Knight said food was commonly thrown out before it goes off because people mistake best-before dates for use-by dates.
Laugh.can't say I ever read them myself. If the carrots are a bit soft and sprouty, well I use them in soups and stews. Pumpkin going soft and hairy in the middle! Scoop that bit out and continue using it.
toadfish,
Nov 13, 3:05am
I throw out next to nothing. the evening meal is planned around what needs using up.If I can't use it that night then things that can go in a soup get chopped up into soup size pieces and popped in the freezer for my next soup.Or things get popped in just before there use by (effectively stopping the aging process) and then used at another time imediately on defrostng.
My family used to leave crusts and I would end up with a whole bread bag worth in the freezer. these would then become. Crust PIzzas when a group of teenager arrive unexpected.Ends of chutneys and sauces spice up beef patties.
At the moment I have excess Jam (Gifted to me) and none of the family are into Jam at the moment. Any ideas so it doesn't go to waste. I am thinking an upside down type pudding with the Apricot Jam and a can of peaches, served with vanila ice cream in a couple of weeks when we have family visiting. (we don't normally have puddings)
duckmoon,
Nov 13, 4:04am
We don't waste much of our left overs. The kids serve themselves, so eat the amount on their plate.
If there is any left over, then hubby has it for lunch the next day
babytears,
Nov 13, 4:25am
All our food scraps go to the pig. so . not really wasted :)
fifie,
Nov 13, 4:47am
Not much waste in our house, food is to expensive these days for me a pensioner to throw it out. Even some fruit if needed to be use up makes a nice salsa with balsamic dressing for fish, steak etc, kiwi fruit i pulp, freeze in ice cubes nice as refreshing drink in summer. Once a week often make a quiche to clean out the fridge great way of using up bits and pieces. Toady for your jam some ideas might help you use it up is apricot goes well with baked chicken or use as glaze for xmas cakes etc. A spoonful of you fav jam mixed with greek yoghurt and museli, puddings if you have them, blackcurrent goes well in steam puddings, things you putaspoon of sugar injust substitute for jam, evendressings. I line all my jars of unused chutney up in front on the shelf in pantry so i don't forget them lol, about now and shove a spoon full in gravy's, stews, casseroles, usually whatever i'm making or anything thatneeds a added boost to flavour to use it up. Even some dips i chuck it in with pasta and beef it up with more herbs if necessary for a lunch scoff. I used to see my girls busy as they are throwing out this and that it bugged me, sonow have got them on the right track to waste less and they are loving it.
elliehen,
Nov 13, 4:59am
Is there a school breakfast club in your area!Here they are glad to be given donations of jam.
toadfish,
Nov 13, 5:12am
I have 2 unopened Craigs Jam so though about the foodbank, but I think PC has gone mad as far as donated home made produce is concerned.
I laughed after posting the above hubbie came home.This morning I made bread case bacon & Egg Pies so ended up with 48 crusts that I had cut off.While I dry baked the cases I dry baked the crust.Hubby has just come home from work and polished off half of them with some salsa and some feta dip (The feta dip was reduced to clear $2). Nothing wasted in this house and made a healthier and cheaper alternative to chips or crackers.
toadfish,
Nov 13, 5:18am
Have you got your recipe for baked chicken with Jam.I use this one in the crockpot.
toadfish,
Nov 13, 5:19am
I found this on a Sophie Gray blog and adapted it and tried it yesterday, and it was lovely. This week Mad Butcher has Chicken drums on special so I plan to skin them, add the sauce and freeze in meal portions. So that I just need to take the bag out of the freezer the night before and turn the crockpot on in the morning. I exercise 3 mornings a week and don't have the time on those mornings to fiddle with a crockpot.
