Introducing One Odd Thing
Tackling food waste and climate change can feel like impossibly huge tasks. But as the old saying goes, there’s only one way to eat an elephant: one bite at a time.
For this year’s Zero Waste Week, we’re showing you how to – figuratively – do just that, with a series of tips, tricks and hacks called One Odd Thing. The idea isn’t to make radical changes or try to save the planet in one go – just to do one little thing that will add up to a collective difference.
And it’s not just about the environment, either. Zero Waste Week is also about helping us save money by using more of what we’ve got – something we’ve all been thinking more about this year as food prices rocket and the cost-of-living crisis bites.
In case you missed any of our posts on our socials, we’ve put together a round-up of our One Odd Thing tips below. And you can also download them in a printable document – perfect for sticking on the fridge for a little daily nudge. Here goes:
Put your freezer to good use
Your freezer is your best friend when it comes to tackling food waste. As well as giving you longer to use everything up (handy if you have unexpected meals out), the freezing process also locks in flavour so you have tasty ingredients when you need them. Here are some of our favourite tips:
- Dice up onions and pop them into a freezable bag to use for future stews, soups and sauces.
- Try chopping leftover or stale bread into chunks and freezing for croutons.
- Freeze coconut milk, tomato puree and leftover wine in ice cube trays to add to your cooking.
Make food last longer
Don’t wait until fresh food wilts – if you’re not going to get through it, you can preserve and prolong its shelf-life with one of our easy recipes:
- Pickling isn’t just for Christmas. And it’s not just for onions and cucumbers either. In fact, you can pickle almost any fruit or veg to make it last longer – including parsnips, carrots, red onions, asparagus, strawberries, plums and apricots. Try our simple pickle recipe here.
- Got stems, stalks and leaves? Don’t chuck them – have a go at making our pesto and hummus. Follow the base recipes, then add in whatever scrappy bits you have to use up. It’s all getting blended anyway, so the more the merrier.
- Our recipe for a basic kimchi will work with any veg you need to use up – a great, tangy addition to salad, toast or on its own. And best of all, the by-products of the fermentation process are thought to be good for your gut, too. Win win.
- Turn your soft-and-sad-looking fruit into a wondrous compote. You can use pretty much any fruit you have in the fridge or fruit bowl. Then add a generous dollop to porridge, toast, yoghurt and pancakes – yum.
Use your peels, stalks & stems
Love Marmite? A few months ago we partnered with chef Joe Bartlett to show what you can do with your peels and offcuts. He made a tasty, Marmite-inspired spread from boiling up his vegetable peels which you can find here.
If you’re more of a hater, you can also keep a bag for scraps and peels in the freezer, ready to boil up in a super-simple stock next time you make a soup or sauce.
Hungry for more?
Zero Waste Week might just be seven days of the year, but we’ve got lots more tips and tricks up our sleeves – all in the name of helping you use up every last leek. Look out for more in your box letter and online. Download our printable sheet here. And don’t forget to share your own hacks with us using #OneOddThing.
Together, we can make a ginormous impact – and enjoy a lot of deliciously odd dishes in the process.
