Or Where Veggies go to die!
Have you ever put your hand into the crisper drawer only to have it slip right into a mushy cucumber? Gag! Or buy a bag of salad only to find it later as a bag full of gross, green liquid? Reeeek, reee, reee! (scary music sound) You reach in to find the Creature from the Crisper Drawer!!
It happens to us all! Rotten, gross produce!
It's worth noting that over 70 billion pounds of food waste go into landfills each year and if food waste was a country it would be the third largest emitter of methane gases!!! Food waste decomposes, but once it is in the landfill there is no oxygen to help break it down and the process greatly slows. About 15% of landfill content is food waste! - Yikes!
What can we do to prevent the Creature from the Crisper rising up to ick us?
Freeze things! It is crazy the amount of things that can be frozen! I freeze lemons, feta, yogurt, plus meats, veggies and fruit. When it looks like things are going to go bad before you can use them Google it to see if and how to freeze it.
Store things properly. Some vegetables do better in a container in the fridge, while things like mushrooms do well in a paper bag.
Don't wash it until time to use it. The moisture will cause it to perish sooner.
Sort. Things like apples, pears, potatoes, and bananas emit ethylene which will cause other things to ripen more quickly. But! If something is underripe stick it with an apple or potato!
Keep a special bin for foods that are more likely to go bad, like already cut and washed foods. We keep a clear bin and have a label that says "Eat Me First" on it. When cooking there rule is to start with this bin.
Cook from the fridge. I know a lot of people who do a fridge dump night. Some of the best recipes come from it! Cassaroles, pizzas, omelets, all kinds of stuff! Though sometimes when my husband says "Man, that was awesome, we should have that again I have to tell him it is very unlikely to happen again"!
I've been known to rinse the sauce from chicken or beans and then reuse them with a different sauce.
Meal plan! I know I say it a lot! But, it's true. A great benefits of meal planning is cutting down on waste. Be sure to plan from what you have on hand too.
When making your menu/meal plan see if you can use an ingredient in several recipes.
Grab my weekly meal guide to get you started. Note, it changes weekly.
Cook your lettuce. Did you know that you can cook many lettuces? When they start to look a little wilted give them a second life by cooking them.
Dehydrate. Many of us have air fryers now and a lot of them have a Dehydrate button. This gives new life and a different twist to the foods. Dehydrating brings out the sugars which impacts the taste. You can dehydrate many fruits and veggies including beets, carrots, mushrooms and zucchini
Canning is growing in popularity again. Try learning to can and can your excess produce.
Make something new. When you see your produce starting to go try turning apples to applesauce.
When it is too late! Consider composting.
Are you ready to defeat the Creature from the Crisper?? Comment and share what your tips are!
Having you considered meeting who a Health Coach? It's like a personal trainer for your mind! You make the decisions and I help you with tools, education, and by helping you find your own motivation and make health your habit.
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