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”.

Freezing

What to watch out for in your freezer

Microorganisms can’t reproduce as quickly in low temperatures. For this reason, the best way to keep food fresh is to freeze it. Here’s some rules for freezing food effectively:

Transport frozen products in cool bags or insulated food boxes to avoid breaking the cold chain.
Defrost frozen products in the fridge and make sure to catch any defrost water to keep everything hygienic.
Freeze food in portions so that you can always defrost just the right amount.
Always freeze food in freezer bags to prevent it from drying out or losing its aroma.
Make sure you note the date on freezer bags – not all food stays fresh in the freezer for the same length of time.

Preserves

Preserving, pickling and fermenting

Yes, it might be something your grandmother used to do, but the art of preserving, pickling and fermenting is very much on trend right now! These methods allow you to store food in a cool, dry place, out of direct sunlight, for up to a year. Always label freshly preserved foods with the date and put them at the back of your cupboard or pantry so that you use the older produce first. Remember that it’s best to dispose of preserves and pickles if the lid is loose, the liquid is cloudy or discoloured, or if they have an unnatural smell.

Preserving

Preserving food in glass jars

You can preserve just about anything, even meat or sausages. Of course, the food has to be fresh and undamaged when you do. Fruit should be raw and vegetables should be raw and blanched. It’s actually quite simple… layer washed and prepared produce in a clean glass jar that has either a clip top or screw top and cover with liquid. Put the glass jars in a cooking pot, making sure they aren’t touching. Fill the pot with just enough water so that it comes about three-quarters of the way up the jars and then heat the pot until the water reaches 75-120 °C. Depending on the food, you should keep it at this temperature for between 10 minutes and 2 hours. Later, as the glass jars cool down, a vacuum forms inside them that keeps the lid sealed air-tight. You should repeat the cooking stage a second time when preserving peas, beans and mushrooms.

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.

Kvašení

Kvašení potravin ve skleněných nádobách

Kvašení je prastará metoda uchovávání potravin, která se dodnes používá k výrobě kysaného zelí. Pro některé lidi mohou být kvašené potraviny stravitelnější. Enzymy a mikroorganismy rozkládají cukry v zelenině v několikastupňovém procesu. Vznikají tak kyseliny mléčná i octová, které dodávají kvašené zelenině typickou chuť a zabraňují jejímu kažení. Pro kvašení ideální je zralá zelenina. Je to vlastně jednoduché... Než začnete s kvašením, musíte zeleninu nastrouhat, nakrájet nebo nakrouhat. Poté nastrouhanou, nakrájenou nebo nakrouhanou zeleninu vložíte sklenice, naplňte ji 5% nálevem a necháte několik dní nebo týdnů kvasit. Pokud sklenice zůstane dobře uzavřená, může kvašená zelenina vydržet i několik měsíců.

Oživení starých potravin

I při správném skladování ztrácejí některé potraviny rychle svou čerstvost a „zgumovatí“, oschnou a přestanou křupat. Přinášíme návod, jak můžete osvěžit staré potraviny ve sých zásobách.

Hlávkový salát a bylinky

Osvěžení salátových listů a bylinek

Pokud chcete osvěžit uvadající salát, jednoduše ho na chvíli vložte do studené vody. Listy tak znovu zkřehnou. Některé tužší druhy salátu, jako je raddichio, římský salát a čekanka, můžete také ohřát. Ovadlé bylinky oživíte tak, že je jednoduše je seříznete stejně jako květiny a vložíte do sklenice s vodou. Brzy znovu ožijí! Zvadlé bylinky můžete také použít k přípravě pesta nebo je zmrazit v oleji ve formách na výrobu ledu.

Mrkev a spol.

Jak vrátit chuť kořenové zelenině

Kořenovou zeleninu, jako je mrkev, ředkvičky a červená řepa, stačí stejně jako salát a bylinky zalít trochou vody, aby se znovu probudila k životu. Někdy to však může trvat poněkud déle. Ideální je nechat kořenovou zeleninu v nádobě s vodou několik hodin nebo přes noc – nejlépe v lednici. Případně je můžete zabalit do vlhké utěrky. Absorbuje vodu a získá zpět svou křupavost.

Ovoce

Ovoce – výjimka

Přezrálé ovoce se oživit nedá, ale můžete ho použít v řadě chutných receptů. Hnědé banány se například skvěle hodí do banánového chleba nebo jako základ koktejlů – a v létě se z nich skvěle připravuje banánová zmrzlina. Z vyschlých jablek a hrušek můžete připravit chutné džemy, pyré, kompoty a chipsy. Pokud má však ovoce své nejlepší dny za sebou, měli byste ho rychle spotřebovat, než zplesniví.

Pečivo

Navlhčete a upečte. Ani tvrdý chléb není třeba vyhazovat.

Známe to asi všichni. Křupavá bageta nebo rohlík, které jsme si koupili teprve včera, v mžiku ztvrdly. To ale neznamená, že je musíte vyhodit – stále z nich můžete získat spoustu užitku. Vezměte suché pečivo, navlhčete ho trochou vody, strčte ho na pár minut do trouby a zanedlouho bude chutnat téměř stejně dobře jako v den, kdy jste ho koupili. Z hodně tvrdého pečiva můžete vyrobit strouhanku.

Těstoviny

Smažte nebo blanšírujte. Včerejší těstoviny jsou znovu měkké.

V závislosti na způsobu skladování mohou zbytky těstovin buď rozmočit, nebo vyschnout. Pokud chcete, aby těstoviny chutnaly stejně dobře i druhý den, jednoduše je osmahněte na mírném ohni. Na druhou stranu, pokud těstoviny vyschly, stačí je na minutu nebo dvě vložit do vroucí vody.

Sýr

Tvrdý sýr znovu změkne v mléce

Pokud necháte sýr příliš dlouho ležet na jídelním stole nebo ho odsunete do zadní části lednice, může se brzy vysušit a ztvrdnout. Ztvrdlý sýr můžete změkčit tak, že ho na zhruba půl hodiny namočíte do mléka – tím odpadne nutnost vyhodit ho.

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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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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