Wasting Food

PegasusDeb

It seems I hardly waste food these days, with a VERY strict budget, not buying "new" items just to try, and eating healthy! I do find a few things that I can never seem use up before they go bad though:

green onions - love those things, but how do you keep them fresh??

milk - which they made a 3/4 gal size! A gallon is too big, half gallon is not big enough! Sad to say that it's cheaper to buy the gallon & toss it, then buying a half gal.

bananas - getting better, cuz I buy them greener & only a smaller bunch. (Good excuse to make banana bread for my co-workers though! Earning brownie points is always a GOOD thing!)

Pork sausage - I had a recipe I want to make, so I buy it, then next thing ya know it's gross!

How about you guys? What do you continue to buy, even though you end up tossing it?

tmarie2715

It seems I hardly waste food these days, with a VERY strict budget, not buying "new" items just to try, and eating healthy! I do find a few things that I can never seem use up before they go bad though:

green onions - love those things, but how do you keep them fresh??

milk - which they made a 3/4 gal size! A gallon is too big, half gallon is not big enough! Sad to say that it's cheaper to buy the gallon & toss it, then buying a half gal.

bananas - getting better, cuz I buy them greener & only a smaller bunch. (Good excuse to make banana bread for my co-workers though! Earning brownie points is always a GOOD thing!)

Pork sausage - I had a recipe I want to make, so I buy it, then next thing ya know it's gross!

How about you guys? What do you continue to buy, even though you end up tossing it?

I don't have answers for everything, but here is my 2 cents.

Green onions-- not keeping them fresh, but they work great frozen!

Bananas-- if you like eating them raw, or even in banana "pancakes" or other recipes, just stick bananas in the fridge before they get too ripe. It prolongs the life a bit. Don't do this to a banana you are about to put in your lunch box or for later, though. They get brown SO fast after being in the fridge.

Is it really cheaper to throw out 1/2 of the gallon of milk? I buy the half gallons but also use almond milk, so it lasts a bit longer at my house. I've also heard that the cartons of milk stay fresher longer than the clear milk jugs. Something about light exposure.

luvlite2

Bananas? If you seperate them from the bundle when you bring them home they tend to last longer.
Sausage...When i bring it home I seperate what I'm going to use and freeze the rest. It's okay to cut the "rolls" in half and freeze the rest. There is no help for the milk. Just buy them by the 1/2 gallon..And, yes you can freeze milk too. I have a small deep freezer that is qutie handy with that. I use it a lot since it's just me and my little one. It's always cheaper to buy in bulk or family size portion. Hope that helps

infamousmk

Lately I haven't had to throw anything out, really. I used to end up tossing half bunches of celery all the time because I'd buy the whole bunch for a meal, use part, and then never get around to making another meal that needed it. Now that I eat so much more fresh and homemade stuff, I use it all up easy peasy.

calibri

I keep bananas in the fridge, but away from the rest of the fruit. When they get super ripe, I just add them to recipes in lieu of oil and sugar. I'm with you on the green onions and milk: I hate milk, so the boyfriend drinks it all aside from the one tablespoon I use in the rare omelette.

saraann752003

don't know where you are, and this past month they were out of commission due to the economy, but I have been feeding us by angel food it's a ministry, but it's there for whoever, if they can get it up and going again

DannyMussels

You can freeze literally anything...

Workin in a kitchen for years, I always find a way to use something up well before its gone bad.

Almost anything can be thrown in soup, or stews. I hate cookin at home so will literally dump stuff into a can of soup (eggs, shredded cabbage, etc) and eat that.

I'm not too picky about how I consume my calories.

You don't even wanna know what I throw in a blender.

surfrgrl1

It seems I hardly waste food these days, with a VERY strict budget, not buying "new" items just to try, and eating healthy! I do find a few things that I can never seem use up before they go bad though:

green onions - love those things, but how do you keep them fresh??

milk - which they made a 3/4 gal size! A gallon is too big, half gallon is not big enough! Sad to say that it's cheaper to buy the gallon & toss it, then buying a half gal.

bananas - getting better, cuz I buy them greener & only a smaller bunch. (Good excuse to make banana bread for my co-workers though! Earning brownie points is always a GOOD thing!)

Pork sausage - I had a recipe I want to make, so I buy it, then next thing ya know it's gross!

How about you guys? What do you continue to buy, even though you end up tossing it?

I don't have answers for everything, but here is my 2 cents.

Green onions-- not keeping them fresh, but they work great frozen!

Bananas-- if you like eating them raw, or even in banana "pancakes" or other recipes, just stick bananas in the fridge before they get too ripe. It prolongs the life a bit. Don't do this to a banana you are about to put in your lunch box or for later, though. They get brown SO fast after being in the fridge.

Is it really cheaper to throw out 1/2 of the gallon of milk? I buy the half gallons but also use almond milk, so it lasts a bit longer at my house. I've also heard that the cartons of milk stay fresher longer than the clear milk jugs. Something about light exposure.