Sauce 1/3 cup tomato sauce, 1 tbsp white vinegar, 1 tsp soy sauce, 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce 2 tbsp brown sugar and 1 tbsp Berry jam - (Sophie said Apricot which I didn't have) Thats it, just enough to coat everything
I just mixed all of the above together and poured it over and mixed it aroung the skinned chicken drums. It produces lots of liquids and this can be thickened with cornflour. Very nice with rice and great for those like me that can be short of time.
(This is what Sophie did - Browned whole chook in frying pan then put in slow cooker, slathered on sauce and cooked on high about 5 hours - 5 hour cooking it not an option for me as I switch it on aas I leave and it cooks for 10 hours)
fifie,
Nov 13, 6:03am
My baked chicken is simple often do it in C/pot similar to above. Brown your thawed out chicken drumsticks,or chicken pieces in a frying pan with about a tsp oil and a crushed clove of garlic. put in the c/pot mix upgood 1/2 cup apricot jam, 1 tablesp oil, 2 tablesp soy sauce s/gr black pepper, drizzle over chicken lid on and cook .Can take chicken out and thicken juices if you want when cooked. If i do it in oven mix up jam, s/p garlic,soy sauce, oil, zap few secs to blend put chicken ino/proof dish pour over sauce, toss chicken to coat and bake.Baste a few times , watch it dosen't burn usually do it about 150-160if have time, Sometimes i double sauce depending how many am cooking for and the bigger sizechicken pieces.Find it great for using up apricot jam don't see why you couldn't mix toss aroundmeal portions and freeze, good idea. Sometimes i throw ingarlic or plainworcester sauce, if i'm out of garlic.
lythande1,
Nov 14, 8:44am
Sounds yum. But I make the bread case things with crusts on so never have left over crusts.
toadfish,
Nov 14, 6:00pm
Just tweeked the recipe and made it this morning. Added more Jam and left out the sugar
1/4 cup tomato sauce, 1 tbsp white vinegar, 1 tsp soy sauce, 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce 1/4 Cup neighbours plum jam (had a wee taste. best used this way I think lol)
dezzie,
Nov 14, 10:22pm
I think "use by" and best before dates are responsible for heaps of food getting chucked out, in the days before these things I can't remember anyone dying from eatting a can of baked beans that was too old etc, I've frequently seen people posting on these boards and in the general thread asking "Would you use this" because its a day past its date, and most people say chuck it. I never check dates, because I started cooking for my family in the days when there were none to check.
pamellie,
Nov 14, 10:34pm
I think we need just to use our common sense, if itlooks and smell ok, it should be fine.
I work with a woman who is constantly talking about throwing food down the 'gobbly gook' for a variety of reasons but can't see that she may as well be throwing money down the drain! However the thought of going out for a xmas work lunch that might cost$20 seems a waste of money to her.
timturtle,
Nov 14, 11:25pm
I used to make Jam turnovers for pudding, just spread jam onto a rectangle of pastry, then fold into triangles, bake and add custard and or Ice cream. Simple easy and from memory dam nice. Lol
theanimal1,
Nov 15, 5:40am
Our scraps go to either the dog, or we cook it with the peelings of the vegs and give to the chickens. Any brocoli, cabbage, lettuce, rainbow beet that i have not cooked and eaten myself, gets given raw to the rabbits.
puss..in..boots,
Nov 15, 5:58am
I admit that I throw out vegies and fruit when they start looking 'past it'. I've always thought why bother with that when there is going to be nil nutritionalvalue (doesn't this decrease as vegies age!). However toadfish has given me an idea - catch them before they get to this stage and if I'm not planning to use them in a meal soon - chop it and freeze it.
tommydog,
Nov 18, 5:39am
I sit down each week now and plan my menus from my cookbooks and mags can't believe how much money I am saving on food I use to be such a waster but not anymore.The other great thing about doing this is you haven't got the problem of deciding what to have for dinner each night as its all been planned.Any left over things I have I just do a google to find out how to use them up in something.
