Food Waste Challenge ~ September 2022

[kaneohegirlinaz]

DH & I were chatting last night about Food Waste in our home.
I don't think that I throw out very much food at all, but I could be wrong.
So, with this said, I'm mainly starting this thread for myself, to keep track of what I'm wasting and how much it cost to purchase.
Granted, the produce trimmings go to the Community Compost that our larger city maintains or into my stock pot for broth.
Or like last month, I bought a 3 pound bag of Oranges that were just too sour to eat out-of-hand, I made Sherbet out of it.

All in all for the month of August, I threw out $5.25USD worth of food (a block of Tofu, some lunch meat and a bit of brick Cheese) that just plain got forgotten in the back of the `fridge and went bad.

 

[Morning Glory]

The challenge is to see how little food we waste?

 

[kaneohegirlinaz]

The challenge is to see how little food we waste?

Yes.
Or in my case how much I waste. I'm thinking that I don't throw out much, but an aged brain is faulty

 

[TastyReuben]

Well, just yesterday, I had to throw out about 1/4-lb each of two types of chicken lunchmeat that had gone slimy, and about the same with some ham lunchmeat the week before.

I know I have about three ounces of diced, par-cooked chicken breast that’ll get tossed in a bit. It’s been in there too long, and I have no future plans that call for it.

 

[Morning Glory]

I know I have about three ounces of diced, par-cooked chicken breast

Par-cooked chicken sounds a bit dodgy anyway. Are you talking about in the fridge?

 

[Morning Glory]

OK, I will join in with this! So far this September I have thrown out a little bit of wilted and blackened rocket (arugula). It was a tiny amount at the bottom of a pack.

I doubt I will feel so virtuous by the end of September...

 

[TastyReuben]

Par-cooked chicken sounds a bit dodgy anyway. Are you talking about in the fridge?

Yeah, it’s in the fridge. I made chicken for something the other night and had made a little too much, so I stuck it in the fridge with the intention of using it somewhere, but it never happened.

 

[JAS_OH1]

Yeah, it’s in the fridge. I made chicken for something the other night and had made a little too much, so I stuck it in the fridge with the intention of using it somewhere, but it never happened.

That would have gone in the freezer or into a small crock of soup.

 

[caseydog]

All in all for the month of August, I threw out $5.25USD worth of food (a block of Tofu, some lunch meat and a bit of brick Cheese) that just plain got forgotten in the back of the `fridge and went bad.

Throwing out tofu doesn't seem like food waste, to me. If I were to BUY tofu, that would be food waste, because it WILL end up in the trash.

The main type of food that gets wasted in my house is fresh produce that I can't eat fast enough. If I buy too much meat, I can freeze some or all of it. But something like fresh lettuce isn't going to freeze well for future use. I do freeze chilis, as they will get cooked later, so it is okay if they go soft.

CD

 

[rascal]

Wifes pretty frugal (love that word) waste goes in 2 litre plastic container on bench. Wrapped up in newspaper and put in recycle bin. Council recycle as garden compost. Total in a month? 20 litres?

Russ

 

[kaneohegirlinaz]

These are the French Fries/Chips leftover from DH Burger dinner the other night ... meh, not so good, even reheated in the Air Fryer, so I tossed them. Not much but, still. I say that's maybe 50¢ worth of food.

 

[JAS_OH1]

View attachment 89908View attachment 89909

These are the French Fries/Chips leftover from DH Burger dinner the other night ... meh, not so good, even reheated in the Air Fryer, so I tossed them. Not much but, still. I say that's maybe 50¢ worth of food.

I freaked out on how much potatoes have gone up in the past several months. Back in January I bought a 10 pound bag for I think $3 on sale? Yesterday I paid almost $7 for a 10 pound bag and that was the sale price. At Walmart a 10 pound bag is closer to $9. And that's just for good ole basic russet Idaho potatoes!

You know, in the future you could chop them up and integrate them with peppers, mushrooms, onions, ham, and bacon into a breakfast hash possibly and top with fried runny eggs. I think the key would be to mix them in with the other ingredients really well so they absorb the moisture from the veggies and meats. Maybe start out with rendering the bacon a little (unless you add previously cooked bacon). Just a thought.

 

[kaneohegirlinaz]

I freaked out on how much potatoes have gone up in the past several months. Back in January I bought a 10 pound bag for I think $3 on sale? Yesterday I paid almost $7 for a 10 pound bag and that was the sale price. At Walmart a 10 pound bag is closer to $9. And that's just for good ole basic russet Idaho potatoes!

You know, in the future you could chop them up and integrate them with peppers, mushrooms, onions, ham, and bacon into a breakfast hash possibly and top with fried runny eggs. I think the key would be to mix them in with the other ingredients really well so they absorb the moisture from the veggies and meats. Maybe start out with rendering the bacon a little (unless you add previously cooked bacon). Just a thought.

Great idea!!

 

[TastyReuben]

I threw out about a tablespoon of thawed strawberries, a half-cup or so of homemade salad dressing, and an entire package of lunchmeat that I’d somehow forgotten about.

 

[kaneohegirlinaz]

I found a TWO one pound packages for lunchmeat in the back of the drawer, checked, still okeydokey, divided them up and into the deep freeze went!
PHEW!

That was a close one Batman!