Prevent Wasted Food

Eeek, it’s ethylene!! & other freshness tips for summer produce

Summer Greetings, Conscientious Food Consumers!

Don’t you love the colors, smells and, of course, the taste of fresh summertime produce? From berries to basil and beets, cherries to cherry tomatoes, chives to cucumbers, peaches and peppers to parsley, radishes, herbs, all kinds of leafy greens and so many others, we are blessed with a variety of lovely plant edibles here in the Willamette Valley. Whether you grow your own, buy from a store or farmers’ market, now’s the time to make the most of the abundant fruit and veggies in season!

Recent garden haul: strawberries, basil, radishes, lettuces, arugula — ready for PREP NOW EAT LATER & proper storage

That means wasting less, more “Prep Now/Eat Later” and proper storage of those products, and respecting the time and energy all the water, energy, human time and labor, soil amendment and transportation cost that went into their production and delivery. Not to mention all that $$ YOU SPENT on produce or on seeds, plant starts, garden supplies and water!

It helps to keep a little science in mind when handling produce fresh from the garden, market or grocery store. Did you know that certain fruits and veggies are best stored separately, due to a certain naturally-occurring ripening agent?

EEEK! IT’S ETHYLENE!

Ethylene gas is a plant hormone released by certain fruits and vegetables during their maturation process — think apples, avocados, tomatoes, bananas and peaches, to name just a few. We’ve all had our share of revolting experiences with the wrinkly, shriveled, spotty, mushy, moldy and rotting after-effects of ethylene vapors (like our Kitchen Confessions here)! Neighboring fruit or veggies, BEWARE!

Here’s a few things for Conscientious Consumers to know:

  • AN INTRO TO ETHYLENE — from a helpful gardening site we found during our blog research. Here’s another good summary, and a more academic treatment of the subject is here.
  • FRUITS RELEASE MORE ethylene than veggies (generally speaking), and unripe fruits — with skins and stems intact — tend to be lower emitters. A warm environment (such as indoors on your counter) encourages ethylene release, affecting both the fruit itself and any neighboring produce.
  • REFRIGERATION slows down the effects of ethylene and gives you more time to make use of those fresh and highly-perishable items.
  • KNOW YOUR CULPRITS. Which fruits and veggies are ethylene-emitters, and which aren’t? Which are ethylene-sensitive or not? (Not: blueberries.) Which ones are affected by ethylene off-gassing after harvest (think plums, peaches), and which are not? There’s lots of lists available from your favorite search engine. 
  • You can LEVERAGE ETHYLENE to speed up ripening for those rock-hard avocados or nectarines you just picked up. Stick ’em in a bag together and check in a day or two.
  • BRUISES or BROKEN SKIN on produce make it extra-vulnerable to both ethylene and spoilage, so prompt action is needed! In many cases, you can just trim off the damaged parts and prep the rest for juicing, smoothies, cooking, purees, and freezer meals or treats.
  • Ethylene isn’t all bad — riper fruit tastes better!

AVOID THE “EEEK!” FACTOR & KEEP IT FRESH!

  • SEGREGATE and STORE each produce item in its own bag, basket or container, on the counter or in the appropriate area of your fridge or freezer. CHECK DAILY for the ripeness status of tricky perishables like avocados, peaches and tomatoes.
  • After ripening on the counter and transferring to your fridge, label the ripest items to EAT FIRST!
  • HANDLE WITH CARE. Especially when picking produce yourself or transferring to baskets or containers, try to avoid damaging the skins or removing the tops/stems of fruits like strawberries and tomatoes, to prevent additional off-gassing or gas absorption.
  • Do take the time to PREP leafy greens and veggies like carrots and radishes, for quick salads, snacks and less waste! (photos below)
  • Ethylene-suppressed avo, almost-ripe & chill in its own little cubby in our fridge door!
    Prepped garden radishes w/tops

    LEAVE  THOSE CUTE LITTLE CAPS ON your strawberries to keep ’em fresher, longer! You can also go zero waste and make use of those strawberry tops in several ways –they’re highly nutritious.  Just DON’T wash berries until ready to serve and eat.

