Top 10 Kitchen Hacks to Reduce Food Waste

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It is shocking to think about, but the same numbers keep coming up again and again when it comes to food waste: Americans, on average, waste about 30-40% of what they buy! Sometimes this has to do with poor planning and of buying more food at a time than you really need to use, but sometimes it can be a matter of throwing food out unnecessarily when it can still be used. Below are ten tips to help you reduce food waste in your kitchen.

Sque-e-e-eze!
Get your money’s worth out of a lemon by making sure you get all of the juice out of it with a pair of tongs. This will also work for limes, oranges and other citrus fruits.

Keep Greens Fresh
Tired of throwing out salad greens all the time? When you store them, make sure to do it in a plastic bag and blow into the bag before you seal it. The carbon dioxide in there will keep the greens fresh for longer.

Keep Asparagus Crisp
To keep from having to throw out asparagus that has gone limp or soggy, cut a bit off the bottom of their stalks and store them upright in a jar of cold water, then cover them with a plastic bag and seal. This will keep them fresh for up to 2 weeks.

Prevent Avocadoes from Browning
Once avocadoes have been cut, it seems like you have to eat them right away or throw them out because of browning. To prevent this, store the extra avocado in a cut onion: the sulfur compounds in them will help keep the avocado fresh for 1-2 days.

Know Your Eggs
If you don’t know whether the eggs you have are fresh or not, simply put them in a bowl of water. The bad eggs with float but the fresh eggs will sink below the surface.

Stop Onions from Sprouting
To keep onions from sprouting, store them in a paper bag with holes punched in it, and this will keep them fresh for months. This can also be used for garlics, shallots and other members of the onion family.

Keep Brown Sugar Soft
If you are tired of having to throw out brown sugar when it goes hard, just toss a few marshmallows into the bag and seal tightly; it will soften the sugar and make it usable again.

Preventing Potato Sprouts
To keep your potatoes from sprouting before you can use them, store them with apples; the apple releases ethylene gas which will help preserve the potato.

Save Those Wrappers!
Save empty butter wrappers in the freezer when you are done with them. They will still have a small amount of butter on them which is perfect to grease cake pans or other cookware for baking.

Make a Dressing
When you get down to the last bit of jam in a jar, instead of trying to scrape it out all the time, make a salad dressing. Add oil and vinegar into the jar to taste then shake it up to make a fruity vinaigrette.

These are simple ways that you can not only help avoid waste and save room in landfills. They will also help save money and make your household budget easier by preventing wastage of the food you have already paid for.

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Christine . S
Christine has written articles on most health-related topics, including traditional medicine, alternative and naturopathic and natural treatments, wellness, medical marijuana, diets and fitness.