Food
How to reduce food waste – clever tips from our test kitchen
by Liz Stansfield
According to Love Food, Hate Waste, who run the annual Food Waste Action Week, 60% of food waste in the UK comes from our own homes.
Our talented food team are always thinking about ways to reduce food waste when developing recipes in our test kitchen. We try and use full packs and tins where possible, and add ‘waste not’ tips and tricks to features to help our readers waste less food and ingredients when cooking at home. Here, you’ll find our team’s clever ideas to help you tackle food waste in your own kitchen, and some easy ideas for using up the most-wasted foods. We’ve also got a delicious collection of leftovers recipes to try.
Fry your rice
“We throw away a huge amount of rice every year in the UK – but it makes for brilliantly versatile leftovers. Crisp up cooked rice in a pan with sesame oil to bring crunch to a salad. Try my smacked cucumber and crispy rice salad.”
- Abi, Senior Food Producer
Use your parmesan rind
“Never ditch your parmesan rind when the cheese is finished; pop the rind in the pan when you’re cooking a risotto or a ragù and it will impart a great depth of flavour.”
- Sarah Akhurst, former Head of Food
Cook your banana skins…
Ripe banana skin makes a delicious ‘fakon’ for veggie bacon sandwiches. Use ripe bananas with brown spots, which will add sweetness. Get the recipe for banana skin BLT.
… And freeze the rest!
If you’ve got over-ripe bananas but can’t use them immediately, don’t bin them – freeze them. Either keep them whole in their skins (ideal for baking or adding to pancake batter), or roughly chop peeled bananas and freeze on a tray, then tip into a container ready to use in smoothies. Don’t miss our most popular banana bread.
Make veg peel crisps
Scrub root veggie peelings such as beetroot, sweet potatoes, carrots and parsnips and roast in your favourite spices with a glug of olive oil. Get the full recipe for veg peel crisps if you need a hand choosing your spice mix.
Use your lemons
“Don’t chuck juiced lemon halves. Put them in a bowl of water and heat on high in your microwave to deodorise it and make splatter clean-up easier.”
- Nadine, Senior Food Producer
Use your mash
Leftover mash works wonders for weekend bubble and squeak. Try The Dorchester chef Tom Booton’s delicious recipe for bubble and squeak cakes. Or try something new with Mumbai potato toasties.
Give lettuce a new lease of life
Making lettuce soup is a great way to clear out those slightly past-their-best greens. Get our lettuce soup recipe which is topped with crispy croutons.
Bake your porridge
Always left with cold porridge in the pan? Our no-knead porridge bread puts it to good use with just a handful of other storecupboard ingredients.
Take a shopping shelfie
Before you go shopping, take a picture of the inside of your fridge and cupboards. It’s quicker than writing a list but also means you won’t double up on food.
Think about fruit storage
Some fruits emit gases as they ripen, which make nearby fruit go off faster. Apples, bananas, pears and kiwis are the worst culprits, so try and store them separately.
Dish it out
“I think we might be the noisiest neighbours on my street but possibly the most liked as I always hand out my food after a day of testing. It’s a great way of not wasting food and bonding with the local community.”
- Nadine, Senior Food Producer
Think stock savvy
“Don’t throw away your veg peels and scraps – things like carrot or celery ends, onion skins, leftover ginger or garlic, or even herb stems can be frozen, then added to homemade stock to add lots of flavour.”
- Spencer, Senior Food Producer
Be a breadwinner
“Leftover baguette, focaccia, bagels and even crumpets can be used to make croutons. Toss with oil and flavourings of your choice (e.g. ground spices or chopped woody herbs), then bake in a hot oven until golden and crunchy.”
- Abi, Senior Food Producer
