Wasteless Wednesday | Use Your Freezer!
Every Wednesday, I’m going to share with you some of my favorite ways to work toward a zero waste 24 hours in the kitchen. These tips are easy to implement, affordable (anyone else a fan of saving $$$?), and kind to our planet.
We all know how to use our freezer for the obvious stuff, like ice cream. But freezers are great for reducing waste! My guess is that most of us aren't using our freezers to our full potential but that's all about to change thanks to this lovely list. As always, I love to hear your ideas in the comments, so please feel free to add anything I didn't mention below!
1. bananas: Oh, bananas. I love-hate you. This fruit is a staple at our house because my children both love them (literally the only fruit they BOTH enjoy). Sometimes, I over-buy bananas and they get all dark and spotty and none of us want to eat them like that. Ew. As soon as that transition takes place, I peel the bananas, set them on a large, rimmed baking sheet, and freeze them in a single layer. Once frozen, I transfer the bananas to a more compact container and save them for smoothies or banana bread. For smoothies, just take them right out of the freezer and add them to your blender. For banana bread, set them in a bowl and let them thaw until they are soft enough to smoosh <-- totally a word.
2. bone broth: I LOVE having homemade bone broth on hand. I sip it alone, add it to soups and stews, and make my friend Stephanie's Healing Green Broth. How does this help reduce waste, you ask? I take any leftover chicken bones and veggie scraps and store them in the freezer. Sometimes, if I'm feeling extra brave, I'll add half a lemon that I've squeezed the juice out of as well. Then, when I'm ready to make my bone broth, I simply toss it all in the slow cooker, cover with water, season with salt, and simmer away! (Now that I'm writing this, I realize I should share my bone broth recipe on the blog sometime soon, yes?)
3. bread: We go through spurts of going through 2 loaves of bread or more in a week to barely using half a loaf. When you have young kids, their eating habits can sometimes be unpredictable and hard to plan around. If you don't go through bread very quickly, it's a great idea to store it in the freezer. Especially during the warmer months of summer, this strategy keeps your bread fresh as long as you need it to!
There you have it! Three easy ways to maximize your freezer usage and reduce waste!
