CarolCooks2…Throwing perfectly good food away?…Say No to Food Waste!

Food Waste is my biggest bugbear especially when social media and my inbox bulge with begging e-mails asking can you help feed starving children…?

All it takes is a little time and thought and nobody should be having any food waste…the internet is jam-packed with ideas and recipes if you have a freezer use it wisely…the bottom line is it will save you money…

At Christmas, an incredible 5 million Christmas puddings, 2 million turkeys, and 74 million mince pies succumb to the scrap heap while still edible. And this isn’t even taking into account all the vegetables, cheeses, nuts, and other party nibbles that finish up in the bin.

Let’s look at these figures…

  • Pigs in blankets: 7.1 million. …
  • Mince pies: 7.5 million. …
  • Turkey: 7.9 million slices. …
  • Gravy: 9.8 million cups. …But did you know? That’s enough gravy to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool, which is sad because it can be easily saved and used again.
    Once your gravy has cooled, pour it into an ice cube tray and pop it into the freezer. The next time you’re making a casserole pop a couple into your stock to give it richness. Or you can turn it into dinner by frying up other leftovers together, like turkey strips, onions and any other veg, pour in the gravy and simmer – adding a little water if it’s too thick. Top with mash for a quick and easy pie.
  • Parsnips: 10.9 million. …
  • Potatoes: 11.3 million. …
  • Carrots: 9 million.

Why I ask? What is it that makes the buying public buy all this food and cook so much knowing that at least half of everything on your table will not be eaten…How many of you can with your hand on your heart say that all your serving dishes went into the kitchen empty?

Most of mine did and what was left was manageable I made bubble and squeak on Boxing day I had to cook more potatoes as we didn’t have any roasties or mash left on Christmas day…the few pigs in blankets that were left went in a turkey roll alongside some cranberry sauce and some of the little stuffing that was left over from Christmas dinner…

The only food I had left was turkey and Christmas Pudding…Christmas pudding if wrapped and stored keeps and just needs re-steaming or you could make a Christmas pudding crumble...Yes, a crumble..if your Christmas pudding crumbles then you are halfway there…you can also add some of your leftover cranberry sauce…

I haven’t made this recipe but it sounds delicious…I always share Christmas pudding with my Thai family  and neighbours as they love Christmas pudding and that means “no waste” from this kitchen…’That just leaves the turkey…

You could make your favourite curry sauce and then once it’s ready add your chopped-up turkey for the last 5 minutes just to heat it through…or make a nice turkey risotto…

Leftover mince pies, nuts and dried fruit, marzipan, or chunks of chocolate…then I came across this recipe for “mince pie ice cream” again not tried and tested by me so let me know if you make it plus I didn’t have leftover mince pies as I always freeze mine uncooked and just cook as required…it does mean that we can have a mince pie or two in mid-Feb or March but why not?

The amount of waste worries me and scares me as the mountain seems to get higher this survey carried out as part of Unilever’s Project Sunlight Clear A Plate campaign, demonstrates that the average person will spend £112 on their Christmas meal – a sum of money that would usually feed an average family for four whole days…

I think we all need to ask ourselves in these times of rising food prices and energy bills where we can make savings and look at these figures to me it is a no-brainer we should and must look at our food waste…it also doesn’t stop at the cooked food we waste what about the salad and veggies that lurk in our fridges until we throw it out either in the trash or in the compost bin…so let’s look at best before and use by dates…

Let’s not confuse best-before dates with use-by dates – the first is merely a guideline, while you should exercise caution about the latter. Food waste is a big issue around the world: not only is it morally questionable, but it means we’re paying for food we don’t eat, which doesn’t make much sense either.

Plus, there are myriad ways how you can use food that’s a little past its best…

Bread…

Breadcrumbs, croutons, eggy bread, bread Pudding,  bread and butter pudding, and summer pudding the uses for day-old or older bread are endless…just google it and you will find so many recipes or drop me a line I will always help…

Limp salad leaves…make pesto and use some of your Christmas nuts up…Pesto doesn’t have to be made with pine nuts you can use any nuts…

Fruit… make smoothies, fruit salad or fruit compote, fruit crumble and suitable fruit that can go in a curry or freeze it either whole or as a puree again the list is endless the bottom line is we shouldn’t have any Christmas waste…or waste any other time of the year and think of the money you will save…

Take a little look at this video…from Ikea…

Thank you for joining me today I hope you all had a lovely Christmas however you celebrate and for those of you like Pete who has Covid and has been unwell… I hope you are feeling much better, Pete…as always I look forward to your comments and suggestions on waste…I would also like to wish you all a very Happy and Healthy 2023 xxx

41 thoughts on “CarolCooks2…Throwing perfectly good food away?…Say No to Food Waste!”

