The great thing about trying to live an environmentally-friendly lifestyle is that you’re always learning something new. Recently I’ve been trying hard to cut down my food waste. A quick online search showed me an amazing number of ideas to put into practise. One thing that struck me was how many scraps and peelings we throw away that can be put to good use – cutting waste, saving money and providing fun food & household help. Here are a few ideas…
Apple and pear peels: You can make a simple apple or pear juice by boiling the peels (and apple cores) in water with a little sugar. Add enough water to cover the peels & cores, thrown in a dash of lemon juice to stop the skins going brown and to help preserve it. Bring to the boil and simmer for about 30 minutes, then strain the juice. If you like homemade coleslaw, simply cut up the apple peel and add it to the mix. You can also dehydrate the peel (in a low oven for about an hour or in a dehydrator) and add to museli or even curries.
Potato peels: Preheat your oven to 190 C and make sure you thoroughly wash the potatoes before peeling them. Toss the peelings in a bowl with a little oil, along with salt, pepper and herbs of your choice – rosemary or thyme work really well. For a stronger taste, you could also add cumin, paprika, garlic – whatever takes your fancy. Bake them in a hot oven for about 15-25 minutes until they’re crispy. Give them a stir halfway through.
Stale bread: Never throw stale bread away! There are too many uses for it. Cut into squares and fry them for croutons with salad and soups or whizz the crumbs in a blender to make bread sauce or a stuffing mix. Whole slices of bread are great for bread pudding or summer pudding (our family favourite). You can always save them in the freezer until you have enough for whatever you want to make. If none of these appeal to you, a slice of white bread is great for getting marks off painted walls – just rub the bread on the marks and watch them disappear…
