Practical low waste tips

Simple shifts for more sustainable cooking

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I originally compiled this list at the beginning of lockdown and supply chain issues, to help people think of how to stretch their food stores a bit more (much of it comes from sections of my class, Preserving Abundance, where I had begun to dive into these ideas the year or so before).

As I've been talking about reducing food waste this month, I want to revisit this list on its ~3 year anniversary, particularly as I've switched newsletter platforms and added many new subscribers (thank you!) in the interim.

This list really just scratches the surface of what is possible, and of the different skills I teach and implement in my own kitchen. But I hope it gives you a jumping off place to play and explore!

If you want to see how I implement low waste cooking in my day-to-day life, I also share ideas on Instagram from time to time (either at @rootkitchens or @bookishjulia).

A few low waste cooking tips:

I've organized these by method, rather than ingredient, but it's worth noting that most of what is listed here is especially useful for produce since I do a lot of very fruit- and veggie-heavy cooking.

Dehydrating:

Dried fruits and veggies are great for adding to oatmeal, on top of soups and salads, or as an ingredient in soups and stews (as well as sauces). If you have a dehydrator, this is a great time to break it out.

If you don’t, that’s ok too! Put your oven on its lowest setting (mine goes down to 175F), place thin slices of apples, carrot, or whatever else on a baking sheet and pop in the oven. Turn them at least once as they dry so all sides get dehydrated. Once they’re dry to the touch put them on a cooling rack to cool fully then store in an airtight container.

Dehydrating is also a great way to repurpose flavorful, aromatic scraps: If you infuse vinegar (like fire cider, below), the aromatics you used will still retain some flavor. Dehydrating until bone dry, then grinding, gives you a seasoning blend that packs of flavorful, sour punch.

Freezing:

Cut up and freeze your fruits and veggies for later use. I lay them in a single layer on a sheet tray before packing them in a container. This helps prevent freezer burn by reducing the possibility that moisture will gather between things.

I also freeze my stock (below) and the ingredients for said stock, and prepared meals like soups, or components of meals (like pureed sweet potato).

For a low waste meal help, I like to make purees of various scraps I like the flavor of and that will blend down to a nice, smooth texture. I then freeze them in small reusable containers and pop one out at a time to throw into soups or sauces as needed.

Scrappy soup stock:

Your carrot, celery, and onion ends, and whatever other veggie scraps are great for stock. Just toss them in a crock pot with water to cover, and cook on low overnight.

If you want to make chicken stock or stock with other meat bones, add a tiny splash of vinegar. This helps break apart the connective tissue and makes for a richer stock.

I add all sorts of things to mine: herb stems, eggshells, seaweed, really whatever is knocking around in my kitchen. It makes each iteration of stock delicious and unique, and is a really great way for me to keep waste in check.

If you don’t produce a ton of veggie scraps at a time, pop your scraps in the freezer! I use a reusable silicone zippered bag, and add to it each time I cook. Once you have enough, follow the directions above.

After making your stock, compost the solids, or feed them to your chickens if you have them (which was my go-to when I still had birds. They do a great job of eating through your food scraps!)

Banana ‘ice cream’:

Bananas going mushy? Smash them up until smooth, then place in the freezer. Once it’s half frozen, give it a stir to break up the ice crystals, then freeze the rest of the way. For added wonderfulness, I recommend putting in chopped up chocolate after you stir it.

And of course, lactofermentation:

Simple lactofermentation is easy to do and is also a way to extend the shelf life of fruits and veggies or to soften and repurpose scraps (I saw a recent post by @fervereuk who did this with leftover bean pods. Amazing!)

Fermentation happens in a brine (salt water), and works when the ratio of salt to water is around 2%-5%.

I typically use ~1 tbsp per quart of water: A good metric is you want your brine to taste salty like the sea.

·      First, dissolve your salt in room temperature water by stirring (and make sure to use plain ol’ salt, like sea salt, nothing with anti-caking agents or other additives).

·      Pack whatever you want to ferment (Green beans? Peppers?) into a jar or other food safe container, and pour the brine over until it’s completely covered and the brine is close to the top of the jar.

o   This is a great place to use up leftover parts of fruits and veggies too: One of the very best hot sauces I make is just strawberry tops and hot pepper tops, fermented together until soft then tossed in a blender.

·      Fermentation is anaerobic, which means our microscopic friends doing the work don’t rely on oxygen. However, other things that can hurt us, like molds, do, and so by keeping your fruits and veggies (called ‘substrates’ in the formal lingo) under the brine, you minimize the risk of harmful microbes growing on your food.

·      If you find your substrate keeps floating to the top of the brine, put a weight on it: You can use special fermentation weights or you can get creative. Plates, bowls, folded cabbage leaves, and even plastic baggies filled with salt or dried beans (I know we’re all using less plastic, but it does work in a pinch) have all been used as weights in my kitchen.

·      Set your ferment on a plate or tray (so it doesn’t stain your countertops) and allow to sit out at room temperature out of direct sunlight. If using a lid, put the lid on. If not, cover with a clean dishtowel to keep out bugs and dust.

·      Check it each day to make sure it’s under the brine, doesn’t have anything strange growing on it, etc. Once your ferment has the flavor you want, pop it in the fridge.

·      A few notes:

o   Kale in particular gets super funky and sulphurous after fermenting for very long, so I usually just let it go 12-24 hours and then blend it into a pesto (with the brine). You may find the same with broccoli (which can also get squishy florets if left for more than a few days), or other cruciferous veggies. Keep an eye on them and pull them when they taste good to you.

o   Cucumbers are fantastic BUT they will get squishy very fast. To help prevent this, add in a couple bay leaves, a grape leaf, or other tannic leaf to keep them crisp.

o   Each fruit and veggie ferments at a different rate, and this is also impacted by how warm your home is. Remember the only preference that matters here is yours: If you like how it tastes, it’s done!

·      Don’t toss your brine!
Once you’ve eaten your ferment, the brine makes a great addition to soups (make sure to adjust the salt in your recipe), salad dressings/marinades, and for boiling pasta, grains, and beans.

Apple scrap vinegar:

After you cut up your apples, don't throw away the cores! Pack tightly in a jar and add water to cover plus a couple tbsp sugar (per pint jar).
Cover with a lid a shake daily, or cover with a cloth and rubberband and stir or agitate the surface daily. Remember to loosen the lid (if using) each day and re-tighten to prevent too much pressure buildup.
Soon you’ll have a bubbly jar of alcoholic apply stuff BUT if you are patient and let it sit for longer, you’ll then have a tasty jar of homemade apple scrap vinegar. The more apple you add, the stronger and more cider-y the final flavor. Better than most anything you can get at the store (and is perfect for fire cider, by the way).

Fire cider:

I soak my aromatic veggie scraps, as well as whole roots, shoots, and peppers, in apple cider vinegar as a general health tonic, which I let steep for a month (or more) out of direct sunlight. As a part of a larger health practice (sleeping, eating nourishing foods, stress reduction), it helps me keep my body healthy. If you have Facebook, you can see my live demonstration on Root’s Facebook pageunder Videos. You can also find my complete recipe in Our Fermented Lives.

I’d love to hear your favorite low waste cooking ideas, too!

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