How to stop throwing food out of the fridge: Jamie Oliver's recommendations
'25.11.2021'
Source: Life hacker
Recommendations from a renowned chef will help keep food fresh and save what has already begun to deteriorate, writes Life hacker.
One third of food is lost every year in the world. One part of it dies on farms, factories or on the way to the consumer, while the second is thrown away by shops and customers. And this is when almost a billion people go hungry in the world, the number of which is growing every year. Water and energy are wasted on production. 10% of all greenhouse gases are wasted. Finally, people work in vain.
British chef Jamie Oliver and his team explain how to buy, store and prepare food without throwing anything away. It will save you time, money and help the planet a little.
1. Consider the features of the refrigerator
The temperature drops in the chamber depend on its model. Keep this in mind when placing perishable items on the shelves.
Modern high-tech devices cool the camera evenly, but if you have a regular budget refrigerator, the temperature on different shelves differs. Look for instructions on how to best decompose foods. Usually, in a two-compartment refrigerator, the back wall freezes, and warm air rises up according to the laws of physics. Therefore, raw meat is stored on the bottom shelf, and ready-made meals on the top. In a single-chamber device, on the contrary, it is cooler on top, under the freezer.
The warmest thing is always on the door. Therefore, Jamie suggests moving the dairy products from there to the middle shelves, and keeping juices and sauces on the door.
2. Plan the menu and revise regularly
Think about how much and what you will eat this week. Don't forget about scheduled out-of-home dinners. So you will not cook a pot of borscht, which you still cannot master.
Before going to the store, check the refrigerator and cabinets. Make a grocery list based on the menu and stick to it so you don't get too much food.
Check the refrigerator periodically to find spoiling food in time and have time to cook or freeze them.
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3. Do not fill the refrigerator with everyone.
It makes no sense to store some products in the refrigerator, some of them spoil there even faster. For example, bananas turn black and bread becomes moldy due to moisture. Therefore, Jamie advises to transfer them to a dark, dry place. Thus, the cell will become freer, and all purchases will be in sight.
Here's a list of foods you don't need to keep in the refrigerator:
- onion
- garlic
- carrot
- potato
- tropical fruit
- bread
- canned goods
- olive oil
- honey
- jam
- chocolate
4. Keep some vegetables and fruits separate
Potatoes and onions spoil faster when they are next to each other. It's about ethylene, a plant hormone. It is released as a gas and causes the fruit to ripen. Some fruits and vegetables produce more ethylene, while others are more sensitive to its effects. Store foods from these groups separately. For example, put cucumbers, carrots, and cabbage in a refrigerator drawer and tomatoes on a shelf. Onions release a lot of ethylene and ripen quickly. Therefore, keep it in a closet separate from other fruits and vegetables.
Ethylene is liberated abundantly:
- onion
- potato
- tomatoes
- apples
- pears
- ripe bananas
- apricots
- peaches
- nectarine;
- grapes
- mango
- kiwi
- persimmon
- plums
- avocado
Ethylene sensitive:
- bananas
- onion
- garlic
- carrot
- cucumbers
- cabbage
- eggplant
- pepper
- broccoli
- cauliflower
5. Pickle vegetables
To do this, you do not need to sterilize the jars and bother for hours in the kitchen. Any fresh vegetables will do: carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, asparagus.
Rinse the container in warm soapy water and dry. Prepare vegetables: wash, peel (if necessary), cut. Add herbs, garlic, and mustard seeds as desired. For a half-liter jar, take 120 milliliters of vinegar and water, half a tablespoon of salt and sugar. Heat the marinade to dissolve the crystals. Pour them over the vegetables and twist the jar. When cool, refrigerate for two days. Vegetables pickled in this way can be stored for up to two months.
6. Freeze
Fruits are the most thrown away in the world, although they are easy to save. Chop any vegetables and fruits, place in bags or containers and freeze.
Make fruit smoothies by mixing them with milk or yogurt in a blender. Add nuts, oatmeal and honey as desired. To make popsicles, whisk your blanks with any juice and freeze in molds.
Frozen fruits are perfect for pies and compotes. Vegetables are good for any meal.
- Greens
Place the chopped greens in a container and add some oil. Freeze and use for cooking.
- Dairy products and eggs
The yogurt in the freezer flakes and the eggs crack. But freeze milk, cheese and egg white safely.
- Leftovers
If you've cooked too much, freeze your lunch to save cooking time next time. Store homemade food in zip bags. They are thin, so everything in them quickly crystallizes and thaws. Sauces can be frozen in ice trays.
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Sign what is frozen and when. Jamie warns that leftover food and dairy products can be stored in this form for no longer than three months.
- Bread
If the bread gets stale, chop it up and freeze it to make breadcrumbs and crumb later.
Follow these guidelines and over time they will become a habit. Clean up your refrigerator, plan your menu, shop wisely, and freeze whatever you can.
How do you feel about throwing away food? Are you ready to spend energy to save her?
