Food-Rescuing Secrets for Avoiding Food Waste
None of these ideas by themselves will make a big difference in your grocery bill, but taken together, you’ll have more food show up on your table and less in your trash!
by Jan Roland
Don’t you hate to waste food? It’s just like throwing money away. With grocery prices heading up, that’s not a good thing! So why not try some of these food-rescuing secrets that I found in some old cookbooks?
Avoiding moldy cheese is easy. Just wrap the cheese along with a sugar cube in a paper towel and store in the fridge.
If coating your skillet with oil causes it to smoke up, try this instead. Cut a potato in half and rub the exposed potato on the skillet. It won’t smoke at high temperatures.
Brown sugar can quickly become as hard as concrete. Want to keep it soft? Store it in a glass jar or plastic bag with a piece of bread or an apple inside. Keep it in the refrigerator until you need it.
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Sliced fruit that has turned brown is very unattractive. Avoid the problem by sprinkling lemon juice onto the sliced fruit.
You don’t need to turn stale bread into bread crumbs. You can revive it by sprinkling it with water and placing it in the microwave for between 10 and 30 seconds.
Rinsing cooked rice with warm water will keep it from sticking together.
If you want perfect pasta, add a little salt and oil to the water while it’s boiling. You’ll avoid sticky noodles.
Too much salt? If you taste a new recipe and think it’s too salty, try this. Add a touch of vinegar and sugar to the recipe.
Recipe too sweet? A few drops of lemon juice or vinegar will save the day.
If your mayo is starting to curdle or separate, you can save it by mixing a teaspoon of mustard and a teaspoon of the mayo. After it’s thoroughly mixed, add to the rest of the mayo.
Store chips, cereals, and crackers in airtight containers.
Soft fruit is ideal for smoothies. And wilting veggies will be fine in a soup or stew.
Related: 5 Ways To Reduce Food Waste by 20%
Store apples, bananas, and tomatoes alone. Do not mix fruits and vegetables in the same bin in the fridge.
Don’t wash berries until you’re ready to eat them. Washing when you get home from the store encourages mold.
None of these ideas by themselves will make a big difference in your grocery bill, but taken together, you’ll have more food show up on your table and less in your trash!
Reviewed August 2023
