Waste Not Want Not - Part I

I am no stranger to waste.  In my working day, and thereafter when I first began this job of being a full-time homemaker, it was brought home to me how wasteful I was.  As I cleared out the refrigerator one morning, during the leanest of our times, and tossed food  into the trash can (which had to be emptied twice), it occurred to me that each item going into that trash can represented money, hard earned money at that, and what was more, money that was sorely needed by us at the time.  It sickened me...And I vowed to do all I could to avoid ever finding myself in that situation once more.  It took a great many attempts before I finally got food waste under control.

 I encountered waste when I helped my mother during her convalescence.  She insisted upon fresh milk, eggs, and bread the very day the sell by dates on the  packaging was reached.  Despite assurances that most of these were sell by dates and not toss dates she insisted they must be replaced immediately.  I was never successful in changing her mind and to this day she routinely tosses out half gallons of milk, three quarters of a loaf of bread and a dozen eggs not to mention leftovers that have been in the fridge more than two days, and various and sundry fruits and vegetables.  No I couldn't change her mind but I can tell you that I certainly felt my own mind strongly changed.  Many bloggers, especially those who choose a life of thrift, participate in Food Waste Fridays, in which a listing and photographs of the foods wasted each week are posted on their blogs,  in order to encourage themselves and others to reduce their wasted foods.

I've been unwell and so found myself watching a bit more tv than usual.  On FoodTv I found myself watching a 'cook-off' program called "The Big Waste" in which four chefs, among them Bobby Flay, visited various markets, pick your own farms and groceries and fed 100 from the foods slated to go into the garbage...Spoiled? No, but tossed nonetheless.  Some of the food was misshapen, outer leaves had wilted, herbs gone to flower, chickens with broken wings or legs, but the food was not spoiled.  It was just not picture perfect.  And that is something that we are so guilty of in this day and age:  wanting perfection at any cost.



When asked, merchants and farmers alike noted that they 'lost' 40-50% of all foods to waste.  Farmers profited only slightly better than merchants in that most of the farmer's waste could be composted and tilled back into the soil.  Merchants lost money with no return at all upon it.  The estimates of the COST of this waste stretched into five figures a year for many businesses.  Remember these were not SPOILED foods but were foods that were blemished or slightly past their prime.

I confess, I've often and often becried the state of produce in the market in my town, though I like the grocery overall.  I'll grant you the produce is no doubt the direct result of their desire to eliminate loss of money.  My problem: they do not lower their prices to accommodate the fact that produce is blemished or past it's prime, but continue to offer it at premium prices.  Frankly I 'd think it would be worthwhile to mark down the produce.  I've often bought less than perfect produce at markets which had been marked down as a manager's special.  This is something I seldom see at the local store nor at one other premium store where I like to shop.  Frankly if I feel I'm getting a better price on less than perfect fruits and vegetables I'll happily purchase them.  I mind a great deal paying top dollar for something that is obviously not prime.  It's one thing to buy slightly wrinkled apples (perfect for sauce or pies if those are on the menu) for $.50/pound and another to pay the same $1.19 I'd have to pay for firm, picture perfect apples...

I confess that in my childhood, a bruise on a fruit was considered something that could be trimmed away, and when we picked Granny's apples and the neighbors peaches, we didn't mind one bit if a bird had pecked the fruit and left a hole, but you won't catch me consciously choosing those fruits at market...And there in lies the story of waste, sadly.  Amy Dacyczyn of The Complete Tightwad drew many a scowl and collective "Ewww!" when she stated in her first book that she often saved an apple that a child had taken a bite out of and used it.  Frankly, I wasn't in the least shocked.  Granny was not one to toss an apple we kids had bitten into either, so I was all too familiar with this particular method of savings.  It was also not uncommon to have a chicken leg with a single bite taken from it saved either.

 As Chef Michael Symon said looking at a compost heap filled with tomatoes that had split or were misshapen, "All I can see when I look at this is the tons of marinara that might have been made..." Not to mention sundried tomatoes and catsup and dozens of other delicacies.

It's not just orchard to table farmers either who have this sort of waste.  Many years ago I was invited to pick all I wanted from a peach orchard that had been picked for a food manufacturer in our community.  The gleanings in that field were unbelievable. I  picked enough fruit to can 18 quarts of peaches and I was barely there two hours.  Hundreds had been invited to glean and no one held back in gathering. Contracts stated that the food was the property of the manufacturer and could not be used for any other resale purposes  but could be offered to locals for gleaning.  After all the useable 'good' fruits were gleaned then those who raised pigs went in to gather the rest for animal feed.

So what is the solution? Obviously something must be done.  

