Less food waste

Zero waste: Keeping food fresh and getting creative with leftovers.

Huge amounts of food end up in the bin every day. Planning your grocery shopping, storing it properly and adopting a more conscious approach to what you eat can all help to reduce food waste. Even small changes can help to cut waste or even avoid it completely. But nobody's perfect: We don't need to achieve a zero waste lifestyle immediately, we all just need to start. Equipped with a few tricks for keeping fruit, vegetables and other precious produce fresh, and even reviving a few things past their best, you can reduce food waste to a minimum or even eliminate it entirely. Why not start getting creative with your leftovers?

Keeping food fresh: How to save food and ensure it stays fresher for longer

By chilling, freezing, pickling and preserving food, you can extend its shelf life and save it from being condemned to the bin.

Best-before dates

Best-before dates are a guideline – and very different from use-by dates

Just because a yoghurt is a few days past its best-before date (BBD), that doesn’t mean you can’t still eat and enjoy it. This date is simply a guarantee from the manufacturer stating that, when properly stored, a product will retain its flavour, aroma and nutritional value up until then. You should not consume chilled convenience products like fresh pasta or sausages long after their best-before date. They may contain germs that you can’t see, smell or taste but could still make you ill. If in doubt, it’s best to throw them away. The same applies to easily perishable produce, which will usually have a use-by date on the packaging. After this date, perishable goods should go in the bin.

Storing and chilling

The FiFo principle and temperature zones in your fridge

Put new food at the back, bring older food to the front. The “FiFo” principle (first in, first out) can help you keep track of what’s fresh and what isn’t. It’s also useful to know that refrigerators have different temperature zones. Above the crisper drawer, the higher the shelf, the warmer it will be. The lowest shelf, just above the crisper, will be the coldest. The fridge door warms up the most when opened. So, to help foods in the fridge stay fresh for as long as possible, make sure you place them on the right shelf. You can find out more about this under “Storing food correctly”.

Congélation

Ce dont il faut se méfier dans votre congélateur

Les micro-organismes se reproduisent plus doucement à basse température. Pour cette raison, la meilleure façon de conserver la fraîcheur des aliments est de les congeler. Voici quelques règles pour congeler efficacement les aliments :

Transportez les produits congelés dans des sacs isothermes ou des boîtes alimentaires isolées pour éviter de rompre la chaîne du froid.
Décongelez les produits surgelés dans le réfrigérateur et veillez à récupérer l'eau de décongélation pour préserver l'hygiène.
Congelez les aliments en portions afin de pouvoir toujours décongeler la bonne quantité.
Congelez toujours les aliments dans des sacs de congélation pour éviter qu'ils ne se dessèchent ou perdent leur arôme.
Veillez à noter la date sur les sacs de congélation - tous les aliments ne restent pas frais au congélateur pendant la même durée.

Conserves

Conserver, mariner et fermenter

Oui, c'est peut-être ce que faisait votre grand-mère, mais l'art de la conservation, du marinage et de la fermentation est très tendance en ce moment ! Ces méthodes vous permettent de conserver les aliments dans un endroit frais et sec, à l'abri de la lumière du soleil, pendant un an au maximum. Étiquetez toujours les aliments fraîchement conservés en indiquant la date et placez-les au fond de votre placard ou de votre garde-manger afin d'utiliser les produits les plus anciens en premier. Nous vous conseillons de jeter les conserves et les cornichons si le couvercle est desserré, si le liquide est trouble ou décoloré, ou s'ils ont une odeur anormale.

Conservation

Conservation des aliments dans des bocaux en verre

Vous pouvez conserver à peu près tout, même la viande. Bien entendu, les aliments doivent être frais et intacts au moment de la conservation. Les fruits doivent être crus et les légumes doivent être crus et blanchis. Le principe est simple : mettez les produits lavés et préparés dans un bocal en verre propre muni d'un couvercle à clip ou à vis. Placez les bocaux en verre dans une marmite, en veillant à ce qu'ils ne se touchent pas. Remplissez la marmite avec juste assez d'eau pour qu'elle arrive aux trois quarts de la hauteur des bocaux, puis chauffez la marmite jusqu'à ce que l'eau atteigne 75-120 °C. Selon l'aliment, vous devez le maintenir à cette température entre 10 minutes et 2 heures. Lorsque les bocaux en verre refroidissent, un vide se forme à l'intérieur qui maintient le couvercle hermétiquement fermé. Pour certains aliments comme les petits pois, les haricots et les champignons, vous devez répéter l'étape de cuisson une deuxième fois.