  • JUST FREEZE IT — especially with cut or past-prime fruit. Keep track of what’s in there with our ever-popular Freezer Inventory form (also in Spanish).
  • USE A PAPER BAG to separate and store ethylene-emitters like peaches, pears, plums and nectarines. It will contain the gas, ripen the fruit AND protect their produce neighbors from accelerated spoilage!
  • Try using an ETHYLENE ABSORBER product like BluApple in your produce drawers. (Note: not necessarily a product endorsement.)
  • REMEMBER FOOD SAFETY — wash and store produce carefully! Damp fruits or veggies in a plastic bag can encourage bacterial growth and mold — so make sure to dry them off first. Check the USDA’s FoodKeeper site for complete info.
Smart Prep w/greens: harvest, wash, spin, layer
Click photo for handy Fruit & Veggie Storage Guide!
  • GREENS CAN STAY FRESH up to a week when you do smart prep and storage! Rinse, spin and place between layered strips of recycled-content paper towels. Repurposed plastic clamshell containers work great for this! Revive wilted greens in a bath of cold water.
  • HELP KIDS learn about growing food, as well as food storage and handling, through OSU’s Food Hero program. There’s tons of colorful reference guides (like this one about strawberries), multicultural, kid- and elder-friendly recipes, and helpful gardening info.

Remember, Conscientious Food Consumers, the best way to avoid “Eeek! Ethylene!” encounters is to EAT IT UP!

Waste-less cooking for one can be fun!

Greetings, Conscientious Food Consumers!

Back in the pre-COVID era when we tabled regularly at the Corvallis winter and downtown Farmers’ Markets, I had interesting encounters with all kinds of folks who ventured over to our booth to pitch questions and comments, play our “Food Storage IQ” game, take the waste-less pledge (like our market patron below) or to share a favorite food memory or kitchen hack.

Many also shared their own “kitchen confessions,” including this one: “I live alone, and I can’t believe how much of my food gets wasted!” 

She was being a bit hard on herself. For years she’d prepared meals for several people, but now that she lived as both a widow and an empty-nester, our booth visitor was having trouble adjusting her food shopping and preparation habits.  And since many food products are packaged for family-sized meals, the leftovers tended to be more than she could handle.

On the other end of the spectrum, I also encountered singles establishing their first households as young adults. They too knew it was easy to let good food go bad — and they were eager to start out with good non-wasting habits in their own kitchens.

2019 Farmers’ Market patron (status: none of our business)

I was happy to provide these folks, and others to follow, with some of our Smart Strategies (in English and Spanish) and other tactics to try at home. (Keep scrolling!)

In recent years, online resources galore have sprung up to cater to the needs of small-batch and “cooking for one” audiences. A few examples: One Dish Kitchen: the simple pleasure of cooking for one (including meatless and many other recipes), the Kitchn’s meal plans, and 66 recipes from Tasty.co can get you started. You can also get help scaling down your recipes for one with this handy converter.

There’s also plenty of support through social media groups, recipes on Pinterest or Instagram, and a nearly-infinite variety of videos and cookbooks from celebrity chefs and everyday folks alike.

Whether single by circumstance or choice, people living alone in their own dwellings (no housemates or live-in companions) comprised 28% of all households in 2018, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Then came the pandemic and sheltering in place, magnifying the sense of isolation for many.

So let’s have fun with waste-less cooking for one! NOTE: Even if you’re living with family, a partner, housemates or other arrangement, there will still be times when you’re on your own for preparing a meal.

1. FIRST, THE FUN PART: it’s all your choice!  You know your own taste and appetite — so be as spontaneous, creative and adventuresome as you like. Browse some recipes from the links in this blog. Have an omelet for dinner! Dessert in a mug! Maybe your kids, your ex or late spouse didn’t like spicy food, but now you can wander freely through the wondrous world of herbs and spice. (I like cooking with and eating garlic almost every day, and no one complains.)

2. WASTE LESS, MEAL PLAN MORE. Build a week’s worth of menus after “shopping” your fridge, freezer and pantry first. (Here’s a more detailed example of a one-person meal plan.) Then make up your grocery shopping list. Keep in mind that many food products don’t come in single-serving packages, so you’ll need to find different ways to use those up to get your money’s worth. That’s pretty easy to do with a rotisserie chicken, but what about tortillas that only come in packages of 12? (Solution: freeze half of ’em!)

3. WASTE LESS, PREP MORE. You’re more likely to stick to your solo meal plan if substantial parts of it are ready to go. So just loop your favorite playlist and have fun cleaning, slicing, dicing, roasting/baking and packing some ready-to-use or freeze meal components like: proteins (meat/fish/poultry or grains), veggies (what’s not to like about easy sheet pan meals?) and fruits. It can take as little as a “power hour” or two over the weekend! 

“Eat First” Single Portion Meal #1 Salmon Scrambled Egg w/onion

4. NO-FAIL LEFTOVERS. Get creative with random food items (and keep them out of the compost bin) with apps like Big Oven! Example: My one baked salmon fillet (see photos) served as the anchor for two meals and a snack (salmon pate), using some cooked red rice, two types of onion, egg, fresh rosemary and packaged soup from my fridge’s “Eat First” shelf.

