I really hate when I open up my refrigerator drawer and find rotten vegetables or meat that’s gone bad. It makes me feel wasteful, not to mention it’s just gross. Here are some tips I’ve found over the years to help me cut down on waste, from how to store herbs to what to do with leftover coffee. I hope you can save some cash and use it towards something more fun, for yourself! xo, Roni
- Fresh Herbs: Instead of keeping them in the original package (they get soggy and mushy quickly), place them in a mason jar with the stem side down. Fill with water a quarter inch high, then place the grocery bag over it like a tent.
- Over Rip Fruit: When bananas or strawberries or any other fruit seems like it’s borderline over ripe, place them in a freezer bag (Peel banana skins or de stem strawberries first, but no need to slice!). The next time you make a smoothie you’ll have homemade frozen fruit
- Block of Cheese: To keep blocks of cheese fresh, wrap them in parchment paper, then place in a plastic bag.
- Ground meat: If you keep meat in its original package, your meat will spoil quicker than if you remove it and place in a freezer bag. I like to smooth mine thin, then use my hand to create a cross shaped groove. When I want individual portions of ground meat I just break along the ‘seam’ to create a square.
- Finished with your coffee but still have some left in the pot? Pour leftover coffee into ice cube trays. When they’re frozen you can place them in a freezer bag and use the next time you want iced coffee (not to mention using coffee ice cubes prevents it from diluting your coffee!)
- Chicken stock: The same method works well with homemade or store bough chicken broth and stock. I love the individual cubes because then I can warm up a bowl in seconds and have homemade chicken soup for my kids without having to bring out my big stop pot.
- Fresh Baked Breads, Muffins and Bagels: Place them in a freezer bag, then place a straw inside the bag. Close along the seam except for where the straw is, then suck out all the air through the straw. You’ve just created a vacuum sealed bag without spending a dime! I learned this trick from my Mom and it will keep your fresh baked breads fresh in the freezer for months.