One of the problems these farmers and grocers reported was that due to increased government regulations and paperwork many food banks and soup kitchens and such would not accept donations of these goods.  We can lobby for government change but let's face it, bureaucracy being what it is, it could take years IF we were even effective to push new regulations through.  In the meantime, FoodTv reported that the average household wastes 200pounds of food per person per year.  I can certainly vow not to let my household be part of the problem and do all I can to use all the foods I purchase.

In tan earlier post of this blog this month I shared my idea of Home Harvesting foods that are potentially going to go to waste.  End pieces of bread can be saved and used to make a breakfast or supper entree (Cheese strata, breakfast casserole), croutons, stuffing for poultry or pork,  bread crumbs (fresh or dried) or desserts (Apple Charlotte or Brown Betty).  These are all old fashioned ideas that have fallen by the wayside.  If you ever  make your own croutons for salad at home you'll never again choose to buy those super hard, flavorless (or highly salted and preserved), store bought croutons again.  For years on end I've saved the root ends and tops of celery, onions and carrots (and the outer skins of onions as well) for flavoring in stocks.  Apple cores and peels may be frozen and combined with water (or juice or cider that is nearing it's end) to make jelly.  Leftover coffee can be used as liquid in chocolate pudding or cake or pot roast.  Bones from poultry or beef may be saved and used to make rich broths. "Sour" milk can be used in cooking.  My favorite 1950's cookbook has a full section devoted to using up those sorts of leftovers.

I won't go into the hundreds of ways in which those things we'd typically toss might be used.  There are guidelines about how long foods will be good, even about which foods might be used despite a spot of mold and which to toss once you find mold on them (not a hard and fast rule but hard foods and cheeses usually are okay while  soft ones should be tossed).  I have a copy of an article  with this information and will see if I can find it...From Penny Ann Poundwise, April 11, 2003:

Kitchen Basics:
Can I Save It? The CPR Guide for Old/Moldy Foods

You're cleaning out the refrigerator and come across a molded mess.
Can you save it or do you simply toss it, and consequently your
money, right into the trash? I have in my files handy guides for food storage
and use, as well as a listing of what foods can safely be salvaged.

Most items these days come with an expiration date marked right on
the package, but it is possible you have food that you've made
fresh, without the additives and preservatives that keep our store
bought items fresh. How long can you safely keep these? Check out the
charts below.

First, let's talk about saving your food from CPR tactics. Start
with a clean refrigerator. Wash walls and shelves with a baking soda
and water solution. Rinse well. Make sure that your fridge is at
the proper temperature. 1-4C or 34-40F are the recommended temps.
Check your manual to assure that you clean and operate your model
properly. Manuals are seldom seen once an item is in daily use, but they
are full of useful information.

Store perishable foods as soon as you get them home. In some,
micro-organisms may start growing at room temperature in as little as
2 hours.

The following guide will help you know which foods are most safely
rescued. There are a few however that once moldy contain harmful
organisms. NEVER NEVER keep these items once they are molded: corn,
wheat, oats, rice, sweet potatoes, dried peas, nuts, and coconut.

For those foods which are worthy of saving, cut away the moldy area
and about an inch of surrounding area.

Cut:
hard cheese
salami
bell peppers
broccoli
cabbage
potatoes
carrots
pears
apples

Toss:
soft cheeses
soft luncheon meats
jams and jellies
bread, cake
tomatoes, cucumbers,leafy greens
cooked leftovers
bananas, peaches, melons

How long can you safely keep foods in your fridge? The following
chart will help you. I recommend that any food marked with an
expiration date be used up to that time.
Bacon 5-7 days
Beef 2-4 days
Casseroles 2-3 days
Cheese:
Hard and soft 1-2 weeks
Cottage 3-4 days
Egg whites 10 days
Egg yolks 2-3 days
Fish 1-2 days
Frankfurters 4-5 days
Ground meats 1-2 days
Ham 1 week
Luncheon meats 1 week
Milk 5-7 days
Pork 2-4 days
Poultry 1-2 days
Sausage:
Dried 2-3 weeks
Bulk 1 week
Smoked 3-7 days
Sour cream 3-4 days
Stews and soups 2-3 days
variety meats 1-2 days
Yogurt 2 weeks
(C)Terri Cheney 2003

Here's my personal vow: Use every scrap of food that comes into my home and prevent waste as much as possible, and to compost those items which cannot be used further for fertilizer.  Stop looking for perfection  in fruits and vegetables.  I will ask for discounts on obviously bruised or wilted fruits and vegetables.  The worst that will happen is that I'll be told "No."

My goal is two fold: To save more of our hard earned money and to avoid being part of a national epidemic of wastefulness and start a new trend of mindful usage.