“Eat First” Single Portion Meal #2 Salmon Fried Rice w/curry soup

5. SHOP THE BULK and DELI SECTIONS at the grocery store or shop Farmers’ Markets to ensure you’re buying just what you can use. Try buying just one chicken breast instead of a package of four; a custom portion of cheese instead of a whole package; or maybe a couple ounces of those gourmet olives you’ve been secretly craving, instead of a whole can!

Example: Carrots from the bulk produce bin or a bag of pre-peeled minis?

Recently I gambled on whether I could use up a one-pound bag. It was a safe bet: carrots are a versatile veggie that stores well in the fridge (check our A-Z Fruit and Vegetable Storage Guide for details). My plan called for carrots fresh, roasted and stewed — and I enjoyed every bit of them.

Kitchen Confession: In the past, I automatically purchased the bagged ones — and inevitably, two months later, they’d end up at the bottom of my crisper drawer as a partial-bag of dried-up or slimy baby carrots.

6. MAKE YOUR OWN FROZEN CONVENIENCE MEALS and save $$$ by investing a bit of freezer-prep time, creating ready-to-cook single meals and side dishes from the items you prepped in Tip #3 above (make sure to blanch the veggies first). Freeze small batches of bread, tortillas or baked goods before they get moldy on the counter. For a special treat, there’s frozen chocolate chip cookie dough in pre-portioned scoops (see tip #19 at Easy Single-Person Cooking Ideas)! Just don’t forget to keep track of what’s in there.

Finally — GO AHEAD, REWARD YOURSELF with some tasty takeout for wasting less during the week! (Restaurant portions can be generous, so you’ll probably get two meals out of it.)

Whether you’re stuck with it or thrilled to be your own chef, have fun cooking for one!

Smart shopping and $aving — not just for the holidays!

Happy Holiday Greetings, Conscientious Food Consumers!

As we head into the final stretch of this unprecedented year, we hope you are discovering some new and creative ways to experience holiday cheer this season. Not to mention good bargains (no matter which holiday you shop for)!

Those holiday sales at the grocery store can sure make it difficult to stick to a shopping list — especially with lures like “Buy one/Get one!” (BOGO) and “Rewards”! But we all know from experience what happens when we don’t… and then the bank card statements arrive. It also tends to result in wasted food and wasted money.

Shopping lists are certainly a lot more high-tech now than in the bygone era pictured above, but I still prefer an old-fashioned paper list (soon to become an antique as well?). There’s endless apps for your smart phone, or you can download and print out our “Smart Shopping with Meals in Mind” form.

Over $7 billion spent in 2020 online grocery shopping

Shopping sure looks different now than it did at the beginning of the year, doesn’t it? We’ve de-coupled socializing and shopping, and learned to keep our distance in the store aisles. We stand on colored circles on the floor as we wait for our turn at the checkout. Online grocery sales in the U.S. grew from $1.2 billion in August 2019 to an over $7 billion industry as of June 2020.

On the plus side of online grocery shopping —  we’re pretty much forced to use lists! Whether you’re ordering through a local supermarket chain, an independent market (like NFLB and Sustainability Coalition partner First Alternative Co-op), or a non-local supplier, you have to get organized and be very specific (quantity, brand and other attributes). With service fees and tips on top of that grocery bill, we are likely to be more careful with our ordering.

Another plus — when someone else is fulfilling your order, it’s easier to resist impulse buying and off-list purchases!

On the down side — the carbon footprint associated with online order fulfillment and delivery, including all that packaging! And don’t forget your vehicle emissions from picking up your own order. For more information on the environmental impacts of food packaging, check out NFLB’s links to Oregon DEQ’s Food Fact sheets.

One of Karen’s recent shopping lists

K’RENE CONFESSES: There are definitely times when I don’t use a shopping list… and I always end up having to go back for the things I forgot or really needed!

Sometimes I find myself “pigging out” on spending for extra treats or costly specialty items. While I enjoy being spontaneous in the store on occasion, those indulgences certainly add up.

Stick To The List so you don’t “pig out” with your shopping cart!