  1. Pingback: CarolCooks2…Throwing perfectly good food away?…Say No to Food Waste! – Urban Fishing Pole Lifestyle

  2. dgkaye

    Food has become like a mortgage for so many across the world. Here in Canada, it is outrageous! Nobody has to remind me to not throw out anything. Even the sogging veg I may not have gotten to is going into a soup! ❤

    Liked by 1 person

    1. CarolCooks2 Post author

      Absolutely Debby it is outrageous on so many levels… But so many people don’t have the advantage that​ many of us do and sadly don’t know how to even cook in some cases… xx

      Liked by 1 person

  3. Carla Peicheff

    Food costs are through the roof here in Canada & food bank usage as well! I try to be very careful to avoid food waste, but with a couple of teenagers, on the odd occasion it happens & I feel so guilty… 😦

    Liked by 1 person

    1. CarolCooks2 Post author

      It seems food costs are spiralling around the world Carla and I have been there with teenagers they eat you out of house and home…lol…as long as you are doing all you can to avoid food waste then don’t beat yourself up…Happy New Year 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    1. CarolCooks2 Post author

      I totally agree I just don’t know why people feel the need to have more than one trolley and both stacked high with food and perishables that they probably can’t eat… it was same when Covid hit when people as you rightly say are scrapping together money and using food banks…xxx

      Liked by 1 person

  5. Rebecca Budd

    Another great post, Carol. From reading the comments, there are many who are following your example of saying no to food waste. And that gives me great comfort. Happy New Year!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. CarolCooks2 Post author

      Yes are many like minded souls on here its the ones who are not that worry me but yes reading the comments does give me hope and if I can make one person change their habits then that is a bonus and maybe they in turn can change another person…Happy New Year, Rebecca x

      Liked by 1 person

  7. petespringerauthor

    Food has to spoil before I throw it out. It’s not only wasteful but think of all the unnecessary energy it takes to dispose of something that many millions of people would be thrilled to have.

    Liked by 1 person

  12. Pingback: CarolCooks2…Throwing perfectly good food away?…Say No to Food Waste! – MobsterTiger

  13. beetleypete

    As you know, I am religious about shopping lists. We haven’t wasted a single thing this Christmas. Vegetables have been frozen to use with the turkey at new year, and we haven’t opened any cheese we did not intend to eat. What is left of yesterday’s half leg of lamb will make sandwiches for lunch, and all the assorted uneaten Tapas items like sun-dried tomatoes and braesola will be used on pizzas in the coming weeks.
    I am with you on food waste, Carol.
    Best wishes, Pete. x

    Liked by 1 person

  14. beth

    I always find a way to use all of my food, just takes some getting creative. after having a time in my life when money was very short, and seeing people all over with less than me, I have never wasted any food.

    Liked by 1 person

  15. leggypeggy

    Food waste drives me crazy. We have an outfit called Oz Harvest that collects food from restaurants and supermarkets. They rescue tons of food. As for my home. I like to think I’m very good at managing and using up leftovers.

    Liked by 2 people

  16. Darlene

    This is my pet peeve too. We use everything up. I always have leftovers but we are happy to not have to cook for a couple of days. Tonight it will be turkey al la king for hubby and leftover stuffed peppers for me. (always better a couple of days later anyway!) If there will still be leftovers, they will be put in the freezer for another day. I always say, folks who waste food will not go to heaven!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. CarolCooks2 Post author

      Absolutely, Darlene I’m happy to meet a fellow peever…lol…but seriously a little thought and some restraint when shopping and there should be no waste…or just enough to enjoy bubble and squeak or turkey al la king…Happy New Year x

      Liked by 2 people

  17. robertawrites235681907

    Hi Carol, I also live in a country beset by poverty and hunger, these figures appall me. You’ve shared great ideas. I used a third of my left over liquid from cooking Greek lamb to make soup yesterday. It was so tasty.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. CarolCooks2 Post author

      I’m sure it was as any cooking liquid adds taste as you know…there are also many poor here who live in terrible conditions and go hungry and they appall me too, Robbie…Happy New Year xx

      Liked by 2 people

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