🙂
always use the freezer to it’s capabilities , you can freeze pretty much everything in tubs
We always make meals out of our leftovers so we don’t waste so much.
Don’t get hung up on best before dates for vegetables and fruit – use your eyes and your nose!
I always use a lot of cling film to make sure food is well wrapped so lasts longer
If i have too many lemons, I chop them into slices, pop them into a snadwich bag, and put them in the freezer.
Later, I can then use them in a G&T!
I use stationary bulldog clips to keep opened packets sealed tight and fresh!
we put all our leftovers into a frittata- lovely!
I’ve saved all the soup tubs which we re-use for freezing huge batches of pasta sauces or chilli. I also save the hummus pots as they’re really good for making up individual salad pots or storing smaller items.
As a lot of food sold is with families in mind rather than single users, I divide it up into portions and store some in freezer bags in the freezer for future use, so that it doesn’t go off.
I freeze my spinach… easy to grab a handful and add it to currys etc. I use lots of freezer bags and portion large crock pot meals.
I make big meals and put them in storage containers and freeze them to make lots of meals
You can avoid throwing away the wilty dregs of spinach and other salad leaves by putting a kitchen towel at the bottom of the bag to soak-up any excess moisture.
If you’re really keen to preserve your spinach leaves, you could always layer up the leaves between paper towels in a tupperware and store in the fridge. Picture a paper towel/spinach lasagne and you’ve got the gist!
Keep the crunch in your your celery by storing the stalks in a glass of water. I find just an inch of water in a pint glass works a treat. Wash the celery first and cut-off the ends.
I use plenty of internal shelves so that I can see the contents of the cupboard when I open the door, saves time!
I always end up making too much stick when I use stick pots, etc. I freeze leftovers in ice cube trays and pop into soups etc when I need a small amount.
It is a mistake to put eggs on a fridge. The shell is affected by the cold and leave more bacteria go though, which can get you ill.
we only buy what we need, any left overs get frozen and we always meal plan and stick to a shopping list
Batch cooking and sealing in bags for the freezer rather than boxes, we seem to get more in that way
lots of little individual portion Tupperware boxes that i freeze
If you make food to freeze like i do , get zip seal bags and fill them with the food and make sure all the area is out , then they lay flat in the freezer
i have lots of tupperware and i freeze leftovers
I rely heavily on the freezer and fridge. Though I have learned some things, such as garlic, last way longer at room temperature then in the fridge. It does freeze well though.
BUY FOOD YOU CAN EAT AND NOT BUY TOO MUCH
I always make a shopping list and try to stick to it , I would sometimes make double and freeze it
we always buy square tubs as they are mush easier to store
I make sure I store perishable leftovers in tubs that I can use a dry erase marker on- that way I can write the date I started storing them so I know when to use them up by.
I personally keep everything in tins and jars, because it looks prettier too! and its nicer to have everything separated and not just in boxes lying around.
Tupperware and freeze stuff all the time
If we have too many cherry tomatoes I wait until we are using the oven then pop them in a roasting tin with garlic to make a sauce for the freezer
Keep bread fresh by storing it at room temperature in a bread bin. Keeping bread in the fridge will certainly delay it going mouldy and keep it edible for longer, but it’ll go stale faster! The best option to reduce waste is to keep half a loaf out and pop the other half in the freezer as you can toast it straight from frozen.
I live on my own so I buy bigger packs of food & split them into smaller amounts & freeze them in either freezer bags or containers. I also batch cook sometimes too 🙂 x
I always freeze my left over dinners to make bubble and squek
Meal planning is a really good idea to help prevent waste, if you plan ahead you only buy what you need. I also like to make soup, it is really good for using up the odds and ends of vegetables that seem to gather in the bottom of the fridge, even the broccoli/cauliflower stalks that you wouldn’t normally cook can be added and help to make a delicious soup
I normally just freeze everything that can be frozen and try to use fresh produce asap