The ins and outs of managing your pantry
Foodwise shopping
"Use by" and "best before"
Bread, more bread and crackers...
When going on a holiday...
Tips submitted by FoodWise supporters
THE INS AND OUTS OF MANAGING YOUR PANTRY
Bread crumbs and croutons
OUT - Packaged bread crumbs or croutons.
IN - Cut up stale bread into pieces and place in the oven to dry roast for croutons or throw them in the food processor for fresh bread crumbs and store in the fridge.
Stock
OUT - Bouillon cubes or powder, or canned stock.
IN - Veggie stock - Simmer a carrot, a celery stalk and half an onion in a couple of cups of water for 10 minutes ... Chicken stock - Add chicken scraps/bones to the veggie stock and cook for an additional 20 minutes.
Aerosol spray oil
OUT - Spray oil costs about twice as much as olive oil in a bottle.
IN - Get some good olive oil and a hand-pumped sprayer or even simpler, a brush. The simplest method is of course to use your fingers!
Bottle salad dressing
OUT - Bottled salad dressing and marinades.
IN - Take good oil and vinegar or lemon juice, and combine them with salt, pepper, and mustard - three parts oil to one of vinegar.
Spices
OUT - Spices older than a year.
IN - Fresh or dried spices that you know you will use. Many people stock an entire cupboard full of spices that are never touched.
Some useful spices for the pantry are:
- cinnamon - useful in baking, hot drinks and breakfast dishes
- cumin - great for stews and other hot winter dishes
- dried chilies/paprika - Can be used across many dishes
- curry powder - Also useful across many dishes
- ginger - Fresh ginger is best
Dried herbs
OUT - Dried herbs.
IN - Fresh parsley and basil. Rosemary, tarragon and Dill are also useful. Fresh herbs can be used across a number of dishes and will keep for at least a week.Herbs sell for about $3 a bunch from the supermarket but pots of each herb can be bought for about the same price from your local fruit market and can be kept on the kitchen windowsill, so the money only need to be spent once.
Packaged/imitation cheese
OUT - Grated/imitation parmesan cheese.
IN - Real Parmigiano-Reggiano - If it is wrapped well, it keeps for a year and can be frozen. Parmesan is a very versatile ingredient and can be used on pasta, rice dishes, sauces and in salads. The flavour is very strong so you only need to use a little and a block can be bought from about $5 from the supermarket.
Tomato paste in a can
OUT - Tomato paste in a can.
IN - Tomato paste in a tube. Tomato paste can be used to add flavour to sauces, stews, soups and on pizza bases but you rarely need more than a couple of tablespoons full. Buying tomato paste in a tube means you don't waste an entire can on one use and it keeps for longer in the fridge.
Pre-packaged quick cook grains
OUT - Minute Rice or boil-in-a-bag grains.
IN - Genuine grains. Useful grains to stock in the cupboard are:
- rice - short and long grain.
- oats - There is no need to buy individually packed servings of oats. Many also have additives and preservatives in them.
- pasta - Dried pasta can be stored in a glass container in the pantry and is useful to use alone, in salads or soups.
- quinoa - A great alternative for coaliacs or those will sensitivity to wheat.
Not only will a pantry overhaul translate into healthier eating, it’s sure to save you at the cash register!
The above tips were contributed by Channel 9 Today Show nutritionist Joanna McMillan Price, http://www.joannamcmillanprice.com.
FOODWISE SHOPPING
Recent figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed that food costs rose by 3.9% over the year to the June quarter 2008. The cost of take away food increased by 6.5%, milk by 12.1%, cakes and biscuits by 8.2%, cheese by 14.2%, bread by 6.8% and poultry by 11.0%.
With $5 billion of food already being wasted by Australians, food price increases are coming at a time when we can least afford it.
Past analysis of why we waste so much food showed that we buy more than we need and then bin food that is perfectly edible.
To avoid over-buying in the first place, write a shopping list!:
- make sure your list takes into account what you already have in your fridge, freezer and pantry. This helps you to avoid buying something that you already have
- think twice about "two for one" offers
- never go food shopping when you're hungry
- and don't let your kids talk you into buying things you don't want
"USE BY" AND BEST 'BEFORE'
You must always abide by "use by" dates but lots of food can be eaten after the 'best before' date. Plain common sense and your nose should tell you whether it's usable or not. If it starts to wilt, throw it in a soup.
BREAD, MORE BREAD, AND CRACKERS...
Who doesn't find themselves with excess or stale bread?
Make sure your bread's bag is deflated to remove all the air and secure it with a tight twist to extend the bread's shelf.
Store your sliced bread in the freezer to prevent in from going mouldy, then toast.
Freeze rolls and put in microwave for about 30 seconds, depending on size, to serve up warm, fresh bread.
You can even make sandwiches with frozen bread - after the bread thaws, your sandwich is super-fresh. A stale slice freshens up nicely with a 10 second burst in the microwave.
Organic bread will keep less long than conventional bread. Check the best before date when you buy to avoid wastage.
Re-crisp soft and sad crackers by spreading them thinly on a baking tray and drying in a moderate oven for about 5 minutes. Test the timing to get it just right. Once cooled, store in Tupperware to lock in the freshness. This works equally well for chips and nuts.
WHEN GOING ON HOLIDAY...
Chop and cook veggies and other perishable foods which you would otherwise bin to make pasta sauces, curries, bakes and other freezable meals, and freeze in Tupperware ready for use when you get back.
Make extra of whatever you cook in the last few days and freeze before you leave so you don't go hungry on your return.
And of course, don't buy any fresh groceries in the days before your departure.
TIPS SUBMITTED BY FOODWISE SUPPORTERS
After opening a jar of tomato paste, put the leftover paste into an ice cube tray and freeze. When frozen, transfer it into an airtight container and use as needed.
contributed by Val Day
Next time you purchase cold cuts, have them freshly cut if possible. Remember the meat starts to warm up the minute you purchase it. When you bring it home, remove all the wrapping. Place the meat in a Tupperware Clear Mate Container (Clear Mates are great because you can see the contents every time you open the refrigerator) then place unsealed meat in the refrigerator for approximately 30 minutes or until cold. Once the cold cuts are cold, then seal. Your cold meat should last the week.
contributed by Yvonne Pledger
Here are two ways to a clean fridge, tasty food, and less waste.
When you have a collection of 'tired' vegetables in the fridge, they don't have to be thrown out. Usually there will be good parts left. Cut off the soft spots and place all the veggies together in a pot to make some soup. Use a combination of potatoes, carrots, pumpkin, celery, capsicum, zucchini, sweet potato, tomatoes, onions etc and some stock and herbs and cook well. Puree and add seasoning if required. This system also works for a "Cleaning out the Fridge Casserole". Put the vegetables into a casserole with a cheap cut of meat that has been cubed. Add a little red wine plus some herbs and put it into the oven.
contributed by Caroline
It works out much cheaper to buy yogurt in large cartons than in single serve tubs which alone adds more rubbish to our landfill. For leftover yogurt, rather than throwing it out, make into icypoles which keep for ages in the freezer and are geat to have as a quick and healthy snack. I buy plastic icypole makers/containers that can be used over and over again.
contributed by Isabel
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