11 Tips to prevent food waste

Working as a yacht chef, I would often have to make the food last, be it because we were at sea for weeks at a time or we were among remote islands where food is hard to source.

It is interesting how much food is now wasted as a nation and how this change has happened within my lifetime. It is just a bit daft really. So… here is a little reminder and some top tips to prevent your food waste. I would love to know what you do too.

1. Eggs - do the float in water test - if they sink they are good, if they float they aren't.

2. Over salted a stew? add a raw potato (peeled and sliced) and cook until nearly tender and then remove it the potato soaks up the salt. If still salty, try adding a bit of milk.

3. Fritatta - An Italian version of our omelette, they are a great way to use up the leftovers.

4. Freeze your bread in slices and use as you want it.

5. Store some of your fruit and veg separately... Bananas on their own, Onions and potatoes apart, Citrus on their own. They will all thank you and last longer. And please don't put your tomatoes in the fridge, they lose their flavour.

6. Fruit - Freeze it, or put it in to Smoothies - great ways to use up fruit and veg about to turn - and always a pleasure to have a stock of in the freezer. Bananas are rather yummy when frozen.

7. Use your common sense when it comes to dates on fruit and vegetables... they will usually last much longer!

8. Cut Herbs - pop them in a jar of water and keep them in your fridge.

9. Milk, cream, cheese and butter - can all be frozen and take it out as and when you need it.

10. Dairy products are not off on the day shown on the packaging, cheese can still be eaten matured, but if it doesn’t taste right, don’t eat it.

11. Veggies - roast them and pop them in to a pasta bake with a white sauce, or turn them in to a soup.

This is a growing list… I would love to know what tips you have?

Jinny x