At this stage of the 2020 holiday season, Conscientious Food Consumers and Shoppers, we realize you may have already completed the bulk of your holiday shopping. So consider how the following tips can facilitate your “Smart Shopping and $avings” heading into the New Year:

  1. Shop your fridge/freezer and pantry first! Be sure to make notes as appropriate on your Freezer Inventory.
  2. In the spirit of eating locally, keeping our shopping dollars in the community (at least some of them) — and potentially reducing the carbon footprint of your purchases — consciously decide which items you can Buy Local First, either in person or online.
  3. Skip those BOGO deals, “family sized” meals or quantity packages unless… you can realistically manage that influx of food products. Assess your household’s eating habits and the state of your pantry. Are you sure you can properly store, plan and prep it all before it loses its freshness and store appeal?
    — Maybe your two-person household hasn’t eaten its way through the Thanksgiving leftovers in the freezer yet.
    — Do your kids really like that brand of cereal enough to justify buying a big box or two?
    — Does your fridge really have room for most of that five-pound bag of tangerines? (They shouldn’t be kept outside of cold storage for more than a week.)
    Don’t be tempted to “save” a few dollars on food that will eventually go to waste!
  4. Use a shopping list app like Big Oven (if you don’t already have one).
  5. Take a “Shelfie”! If you want to make sure you’ve remembered everything for your list, take a quick picture of your fridge or pantry shelf for reference. Shout out to Love Food/Hate Waste and WRAP in the U.K. for this clever name and idea!
  6. For even more ideas (and your New Year’s resolutions), scan this list of 75 tips for saving $$ on food from TheKitchn. We don’t necessarily endorse all of these, and some are not that original or relevant to our region. But we’re pleased to see No Food Left Behind’s standard recommendations in the top five of the list!

Do you have some Smart Shopping tips you’d like to share? If so, please submit them in the comments section below.

Happy Safe Holidays, Conscientious Consumers!!

No more “freeze it and forget it”!

If you were expecting a lurid foodie tale about eager veggies, twisting around each other in the privacy of soil, only to be exposed by a hungry, voyeuristic gardener, that’s an entirely different blog!

If you have forgotten freezer food, you are in the right place!

Many well-meaning freezer users have put good food away for later, but then forgot it there and it froze to death.

This unfortunate habit is just like throwing edible food into the garbage, simply because the outcome is the same… and composting it is only one step better than garbage. 

When you include the cost of running an overfull freezer, plus any gas spent driving it home, the cost of disposal (if you don’t compost it), all the many resources that went into growing it and so on, that forgotten freezer food could become your “kitchen confession”! Wasted food happens to all of us… even our staff!

The easy solution is a Freezer Inventory, one of our many Smart Strategies!  It’s a simple 8.5″ x 11″ form you can download, print out and hang on the front of your fridge or freezer, and change as you go (also en Español). We recommend using a pencil for easier updating.Here’s how to use it!

 

ADDITIONAL TIPS:

  • Another Smart Strategy is our Eat First! signs (also en Español), to use anywhere in your kitchen to help ID which items need to be used up the soonest. Simply print and trim, and apply to any food or shelf containing those items!
  • Overfull freezers function less efficiently! CONFESSION: Recently, my own freezer was too stuffed and the little vent/fan at the back sounded awful! It was working too hard, and frost had built up… if I hadn’t noticed, my whole freezer motor might have failed. Yikes! A lesson to keep it clear and not too full.
  • Items in the freezer door are subject to greater temperature variations, so be more mindful of what gets stored there.
  • Food safety also depends on maintaining consistent fridge and freezer temperatures, so be sure to keep your fridge between 38°F and 42°F and your freezer between 0°F and 5°F to be safe.
  • Remember: most frozen food is safe indefinitely, but be sure to double-wrap food and eat it before it’s freezer burned.

 

I CONFESS: We were still “freezing and forgetting” stuff at home when we started No Food Left Behind – Corvallis. I hadn’t yet implemented this Smart Strategy! Since we did, we’ve had no more freezer-burned food, items are rotated out more often, and everything is getting used. The Freezer Inventory really works and our family is saving money in the process!

Not only that, but our meals have also become more varied as we’ve forced ourselves to get creative with ingredients we might not normally put together. I often consult BigOven.com’s leftovers page, which enables users to type in two or three ingredients and receive existing recipes that use those very items. Just click on “BigOven, what can I make?” – highly recommended! BigOven also offers an app – click here for NFLB’s favorite apps!

Thank you in advance for recommending our Freezer Inventory to any friends with forgotten freezer foods… and if you need one too, that’s okay! This is Kitchen Confessions, and your story is safe with us.  😉  We invite you to share your stories in the comments! Confessions? Or maybe you started using the inventory and want to celebrate? Let us know.

As for those lurid carrots, we’ll have to get to the ROOT of that some other day…