Ways to use up staples nearing their best before date!

Finding new ways to use your favourite ingredients isn’t always easy, especially when the best before date is looming! You can easily forget about something in the fridge or get bored of using it the same old way, so getting inventive with your ingredients can help extend their lifespan and let you enjoy something new.

It’s also a great step to reducing your food waste as it is reported that on average a family will discard approximately £810 worth of food each year, so making your products stretch a bit further can help save you money.

There are lots of tip and tricks to try new things and save on food waste, and we’ve rounded up our favouritesfor you to try.

Orange juice

If you want to make a carton of fresh orange juice last longer then there are few things you can do including making ice cubes and ice lollies. Ice cubes can be used in smoothies and the ice lollies are a fun activity for the kids to make and then a tasty reward afterwards.

With BBQ season upon us, you might also want to try giving ribs a squirt of orange juice to give them an extra tangy flavour.

You can also add orange juice to scrambled eggs to make them slightly sweeter – pulp-free is best for this one!

Sparkling water

A nice refreshing glass of sparkling water is always a welcome change from still water, but it can go flat quickly. If you’re worried that you won’t finish your sparkling water try adding it to your cooking. Sparkling can be used instead of still water – try it with pasta, it’s supposed to give it a lighter texture than boiling in still or swap out the milk in pancake batter to make fluffier pancakes.

Yoghurt

Yoghurt is a very versatile ingredient and you can easily use it as a substitute in a lot of recipes. If you’re making scones with a buttermilk recipe, opt for yoghurt instead (with one tablespoon of milk to make it a bit runnier). It’s also ideal for marinades – a great alternative to barbeque sauce on any chicken you’re going to cook on the BBQ over the next few months. Add yoghurt to spices and have a spicy crispy chicken burger perhaps?

This is another one where lollies are a fun treat. Here is a quick recipe (although we think you can use any fruit you like here!)

Ingredients

4 apples
2 tbsp lemon juice
100ml water
100g caster sugar
500g greek yoghurt
1 small handful of strawberries
1 small handful of blueberries

Method

  1. Peel, core and chop the apples.
  2. Put in a saucepan with the water, lemon juice and sugar.
  3. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally for 15 minutes or until the apples are soft - set aside to cool.
  4. Put the mixture into a food processor and blend until smooth.
  5. Fold in the yoghurt.
  6. Slice the tops off the strawberries and cut them into slices. Fold the strawberry slices and blueberries into the apple and yoghurt mixture.
  7. Pour the mixture into ice lolly moulds and freeze for 6-8 hours until solid.

Source: https://www.netmums.com/recipes/apple-yoghurt-and-berry-ice-lollies

Milk

Milk is a great source of calcium for not only humans but plants! Calcium deficiency in plants can lead to trouble with shoots growing and issues with leaves and roots. You can also use it on soil as the proteins and enzymes are also good for it.

To use milk as fertilizer (even expired milk), dilute the milk with water and spray on your plant. Leave it for an hour and then wipe away any excess milk from the leaves – you don’t want the milk to sit as this can harm your leaves. Also, make sure that it is a 50/50 mixture of milk and water.

Be sure to do your research to ensure that this is suitable for your plants and soil specifically.

Other tips to help reduce food waste

  1. Plan out your weekly meals ahead of time so you only buy what you need from us when you order.
  2. Bulk cook your meals and freeze portions to have later. This helps use up your ingredients so you’re not left with one of something you then end up throwing away.
  3. Clean cupboards and the fridge regularly, putting the soonest expiration date at the front so you grab it first without having to hunt for it. This is best done when you putting away your food shopping as it’s easier to organise your existing food.

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