How to reduce food waste this Easter

At a time of excess like Easter, the food we buy and prepare with good intentions can often wind up becoming food waste. We get it, though; it’s hard to know exactly how much food you’ll need. That’s why we’ve put together some helpful Easter cooking hacks that’ll help you reduce food waste this silly season.

Plan thoroughly

Reducing your food waste can begin before you even make it to the grocery store. Take some time to sit down and pick every single recipe you’re going to cook at Easter. Try to choose recipes that use similar ingredients, so you’re not buying packets, bottles and jars of one-off items you won’t finish eating. Don’t forget to take stock of the ingredients you already own so you know you’re not doubling up. 

While you’re at it, have a think about the dishes you want your family or friends to bring and give them the heads up. That way, nobody’s doubling up by bringing the same dishes.

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Store your leftovers properly

Make some space in your freezer and get your containers ready because leftovers are almost inevitable at Easter. Freezing your Easter leftovers not only makes sure your surplus food skips the bin, but it makes life simpler later when you need a quick meal. This is also a great tip to keep in mind when you want to reduce food waste year-round.

Try a new recipe for your leftovers

If freezing leftovers isn’t your style, why not try a leftovers recipe? Sure, you could eat your leftovers as they are, but you might get bored of them before they’re all finished. 

Instead, you can experiment in the kitchen by adding your leftovers (think roasted or barbequed meats, potato bake, salads) to dishes like curries, pizza and frittata. This is also a great way to use up those half-used ingredients that didn’t all make the cut on Easter. You may wind up with some unusual flavour combos, but that’s part of the fun!

Give your leftover ingredients a second life

So you bought ingredients that you didn’t wind up using on Easter. Here’s what you can do to make the most of them (even if you have no plans to cook with them right now) and reduce food waste.

• Lemons and limes – cook with fresh zest and juice for months

• • Zest: Wash your citrus and then zest it with a microplane or grater. Spread the zest in a thin layer on a small sheet of baking paper or plate and pop it into the freezer until it freezes. Once frozen, store the zest in a ziploc bag for up to three months.

• • Juice: Once you’ve zested your citrus, juice it and pour the juice into an ice cube tray and freeze it. Once frozen, you can move the juice cubes to a container and store this in the freezer for up to three months, defrosting the juice at room temperature as needed.

• Herbs – make your own dried herbs

• • Spread the leaves and soft stems of your herbs in a thin layer between two sheets of paper towel. Microwave it on high for 30 seconds. Gently toss the herbs and continue to microwave in 15-30 second blocks until they’re fully dried. Smaller, softer herbs like thyme will take a couple of minutes; larger ones like oregano and parsley will take longer. Store your dried herbs in an airtight container at room temperature.

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