Whether you need inspiration for ways to use produce you’d usually throw away, tricks to make food last longer or ideas to cook every part of a vegetable, we’ve got you covered. These handy hacks will show you how to reduce food waste and make your tastiest meals yet.
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Use wilted spinach in pasta dishes
If you’ve found your bag of spinach is starting to wilt, have no fear as there are plenty of ways to use lackluster leaves so they don’t have to go in the garbage. Add greens to lasagnas, pasta dishes, pies and curries, as once cooked it’s impossible to tell if it started off less than fresh.
Try this recipe for spinach and ricotta pie
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Use up spare cheese ends in mac ‘n’ cheese
At some point we’ve all found ourselves with a collection of cheese ends in the fridge. Maybe you forgot you had Parmesan and bought more or your family has a habit of leaving brie rinds behind. That’s wonderful news if you’re making mac ‘n’ cheese, as you can crumble all these different varieties on top to make your cheesiest, most luxurious bake yet.
Get inspired with our cheeseboard mac ‘n’ cheese recipe
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Regrow scallions
Did you know you can regrow scallions? Just fill a glass with water, put the white ends in with the roots facing downwards and every day or so, replace the water. In a week you’ll have a whole new bundle, ready to chop and sprinkle over potatoes, omelets and salads.
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Cover sliced avocado in lime
Often a recipe only calls for half an avocado but by the time you get around to using the other half, it has become brown and unappealing. Luckily, there’s an easy way to extend its shelf life. Squeeze a lemon or lime all over the cut side – the citrus juice is a strong antioxidant and prevents oxygen affecting the surface.
Now take a look at these genius hacks to make food and drink last longer
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Save flat Champagne for a seafood sauce
While it’s a massive shame to open a bottle of Champagne or prosecco and have the bubbles disappear before you’ve had a chance to finish it, it doesn’t have to be a total waste. You could make a Champagne sauce to pair with seafood, pour a little into an indulgent risotto or even make Champagne-flavored macarons.
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Freeze leftover tinned tomatoes
When preparing a meal for one person, a whole tin of tomatoes isn’t always necessary. But don’t let what’s left sit in the fridge unused until it needs to be thrown away. Decant the remainder into a sealable bag and store in the freezer until you next need to cook with them. You can also do this with coconut milk.
Take a look at tried and tested tips to organize your freezer
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Use overripe avocados to make chocolate mousse
It can be tricky to know when avocados are at their sweet spot in terms of ripeness. But if you’re a couple of days late, there’s a delicious way to save this favorite food. Make an indulgent avocado chocolate mousse by blending two whole avocados with cocoa powder, vanilla and honey.
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Roast stale nuts and seeds to refresh
Sometimes it’s not possible to finish a pack of nuts or seeds before they’ve gone stale, but a short roasting in the oven or toasting in a frying pan will have them tasting crisp and new. It won’t take more than five to 10 minutes, so keep an eye out to catch them before they burn.
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Save chickpea water for making meringues
When making hummus or a chickpea curry, most people discard the liquid that’s in the tin, but did you know this wonder water has another use? Known as aquafaba, its thick and sticky texture means it can be used as an egg replacement when making meringues, cakes, vegan mayonnaise and even cocktails (to mimic an egg white foam).
Get the recipe for vegan pavlova here
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Store fresh herbs like a bunch of flowers
This handy hack will extend the life of delicate herbs such as mint, cilantro and parsley. Trim their stems, remove dying leaves and stand them in a jar of water as though they’re a bunch of flowers. They’ll stay perky for days to come.
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Pickle excess carrots, cabbage and radishes
If you’ve got a glut of veg, pickling is a delicious and fun way to use it up. Quick pickles can be ready in as little as 10 minutes, which is great if you don’t want to wait around. Or learn how to can produce and enjoy it for months to come.
Get the recipe for quick-pickled radishes here
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Squishy tomatoes are fine for a pasta sauce
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Wash berries in apple cider vinegar
Fresh berries are delicious but they don’t last long in the fridge. To help preserve them, wash in a mixture of one-part vinegar to three-parts water, then drain, rinse thoroughly and pop in the fridge. Don’t worry, it won’t make the fruit taste vinegary, it will just kill any germs and keep mold away longer.
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Blitz bruised berries into smoothies
If you do find some berries looking past their best, there’s no need to chuck them in the trash can. Squishy and overripe berries taste just fine blended into a healthy smoothie with a banana and a drizzle of honey. If you’re not ready to use them immediately, transfer overripe berries to the freezer for later.
Inspired? Check out genius ideas to rescue food you’d usually throw away
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Use stale bread to make French toast
We’ve lost count of the amount of times we’ve bought bread and it has gone stale faster than anticipated. But unless mold is growing, there’s still plenty of ways you can use it. Dry bread is great for French toast as it’s more robust and holds up to the eggy mixture. It’s the perfect excuse for an indulgent brunch.