Décapage

Conservation des aliments dans des bocaux en verre

Si vous voulez essayer quelque chose de nouveau, testez vos talents culinaires avec des carottes, des haricots verts, des betteraves ou des poivrons. Ces légumes se prêtent particulièrement bien à la mise en bocaux. Pour mariner un kilo de légumes, il faut utiliser un demi-litre de vinaigre (5%) et un demi-litre d'eau contenant des épices et des condiments. Chauffez le liquide de marinade et versez-le dans les bocaux verres et laissez-le refroidir. Puis chauffez à nouveau le liquide et versez-le sur les légumes. Le liquide doit couvrir les légumes. Laissez-les mariner pendant quatre à six semaines, après quoi les aliments marinés se conserveront pendant 3 à 12 mois.

Fermentation

Fermentation des aliments dans des bocaux en verre

La fermentation est une méthode ancestrale de conservation des aliments, utilisée encore aujourd'hui pour la fabrication de la choucroute. Pour certaines personnes, les aliments fermentés sont plus digestes. Les enzymes et les micro-organismes décomposent les sucres des légumes au cours d'un processus en plusieurs étapes. Ce processus produit les acides lactique et acétique qui donnent aux légumes fermentés leur goût typique et les empêchent de périr. Les légumes mûrs sont idéalement adaptés à la fermentation. Le processus est simple : avant de commencer la fermentation, vous devez râper, couper en tranches ou en lamelles les légumes. Ajoutez ensuite les légumes râpés, tranchés ou effilochés dans un bocal en verre, remplissez-le d'une saumure à 5% et laissez-le mariner pendant plusieurs jours. Si le bocal reste bien fermé, les légumes fermentés peuvent se conserver pendant plusieurs mois.

Faire revivre les vieux aliments

Même s'ils sont conservés correctement, certains aliments perdent rapidement leur fraîcheur et prennent une consistance non voulue. Voici comment vous pouvez rafraîchir les vieux aliments de votre stock.

Lettuce & herbs

Refreshing salad leaves and herbs

If you want to refresh wilting lettuce, simply sit it in cold water for a little while. This will make the leaves crisp again. You can also heat some firmer varieties of lettuce, such as raddichio, romaine lettuce and chicory. To revive herbs that have become limp, simply cut them as you would do it with flowers and place them in a glass with water. They’ll soon perk up again! You can also use wilted herbs to make pesto or freeze them in oil in ice-cube trays.

Carrots & co.

Putting the bite back into root vegetables

Just like lettuce and herbs, root vegetables such as carrots, radishes and beetroot just need to be given a little water to bring them back to life. However, it can sometimes take rather longer. Ideally, you should leave the root vegetables in a container with water for several hours or overnight – preferably in the fridge. Alternatively, you could wrap them in a damp tea towel. They will absorb the water and regain their crunch.

Fruit

Fruit – an exception

Overripe fruit can’t be refreshed, but you can use it in a number of delicious recipes. Brown bananas, for example, are a perfect ingredient in banana bread or as the base of smoothies – and, in summer, they’re great for making banana ice cream. You can use shrivelled apples and pears to whip up tasty jams, purées, compotes and crisps. However, if fruit is past its best, you should use it quickly before it gets mouldy.

Bread

Moisten and bake: Hard bread doesn’t need to be binned

We’ve all been there, haven’t we? That delicious baguette or bread roll we only bought yesterday has gone hard in the blink of an eye. However, that doesn’t mean you have to throw them away – you can still get plenty of value out of them. Take your dried bread, moisten it with a little water, pop it in the oven for a few minutes and, soon enough, it’ll taste almost as good as it did the day you bought it. If bread has become very hard, you can use it to make breadcrumbs.

Pasta

Sauté or blanch: Making yesterday’s pasta soft again

Depending on how you store it, leftover pasta can either become watery or it can dry out. If you want to make it taste just as good the next day, simply sauté softened pasta over a medium heat. On the other hand, if your pasta has dried out, just pop it in some boiling water for a minute or two.

Cheese

Hard cheese softens again in milk

If you leave cheese out on the dining table for too long, or if it gets pushed to the back of the fridge, it can soon become dry and hard. You can soften hardened cheese by soaking it in milk for half an hour or so – this eliminates the need to throw it out.

Biscuits, cakes & pastries

How apples can save snacks

Biscuits are naturally fairly dry, but they can become even drier and a little hard when stored for a long time. If you like your biscuits a little softer, simply pop a sliced apple in the biscuit tin for a few hours. The fruit will give the biscuits a little moisture and soften them up again. You can also do this with cakes and other baked goods.

What to do with leftovers? Get creative with your odds and ends

Sliced vegetables, yesterday’s potatoes, half a pudding – if you’re not careful, your fridge will be brimming with leftovers. You should always give your food a second chance, as it often allows you to get creative. Don’t throw leftovers in the bin, put them in a pan and conjure up something new. Cooking leftovers together with family and friends can be a lot of fun!

Whatever the food, whatever the occasion, there’s always a recipe to match. For example, leftover bread, tomatoes and rocket can become a delicious panzanella. Maybe you could whip up a healthy dessert by turning leftover fruit into a smoothie or fruit salad? And that leftover sliced pepper can be combined with the half-can of sweetcorn and rice from yesterday to create a tasty veggie curry.