punkinthefirst,
Nov 18, 7:29am
Toadfish - for your jam. A few spoonfuls under a sponge pudding a spoonfull to sweeten fruit in fruit sponge (instead of sugar) a spoonful to give a kick to curries, gravies and casseroles "thumbs" - those biscuits with a depression in the middle with jam in it Jam Tarts Spread on a sponge sandwich before, or instead of, cream filling Stick biscuits together Use as part of a truffle mix Add plum, apricot, etc., (wouldn't work with strawberry or raspberry) to chopped onions, salt, apples, vinegar, spices to make "new" chutney Make a fruit sauce from jam and a little water or juice for topping for ice-cream , pancakes, waffles, french toast, etc. Use in the filling for Fly Cemeteries, with dried fruit, apple and bread or cake crumbs From Edmonds Cookbook:- Loch Katrine cake Albert squares Cheesecakes (the old-fashioned kind with pastry, jam and cake)
Right.there's a few from the top of my head - Oh, and speaking of heads - my own Sawdust Cake, made from out of my head with whatever's available- but based on a wet 2 cup scone dough, with 2 eggs added.Spread half the mix roughly into a well buttered and lined shallow tin. Make a mixture ofa couple of grated apples, lemon juice and rind, or essence, spices, jam or a spoonful of sugar, dried fruit - drop that in lumps over the dough in the tin - drop lumps of the remaining dough on the top. Bake at 180 degrees C 15 - 20 minutes. Drizzle trails of lemon icing over the top while warm. Serve warm
kuaka,
Nov 18, 7:50am
Use up stale cake and jam by making "queen pudding".Crumble the stale cake and add a couple of eggs and a knob of butter and a little milk and mix until it's nice and moist but not too sloppy.Put it in a buttered dish and bake, then spread with jam, top with a meringue mix and bake again to cook and brown the meringue.Serve warm with cream and/or fruit and/or custard.
And I waste very little food.Vegies that have got past it are composted, and when we have chicken, I can stretch that out to several meals and by the time I'm finished with it, the carcase looks like it's been picked over by vultures.Best before dates, I basically ignore unless it's way way past.Use by dates, I am a little more conscious of and take more notice of, but depending on the item, I still don't necessarily biff it out just because it says "use by yesterday".If it's something like yoghurt, sour cream, carrots, milk or whatever then I just use my judgement and common sense, but something like pork or chicken I would be very very wary of using after it's best by or use by date.
beaker59,
Nov 18, 8:40pm
Leftover night is the best night in this house sometimes to eat and sometimes its the worst but its fairly regular. I don't think I have ever thrown something out based on the label but I have based on my own common sence.
Bread only ever ends up as breadcrumbs and even then I sometimes end up buying them.
uli,
Nov 19, 3:58am
Yes - leftovers are great - however when we came to NZ there was this "culture" of dishing everything that had been cooked onto plates (in the kitchen), so one had no input on how much of what one got (it was out in front of you and you ate (or not)) - and so the "leftovers" were actually throw-outs, as everybody had been through their plates with their spoons and forks and saliva.
While I was brought up with an array of food in tureens and on plates from which one served oneself as much as one wanted (with an individual serving spoon), so anything "left over" was fit to be put into the fridge and served up another day or re-arranged into new dishes.
The complete "dishing out" of everything cooked that night which I found here 20 or more years ago I had never encountered before. What a waste. No wonder people used to keep a pig :)
elliehen,
Nov 19, 4:12am
There weren't leftovers in New Zealand houses with budgetary constraints in those days.Children were expected to clean their plates (for the starving children in India!) and could not say, 'Please may I leave the table!' until the plates were empty.
fifie,
Nov 19, 5:14am
Well i certainly wasn't bought up that way here, we had lots of food choices and everything was put in individual serving dishes, yes we had serving spoons to and we helped our selves. You took it you eat it, no waste was the go in our house hold, and we didn't leave the table until our plate was clean along with no talking till the meal was finished. Leftovers were kept and made into something for lunch next day, so i never seen food being fed to pigs or chucked out.
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