Celine A. from London said:
Because we live in prosperity, children see food thrown away as a daily occurence. They receive the wrong message... More
Storage & Tools
Reviving tips
Some foods, that you might have earmarked for the bin, can be revived and given a new lease of life. Read on and please tell us your ideas too.
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To stop avocado turning brown
Lemon juice helps to stop cut avocados turning brown. Also, if you pop the avocado stone into a bowl of guacamole or salsa, this will keep the dip fresh and green for at least 2 hours; remove stone before serving. Ripe avocado can be spread onto toast instead of butter!
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No more bendy carrots
Top and tail unpeeled carrots as soon as you buy them and store them in an airtight container in the fridge. They last for weeks and weeks and weeks.
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Buying organic bread
If you are buying organic bread check, its best before date. Its shelf life will be a lot shorter than some breads. Expect to eat the bread within 2 days.
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Beansprouts
Keep submerged in water in a container and refrigerate. Keeps for at least a week and they don't go slimy.
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Crisp up a day old crusty loaf
To freshen up a day old loaf, hold it very briefly under a running cold tap. Give it a good shake and pop in a hot oven for about 10 minutes; it will be as soft and crusty as freshly baked bread.
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Braised celery from bruised celery
If your lovely crisp celery has gone limp, don't throw it out, braise it in a stir fry or add it to your stews and casseroles - it is delicious and nutritious. I especially love it mixed with leek and Chinese leaf in a stir fry.
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Rock-hard sugar
If you have got rock-hard brown sugar or crystalised honey/syrup, put it in a microwaveable bowl and give it a quick blast of about 30 seconds on high in the microwave. This will bring them back to their normal state.
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Pitta bread
Pitta bread can be warmed or toasted straight from the freezer: sprinkle with water and warm through. Use straight away for hot fillings, or leave to cool for a sandwich.
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Buried treasure for little Pirates
If you have a few odd pieces of fruit which need eating up, slice them into the correct number of bowls for your little pirates and smother in freshly made custard (instant, tin or carton will do, but work out more expensive and it's easier to get a specific amount if you make it up yourself). My children love hunting for the buried treasure so much that they told me I should sell the recipe! You can easily adapt this idea with a few sweets, chocolate buttons or whatever else you have to hand...
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Small Onions
You can almost always get cheep bags of onions in the supermarkets and I find that there the perfect size and very rarely need to use more or less than one which means I don't have bits of onions lying round stinking the place out and going to waste.