Also important not to put milk on the door of the fridg. Temp doesn't stay as cold there which can lead to early spoilage.

I live alone, so I also use a Foodsaver sealer to reseal food packages, such as cereal, crackers, etc. It keeps them fresh. It also has a vacuum on it so you can vacuum pack things and seal them to keep in the freezer. Prevents frost bite. I hate throwing things away, it is like throwing your cash into the trash.

PegasusDeb

I've tried separating the 'naners, and I really didn't think they lasted any longer. I didn't think about freezing milk, hmmmm... that's a cool Idea! I think I will try it! Thank you!

I have a FoodSaver I use TONS!! That has really helped, and also for my fruits & vegy's Rubbermaid ProduceSavers. Those things ROCK!!

Thanx for the input! :-)


Hmmm... I wonder about keeping my 'naners in a bowl with other fruit? Usually peaches or apples... I've heard some things should not be kept together...

DannyMussels

Also, if you figure somethings gonna go bad in a day or two, cook it and you'll get another week out of it.

Reheat things throughly and you're good to go.

I'm way more lenient with how I prepare/eat things at home vs what regulations in the foodservice industry allow. I've taken a handful of courses and met with health inspectors. They also 'overlook' some of the things the government deems unsafe, cause they know its actually kinda ridiculous.

PegasusDeb

It seems I hardly waste food these days, with a VERY strict budget, not buying "new" items just to try, and eating healthy! I do find a few things that I can never seem use up before they go bad though:

green onions - love those things, but how do you keep them fresh??

milk - which they made a 3/4 gal size! A gallon is too big, half gallon is not big enough! Sad to say that it's cheaper to buy the gallon & toss it, then buying a half gal.

bananas - getting better, cuz I buy them greener & only a smaller bunch. (Good excuse to make banana bread for my co-workers though! Earning brownie points is always a GOOD thing!)

Pork sausage - I had a recipe I want to make, so I buy it, then next thing ya know it's gross!

How about you guys? What do you continue to buy, even though you end up tossing it?

I don't have answers for everything, but here is my 2 cents.

Green onions-- not keeping them fresh, but they work great frozen!

Bananas-- if you like eating them raw, or even in banana "pancakes" or other recipes, just stick bananas in the fridge before they get too ripe. It prolongs the life a bit. Don't do this to a banana you are about to put in your lunch box or for later, though. They get brown SO fast after being in the fridge.

Is it really cheaper to throw out 1/2 of the gallon of milk? I buy the half gallons but also use almond milk, so it lasts a bit longer at my house. I've also heard that the cartons of milk stay fresher longer than the clear milk jugs. Something about light exposure.

I'm not really sure if it's cheaper, never actually done the math, lol, but I know if I go into the store for milk, I come out with a bunch of stuff I don't need! (esp' if I'm hungry! lol Mom was right on that one, go figure!) :laugh:

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

Totally with you on the green onions, and if you freeze them they're all wilty. Same thing with basil-- I LOVE a good pesto and my basil from the summer just doesn't freeze well.

2bFitNTrim

Bananas: if they are getting ripe but you can't eat them all, slice them up into chunks & pop them in the freezer. Then, pop them in your blender when you make a smoothie. Or, make banana nut bread or muffins.

virginiatarnold

BANANAS: TAKE THE PEEL OFF ONCE THEY HAVE RIPPEND REALLY GOOD AND FREEZE THEM. ADD THEM TO YOUR MORNING SHAKE OR MAKE AN ICECREAM SHAKE WITH THEM. I LOVE BANANAS AND THAT IS ONE WAY, I KEEP THEM LONGER. GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR GOALS. V

Marianna194

i find no mater how I store them, blueberries always go bad too quickly!

PegasusDeb

i find no mater how I store them, blueberries always go bad too quickly!

Look for the Rubbermaid ProduceSaver bowls. I swear by them! I have had strawberries in the fridge a week!! Lettuce, several weeks. Not sure about other brands of this type of bowl, I know Tupperware has a line as well. I can only seem to find the R'maid at Meijers.

surfrgrl1

I went to a baby shower once where the hostess swore by keeping her celery in tin foil to keep it fresh.
All I could taste was the tin foil...........ICK!

megan6709

Lately I haven't had to throw anything out, really. I used to end up tossing half bunches of celery all the time because I'd buy the whole bunch for a meal, use part, and then never get around to making another meal that needed it. Now that I eat so much more fresh and homemade stuff, I use it all up easy peasy.

If your recipe doesn't call for it, use it anyway! Especially stuff like celery and green onions - they add a lot of flavor and not a lot of nutritional value.

KimmyEB

I've never personally tried it, but my mom uses those produce saver bag things for her lettuce, onions, tomatoes...not sure if she's used it with bananas, will have to ask her again when I see her this weekend, since I always have the same issue with bananas. Though, I do like the suggestion of cutting them into chunks, then freezing them and using them smoothies, since I LOVE bananas in smoothies!.