Chicago Home and Lifestyles – Waste less, Save more
It has been estimated that Americans throw out 60 million tons of food every year. This is estimated to be about 40% of the nation’s food supply. This equates to 325 pounds per person! Discarded food is the single largest component in landfills at 22%. More than 80% of Americans discard perfectly good and usable food because they don’t understand the different language used to date food. We can reduce this number by becoming knowledgeable about different dates. Best by dates mean food is still safe to eat, but may not be as flavorful. But we can also start reducing waste at home by taking proper care of the food we have!
Fruit needs to be refrigerated for optimum shelf life. We all grew up with the bowl of fruit on the kitchen counter, but we now know that hastens spoilage. Keep fruit in the refrigerator till ready to eat. Some fruits also produce ethylene gas like peaches, plums and pears. Other high producers of the gas, such which should be kept separate from other foods include apples, apricots, avocados, ripe bananas, blueberries, cantaloupe, cranberries, figs, spring onions, grapes, honeydew melon, kiwis, mangoes, nectarines, papaya, passion fruit, peaches, potatoes, prunes and tomatoes. Other vegetables and fruits can spoil quicker when stored near these items. These include asparagus, unripe bananas blackberries, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, chard, cucumbers, eggplant, endive, garlic, green beans, kale and leafy greens, leeks, lettuce, onions, parsley, peas, peppers, raspberries, spinach, squash, strawberries, sweet potatoes, watercress and watermelon. Keeping these fruits and vegetables separate will increase their shelf life. Shop often so you buy only what you need for 2-3 days.
Cheese is one of the things I think most of us are storing improperly. Cheese should be wrapped in wax paper, not plastic wrap or bags. Cheese needs some air to stay fresh. Wax paper strikes the right balance between the cheese drying out and getting too moist. Tomatoes are one vegetable that should never be refrigerated. Cold takes away all the flavor and texture. It changes the genetic makeup permanently. I like to buy small cocktail tomatoes, especially in the winter. They are small so you just cut as much as you need. Bread, I bring home and freeze in 2-4 slice bags. Bread thaws in minutes on the counter and it’s always fresh.
Do not store bread in the refrigerator as it will dry out. Unused fresh herbs can be chopped and frozen in ice cube trays with water or olive oil. Keep in a freezer zip bag and use when you need a pop of flavor in your cooking. Eggs should be stored in their original container, not the spot in your refrigerator with the little cup holes. They are porous and can take on strong flavors if stored too closely. Onions, potatoes and squash do well in a cool dark environment. Those of us with pantries are lucky as these are ideal. Keep the onions and potatoes a way away from each other as the potatoes will sprout quicker near onions. Nuts and other oil containing foods are best refrigerated. They contain saturated fat that can oxidize when temps are too high. Nut flour as well is best kept frozen, not in the pantry like wheat flour. Purchase olive oil in dark bottles, it is sensitive to light. Again, store in a dark place.
You can still buy in bulk but proper preparation and storing will ensure less waste. Freeze meat in portions and properly wrap and date. Keep the freezer rotated so first in, first out. Ground meat on sale? Make chili, spaghetti sauce and sloppy joes. Freeze in meal size portions. Cooked chicken and turkey can be frozen for up to 3 months. Pork roast on sale? Slow cook, shred and add your favorite barbeque sauce. Freeze leftovers. My family is not particularly fond of eating the same meal twice in the same week, so freezing is the best way to avoid waste. If you think about it, most food you make can be frozen. I always make extra when cooking spaghetti sauce. It is so convenient to grab a bag of sauce out of the freezer. Cook some pasta, match with frozen garlic bread and dinner is ready.
Does anyone else have any tips for saving food?
Kathleen Weaver-Zech and Dean’s Team Chicago