Still got some soup leftover from yesterday, but not enough for a full portion? No problem! Just use it the last bit of soup as a sauce for pasta or noodles. And, if that’s still not enough, add a few chopped vegetables and maybe a little vegetable stock.

Check out our recipe ideas for further inspiration on how to use leftovers creatively.

Zero waste: Other things you can to stop food ending up in the bin

If you’re eating in a restaurant and your portion was too big, simply ask if you can take the leftovers home in a doggy bag. Alternatively, you could ask for a smaller portion in advance.
Buying food to eat the same day or the next day? Try to choose products with a close best-before date.
Be smarter when peeling and slicing, we often put more of vegetables in the bin than we need to. Broccoli stems, for example, taste just as good as the florets.
Ever thought of making a salad out of radish leaves or baking banana peel into a cake?
Slice spring onions into rings and freeze them in a plastic bottle. You can then use just the right amount whenever you need them in future.
If you’ve opened a tin of food and only need half of it, simply decant the rest into a clean, resealable container. This will keep it fresh for longer.
Fancy holding a leftovers party? Cooking together with friends allows you to combine your odds and ends and whip up creative dishes.
Heading away on holiday but your fridge is still full? No problem! Simply knock on your neighbour’s door and offer them what you have.

Braun Bell Frozen virgin strawberry peach margarita 16x9.jpg

Did you know...

...how to keep your Avocados from browning?

Braun's kitchen hack of the day: after opening an avocado, simply sprinkle some fresh lemon juice on it to keep it from browning. It stays fresh for longer and even tastes good.

Avocado cut in half with citrus juice dripping on it.

…how to save Bananas that turn brown?

You don't like ripe bananas? Don't worry, many people don't. But with our #braunhack there is no need to waste a good fruit. Simply slice and freeze a banana to have it available whenever you need some. Why not try a freshly made and cool smoothie for instance to start your day right?

…how to keep your Carrots crisp?

We carrot wait to try this hack at home. Place your carrots in a glass of water to keep them fresh and crispy. Do you already treat your carrots like flowers and keep them fresh in a vase?

en_scs_braun_hack_card-04_Crisp_Carrots_1080 × 1080.jpg

…how to keep your Bananas fresh?

Keep calm and go bananas. Did you know that bananas naturally release a gas called ethylene from their stem, and therefore tend to ripen much faster? Try and cover the stem of the bananas with a small piece of leftover foil, and the ripening process slows dramatically. Have you ever heard about this kitchen hack?

en_scs_braun_hack_card-05_Fresh-Banana_1080 × 1080.jpg

…how to keep your Potatoes from sprouting?

An apple a day keeps the sprouts away. Just place an apple in the same rack with your potatoes. With this little kitchen hack you can keep your potatoes fresh, even if you don't use them up all at once. Have you tried this before?

en_scs_braun_hack_Card-08_Potatoes_1080 × 1080.jpg

…how to make stale bread fresh again?

Did you buy too much at the bakery the other day? Don't worry, sprinkle your bread with water and bake it in the oven. With this little trick your baked goods will be fresh and warm again, just in time for Sunday brunch. Try it yourself.

en_scs_braun_hack_card09_bread_1080 × 1080.jpg

Good design should be effective. So are our tips for reducing food waste, which we hope provide practical, useful examples of how we can show great appreciation for our food with even the smallest effort. Together we can achieve a lot with small changes.

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Food preparation

Cooking

Breakfast

Garment Care

Get inspired

Support

Less food waste

Zero waste: Keeping food fresh and getting creative with leftovers.

Keeping food fresh: How to save food and ensure it stays fresher for longer

Best-before dates

Best-before dates are a guideline – and very different from use-by dates

Storing and chilling

The FiFo principle and temperature zones in your fridge

Congélation

Ce dont il faut se méfier dans votre congélateur

Conserves

Conserver, mariner et fermenter

Conservation

Conservation des aliments dans des bocaux en verre

Décapage

Conservation des aliments dans des bocaux en verre

Fermentation

Fermentation des aliments dans des bocaux en verre

Faire revivre les vieux aliments

Lettuce & herbs

Refreshing salad leaves and herbs

Carrots & co.

Putting the bite back into root vegetables

Fruit

Fruit – an exception

Bread

Moisten and bake: Hard bread doesn’t need to be binned

Pasta

Sauté or blanch: Making yesterday’s pasta soft again

Cheese

Hard cheese softens again in milk

Biscuits, cakes & pastries

How apples can save snacks

What to do with leftovers? Get creative with your odds and ends

Zero waste: Other things you can to stop food ending up in the bin

Did you know...

Good design should be effective. So are our tips for reducing food waste, which we hope provide practical, useful examples of how we can show great appreciation for our food with even the smallest effort. Together we can achieve a lot with small changes.

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