Harvest & Waste Not, Want Not

September is a bountiful time of year, and at the Ricky Community Garden, we're getting ready to harvest the fruits of our labour.

This got us thinking about food waste at home. It’s a huge issue, but making a few small changes can have a big impact. We've all been there — that soft bag of spinach or the bananas that have turned brown on the counter. While this feels bad, the truth is, a staggering amount of food is wasted long before it ever reaches our homes.

Your Kitchen: A Waste-Free Zone

Here are some of the main culprits we tend to throw away and some simple tricks to save them from the bin:

  • Fresh Fruit & Veg: We often overbuy, leading to wilted greens and soft vegetables.

  • Bread: A whole loaf can go stale before we can finish it.

  • Dairy: Milk and cheese have short shelf lives.

  • Cooked Leftovers: Often forgotten in the back of the fridge.

Unsung Heroes of the Kitchen

Before you toss those food scraps, consider this: many parts of fruits and vegetables that we traditionally throw away are not only edible but delicious!

  • Beetroot Leaves: Don’t discard them! Cook them like you would spinach.

  • Butternut Squash Skin: With a good scrub and a roast, the skin becomes soft and adds extra fibre.

  • Carrots, Celery and Spring onions: Looking a little floppy and soft? Pop them in a container of cold water for 24 hours and they will perk right up. And the same goes for wilted lettuce, spinach and kale – as long as its not gone brown.

Tools to Help You Stay Fresh

To help keep your food fresher for longer, consider investing in some simple kitchen helpers. The Lakeland StayFresh Sheets can be used in your fridge drawers to help absorb ethylene gas, which speeds up ripening, keeping your fruit and veg crisp. For items like leafy greens or herbs, the StayFresh Longer Bags provide a breathable environment that helps reduce spoilage.

Your Freezer: The Ultimate Waste Fighter

Your freezer is your best friend when it comes to tackling food waste. Think of it as a pause button for your groceries.

  • Leftovers: Portion up extra meals and freeze them for a quick, homemade dinner later on.

  • Vegetable Scraps: Keep a bag in the freezer for peelings and offcuts. When full, use them to make a flavourful vegetable stock.

  • Wilting Herbs: Chop up tired herbs, place them in an ice cube tray with olive oil, and freeze. You'll have perfect little flavour bombs ready for your next meal.

  • Cheese: Grated or in a block, cheese like cheddar, mozzarella and parmesan freeze well though are best used in cooking.

  • Bread: Slice it up and freeze for toast or blitz into breadcrumbs to use in a later dish.

By rethinking our approach to food and using a few clever tricks, we can all help reduce our food waste and save money in the process!