A simple action to help you avoid food waste this holiday season...
Over the past few weeks we have been giving you suggestions on how to celebrate the festive season with less waste.
Well, the days have slowly crept by, and Christmas is almost upon us. Hanukkah has already started!
Whichever way you will be celebrating the holidays, there's sure to be some eating involved, which generally means leftovers.
There's heaps of ways to turn leftovers into new meals after your celebrations end, but if the leftovers won't fit in your fridge then they are more likely to go to waste.
So, one of the final tips in preparation for your 'greener' and less wasteful festive season this year is...
Declutter the fridge and defrost freezer!
Firstly, go through your refrigerator and freezer and clean up your food clutter. Don't throw anything away that can be eaten, but tidy up. If you have duplicates of things consider consolidating them if possible, and organise.
Secondly, if you have a frost-filled freezer, then it's time to defrost. An icy freezer is an inefficient one, and you'll need to make space for all the extra food and leftovers to help prevent food waste.
A freezer guide to the holidays
You can easily reuse your Christmas staples such as turkey, ham, chicken and vegetables in sandwiches, quiches, omelettes and salads in the days following Christmas. If you will not be using the leftovers immediately, freeze them to eat during January or February. Here are a few suggestions for what to freeze and for how long...
Homemade sauces
- Freeze for: Three months
- How to store: Once cooled, transfer to a reusable container and freeze.
- How to defrost: Place the container in a bowl of warm water until defrosted, then reheat until piping hot.
Bread
- Freeze for: One month
- How to store: Place in a bag or wrap well in cling wrap.
- How to defrost: Defrost at room temperature. A whole loaf will take about 5 hrs. Rolls, bagels, pitta and baguettes will take about 2 hrs. You can cook baguettes and rolls from frozen, wrapped in foil. Pitta and thinly-sliced bread can also be toasted from frozen.
Whole roasts, Turkey or Ham
- Freeze for: Up to three months
- How to store: Remove the meat from the bones first and pack the meat and bones separately.
- How to defrost: Thaw frozen leftovers safely in the refrigerator or in cold water.
Mash or roast potatoes
- Freeze for: Four months
- How to wrap: Once cooked and cooled, freeze mash in reusable tubs, and roast in freezer bags.
- How to defrost: Cook roast potatoes from frozen, but defrost mash overnight in the fridge.
