13 Habits Food-Waste Experts Practice in Their Own Kitchens
Give yesterday’s dinner—and that half a cabbage—a future.
Food-waste experts have their own strategies in the kitchen to reduce food waste. The University of Michigan's Shelie Miller and her husband stick to a shared grocery list and think about how they'll use what they buy. Miller even bakes a "kitchen-sink potato" once a week, using odds and ends from her refrigerator as toppings. Stir-fries provide a blank canvas for these leftovers.
Jonathan Deutsch, a professor at Drexel University, advocates for using broccoli stems, stating that the tender interior is just as delicious as the florets. He makes broccoli salad with tahini and chili crisp, peeling and air-frying the stems along with the florets.
Before cooking, Miller and her husband decide what to do with any extra ingredients, like cabbage leaves for cabbage rolls or tomato paste in a can. Deutsch starts by checking what he already has, such as a can of tuna or chicken in the freezer, to create a new meal. He avoids generating waste by transforming surplus food into something new.
Brian Roe, a professor at Ohio State University, keeps apples in the refrigerator to prevent spoilage. Instead of leaving a Costco-sized bag on the counter, he shops in his freezer first, which often leaves him with lunches for the week. He freezes soups and other liquids flat in zip-top bags for easy storage and reheating. A stock bag in the freezer helps him create flavor base for soups, rice, polenta, and vegetables. Deutsch uses trimmings and stems to make stock, adding various scraps to create unique flavors.
Written by urgent.news from Time's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
