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?

Mantenere il cibo fresco : Come conservarlo assicurandosi che stia fresco per più tempo

Refrigerando, congelando, mettendo in salamoia e facendo conserve alimentari, puoi estendere la durata del cibo, evitando di condannarlo a finire nel cestino

Le indicazioni "Da consumarsi preferibilmente entro"

L'indicazione "Da consumarsi preferibilmente entro" è una linea guida, e differisce molto dalle date di scadenza

Solo perchè lo yogurt ha passato da qualche giorno la data scritta dopo "Da consumarsi preferibilmente entro" non significa che tu non possa mangiarlo lo stesso e godertelo. Questa data è semplicemente una garanzia del produttore entro la quale un prodotto manterrà il suo sapore, aroma e valore nutrizionale, se ben conservato. Non dovresti mangiare cibi pronti refrigerati come pasta fresca o salsicce molto tempo dopo la data indicata su "Da consumarsi preferibilmente entro". Potrebbero infatti contenere germi che non puoi vedere, sentire con l'olfatto o assaggiando, ma che possono comunque farti stare male. Se in dubbio, la cosa migliore da fare con questi prodotti è buttarli via. Lo stesso sia applica a prodotti facilmente deperibili, i quali hanno una data di scadenza entro la quale vanno necessariamente utilizzati. Una volta passata, dovresti buttarli via.

Conservare e refrigerare

Il principio FiFo e le zone di temperatura nel tuo frigo

Metti gli alimenti appena acquistati dietro, e quelli meno recenti davanti. Il principio "FiFo", dall'inglese (first in, first out), può aiutarti nel tener traccia di quali prodotti sono freschi e quali no. È inoltre utile sapere che i frighi hanno diverse zone di temperatura. Sopra il cassetto della verdura, quanto più alto sarà lo scaffale, più alta sarà la temperatura. Lo scaffale più in basso, appena sopra quel cassetto, sarà il più freddo. La porta del frigo è ciò che fa arrivare più calore al suo interno una volta aperta. Per fare in modo che gli alimenti nel frigo stiano freschi per più tempo possibile, quindi, assicurati di sistemarli nel giusto scaffale. Puoi trovare più informazione a riguardo nella sezione "Come conservare correttamente il cibo".

Congelare

Cosa controllare nel tuo freezer

I microrganismi non possono riprodursi velocemente a bassa temperatura. Per questo motivo, il modo migliore per mantenere il cibo fresco è congelarlo. Ecco alcune regole per farlo in modo efficace:

Trasporta i prodotti surgelati in borse frigo o contenitori ermetici per evitare di interrompere l'esposizione continuativa al freddo.
Scongela prodotti congelati nel frigo e assicurati di rimuovere l'acqua di scongelamento per mantenere tutto igienico.
Congela il cibo in porzioni, cosicchè tu possa sempre scongelarne la giusta quantità.
Metti sempre gli alimenti nell borse da freezer prima di congelarli, per evitare che si secchino o che perdano il loro aroma.
Fai attenzione alla data sulle borse da freezer - non tutto il cibo rimane fresco al suo interno per la stesso periodo di tempo.

Conserve alimentari

Preparazione in conserve, salamoia, fermentazione

Esatto, potrebbe essere una pratica che tua nonna spesso utilizzava, ma l'arte del preparare conserve, mettere il cibo in salamoia o farlo fermentare va molto di moda ora! Questi metodi ti permetteranno di conservare il cibo in un posto fresco, secco, e lontano dalla luce del sole fino ad un anno. Etichetta sempre i tuoi cibi appena messi in conserva con la data e di metterli dietro i prodotti meno recenti, in modo da usare prima quest'ultimi. Ricorda che è meglio buttare via le conserve e le salamoie se il coperchio del vasetto non è fisso, se il liquido è scuro o ha perso colore, o se hanno un profumo anormale.

Preparare le conserve

Preparare conserve nei vasetti di vetro

Puoi preparare conserve di qualsiasi alimento, addirittura carne o salsicce. Il cibo dev'essere ovviamente fresco e non danneggiato quando le fai. La frutta dovrebbe essere cruda, e la verdura anche sbollentata. In pratica, è molto semplice... impila i prodotti puliti e preparati in vasi di vetro con un coperchio con chiusura a cerniera o a vite, e copri il tutto con del liquido. Metti i vasetti in un pentola, assicurandoti che non si tocchino. Riempi la pentola con abbastanza acqua per coprire circa tre quarti dell'altezza dei vasetti e scalda la pentola finchè l'acqua non raggiunge i 75-120 °C. In base al cibo, dovresti tenerlo a questa temperatura tra i 10 minuti e le due ore. Più tardi, una volta che i vasetti si saranno raffreddati,si formerà un vuoto al loro interno che manterrà i coperchi sigillati ermeticamente. Dovresti ripetere il passaggio in pentola una seconda volta quando crei conserve di piselli, fagioli e funghi.

Pickling

Pickling food in glass jars

If you want to try something new, why not test your culinary skills with carrots, green beans, beetroot or peppers? These are particularly well suited to pickling. To pickle a kilogram of vegetables, you’ll need to use half a litre of vinegar (5%) and up to half a litre of water containing spices and seasonings. Heat the pickling liquid and pour it into the glasses or stoneware pots, leave it to cool, then heat the liquid again and pour it over the vegetables. The liquid should cover the vegetables by the width of a couple of fingers. You should leave it to pickle for four to six weeks, after which the pickled food will keep for a further 3-12 months.

Fermenting

Fermenting food in glass jars

Fermentation is an age-old method for preserving food and is used to this day to make sauerkraut. For some people, fermented foods are more digestible, for example. Enzymes and microorganisms break down the sugars in the vegetables in a multiple-stage process. This produces both the lactic and acetic acids that give fermented vegetables their typical flavour and stop them from perishing. Ripe vegetables are ideally suited to fermentation. It’s actually quite simple… before you start fermenting, you need to grate, slice or shred the vegetables. Then add the grated, sliced or shredded vegetables to a glass jar, fill with a 5% brine, and leave for a few days or weeks to pickle. If the jar remains well sealed, the fermented vegetables can keep for several months.

Reviving old food

Even when stored correctly, some foods rapidly lose their freshness and take on a chewy or dry, crispy consistency. There’s no need to throw these foods away, though. Here’s how you can refreshen old food in your 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.

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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?

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…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?

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…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?

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…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.

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Un buon design dev'essere efficace. È così che sono i nostri consigli per ridurre lo spreco alimentare, che speriamo possano dare esempi utili e pratici di come possiamo dimostrare un grande apprezzamento nei confronti del nostro cibo anche con lo sforzo più piccolo. Insieme possiamo raggiungere grandi traguardi con piccoli cambiamenti.

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