- Do not throw out ANY left over food. Find some way to use the left overs; in another meal or some other way.
- Expanding on #1 above: put all little "dabs" of vegetables in a bag or container in your freezer and add to them each time, even if it's just a spoonful of corn or peas, etc. When you make vegetable soup or a stew, etc. you can add the contents of this container.
- You can do the same with a "dab" of fruit and then add them when you make a fruit salad.
- Use a rubber spatula. I find this to be one of the thriftiest tools in my kitchen. Scrape out every last bit of any and everything in a jar, a can, or the sides of mixing bowls. It is amazing how much food is left on the sides and wasted.
- Try not to buy items in plastic squeeze bottles because you cannot scrape them out as above.
Okay, here we go!
It's amazing how much waste we can stop just by doing little things like you suggested.
ReplyDeleteHave you noticed how many more food products come in the squeeze bottles now that didn't before?
Rachel Ray on Food Network does the Bottom-of-the-jar segment every once in awhile where she adds other ingredients to what's left in a jar, or squeeze bottle, shakes it up and gets one or two more servings as a salad dressing or sauce. I've done that a couple of times and it does work.
You're right - rubber spatulas work great for cleaning out jars. When I am making BBQ and my ketchup is almost gone, I put some of the water that the recipe calls for in the bottle, shake it and use it that way.
ReplyDeleteBrenda, I do the same thing with Mayonnaize bottles. I know who Rachel Ray is but don't watch her.....I don't watch much TV and when I do it's usually on the NEWS or STOCKS.
ReplyDeleteMari, Another good idea about using the water from the recipe to clean out the bottle!!
Susan
That's a good idea to save just a little bit of something left over to make soup later. Thanks for the good hints.
ReplyDeleteSaving dabs is my little secret habit, too. I keep a tupperware in the freezer and just add to it whenever I have leftovers, unless the flavor would be really incompatible. It looks gross, but when it's full I put it into a pot with water and season it if needed, and then it looks and tastes really good!! It is usually something like minestrone. The kids call it Harvest Surprise. Haha, and the best part is, it's free =)
ReplyDeleteOver here from Nana's Reflections....... Great ideas for the veggies....... There are so many ways to conserve...... We just have to do it.....
ReplyDeleteHey! I really like number 2--don't know why I hadn't thought to do that!
ReplyDeleteAll great ideas.
ReplyDeleteI do many of these already.
I like to use everything to the last drop too.