Get our recipe for French toast here
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Freeze slices of bread if it’ll go stale
To prevent bread going stale in the first place, store what you aren’t going to use in slices in the freezer. Take a couple out to defrost for sandwiches or pop straight in the toaster. Well packaged, it should last in there for around a month.
Find our brilliant home-baked bread tips here
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Save overripe bananas for banana bread
So you forgot about your bunch of bananas and now they’re bruised and covered in brown spots. Don’t throw them out, though. They might not be great to eat as they are but they’re exactly how you want them if you’re making banana bread or muffins – extra sweet, flavorful and easy to mash.
Get the recipe for coffee and chocolate banana bread here
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Use leftover roast meat in a risotto, stir-fry or burrito
A roast is fabulous the first time, but reheating leftover cold roast chicken, beef or pork the next day can be less than inspiring. So why not turn your leftovers into a new dish? Chop meat into little pieces and add to a risotto, stir-fry or burrito, sorting you out with meals for the rest of the week.
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Turn leftover risotto into arancini balls
While leftover risotto is safe to reheat if stored in the fridge, it quickly loses its indulgent creaminess. Give leftovers a new lease of life by turning them into equally amazing arancini. These crispy, deep-fried bites from Sicily can be ready in under an hour.
Get the recipe for wild mushroom arancini here
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Freeze leftover red wine for your next bolognese
If you’ve opened a nice bottle of red, but have a glass or two left in the bottle that you don’t fancy finishing in the next few days, freeze it in ice cubes so you can add it to sauces when cooking. It’s a win-win: you won’t waste wine and you won’t have to open a whole new bottle next time you need it for cooking.
Here are more clever ways to make the most of your ice cube tray
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Use potatoes on the turn in… everything
The humble spud is known to last a reasonably long time when stored in a cool, dark cupboard. But often potatoes turn before you’re ready to use them. When you notice this happening, don’t leave them any longer. Cut them into cubes and boil them, then throw the pieces into any salads, frittatas, curries or stews.
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Save veg trimmings for stock
Most people throw veg stalks, peel and leaves away, but if you really want to reduce food waste you should start saving these for stock. You can use trimmings from onions, carrots, celery, leeks, scallions, potatoes, mushrooms, garlic and many more vegetables. Keep scraps in the freezer if you’re storing them for longer than a week and when you’re ready, boil into a stock.
Discover how to freeze different fruits and vegetables
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Eat cauliflower leaves
If you only eat cauliflower florets and discard the leaves, you’re missing out. The leaves are entirely edible and can be used in cooking just like spinach, kale or chard. Peel off the leaves, drizzle them in olive oil and roast them. Or chop finely and add to a stir-fry.
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Cook bruised apples and pears in muffins and crumbles
We’ve all stocked the fruit bowl with good intentions and a week later found most of its contents still there. However, if your apples, pears or other fruits are starting to turn, bake them into something more exciting. Once inside fluffy muffins or a golden crumble, any bruises and bumps will be entirely undetectable.
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Save Parmesan rinds for stock
While Parmesan rinds aren’t pleasant to eat, don’t throw them out as they’re packed with flavor. Just as you would with vegetable scraps, set these aside and add them next time you’re cooking stock for soup, sauces and stews.
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Store bananas separately
Did you know bananas let off a gas called ethylene that causes fruit and veg to ripen quicker? To prevent other produce from prematurely going bad, store bananas separately. A banana hanger is great for this, as it allows the gas to move away and means the bunch doesn’t brown too fast either.
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Put a paper towel in your salad bag
A bag of salad leaves is always one of the first things to lose its freshness. Make it last longer by opening the bag as soon as you’re home from the supermarket and removing any soggy or wilted leaves. Pop a couple of clean paper towels in to absorb excess moisture, then clip the bag shut.
Check out all our best fridge hacks here
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Freeze milk if you’re not going to use it
Freezing fresh milk is a great hack if you regularly fail to use a whole carton before it’s past its best. Skimmed or semi-skimmed milk can last for up to a month in the freezer. However, fat requires an extremely low temperature to freeze (lower than the average freezer), so this won’t work as well with whole, full-fat milk.
Now take a look at these surprising food facts that are actually true
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Save chicken bones for stock
Chicken bones have far too much flavor and nutrients to go in the trash can. Turn them into stock to use as the base for soups, stews and curries. If you don’t have enough bones after one meal, collect and store them in the freezer until you’re ready to make the broth.
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Rinse ketchup bottles and add to a sauce
When you’ve turned the bottle upside down, banged it hard and can no longer get the pesky last bits of sauce to come out, there’s one thing left to do. Fill it with water, give it a shake and add the watery tomato liquid to a sauce, such as bolognese. You should also do the same with other condiments like brown sauce, honey and mustard.
Now check out our best-ever kitchen hacks from food storage to barbecuing and baking
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Remove bad fruit and veg from the rest
When you notice your fresh fruit or veg is starting to look a little worse for wear, a sure-fire way to save the rest is to remove the culprits immediately. If they’re good enough to eat, store them in a separate container and transfer the healthy produce to a new, clean box so it’s not contaminated.
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