Sustainability

We spend a considerable amount of time in our kitchens preparing food for ourselves and others. This means we have the potential to waste tremendous resources in the kitchen, including unused food, discarded packaging, or energy required to run our appliances. Making small, yet substantial changes to our kitchen space can move us in a positive direction towards a more earth-friendly, cost-effective, and sustainable home.  

8 STEPS FOR PRACTICING SUSTAINABILITY IN THE KITCHEN:

1.     Label Food by Date

Labeling your fresh food by its’ expiration or purchase date will help you identify what needs to be used first. Practice using the FIFO (first in first out) method when organizing your food in the refrigerator. Keep your oldest food, or ‘first in’ food, near the front of the fridge where it is easier to grab and store your newest food in the back of the fridge. This will lead to less spoilage and waste.

2.  Avoid Plastic Wrap and Ziploc Bags

Plastic wrap and Ziploc bags contribute to our planet’s plastic pollution crisis. They are made of harmful chemicals and end up in our oceans and landfills, never fully breaking down.

Use alternatives to plastic, such as beeswax wrap, silicone bowl covers, silicone zip bags (Zip Top containers or Stasher Bags), or glass jars.

“Your Green Kitchen” makes reusable, long lasting linens for food storage. Get 15% off using this link: www.yourgreenkitchen.ca/r?id

3. Make Vegetable Broth from Veggie Scraps

Save those veggie scraps! Onion peels, garlic peels, mushroom stems--you name it! Veggie scraps make a delicious broth that will taste different every time!  

Place all your scraps in a silicone bag or airtight container in the freezer for up to 1 month. Defrost the veggie scraps by rinsing them off with warm water in a colander. Cover the veggie scraps with about 2 inches of water and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer and cook for 2-3 hours. Strain liquid and allow to cool to room temperature. Store broth in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Use this broth to make risotto, soups, grains, pastas, and casseroles!

4.     Buy Local Ingredients

Try to buy local whenever you can! The fewer miles food has traveled to get to your plate, the fewer resources have been used. Chances are that local ingredients also have fewer preservatives and pesticides that are often used to keep produce looking fresh for longer. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a great way to support buying from local farmers.

5.     Buy in Bulk and Meal Prep

When you buy in bulk, less packaging is used. This also means that you are taking fewer trips to the store.  

Bulk cooking is also more sustainable because you are using your appliances less often. Cook up a nice big pot of pasta and portion it out over a few days. This will also save you some time and prevent cooking fatigue.

6.     Use Green Cleaners

Use natural surface and floor cleaners, detergents, and other household cleaning products that are non-toxic, biodegradable and plant-based.

7.     Recycle

Reuse jars that food is pre-packaged in! There are a number of ways to reuse an item before actually recycling it. When you finally do recycle an item, be sure to rinse it out before tossing it in the recycling bin.

8.     Store Food Properly

Store produce in an environment where it will stay fresh longest. Here are a few tips:

·  Onions, shallots, garlic, potatoes, squash = Dark, dry, cool space

·  Keep veggies and fruit separate

·  Veggies with tall stalks (asparagus, green onions) – Trim off the bottom of the veggie and place them in a jar filled half-way with water. Cover the tops with a plastic produce bag to create a humid environment and place it in the fridge. This is a great way to reuse plastic produce bags! 

·  Lettuces – Place is a moist cotton bag or plastic bag (Vejibags are great!) OR wash your lettuce, spin it dry and store it in a perforated container. 

·  Mushrooms – Store in a paper bag in the fridge