Almost every Monday I give little tips on how to avoid food waste in The Weekly Waste Word. Today, let’s talk about amounts.
Just as shopping can lead you to wasted food, it can also prevent it. Purchasing the right amount of a fresh ingredient for a recipe ensures efficiency, keeps food out of the waste stream and saves you money on unused food. For example, let’s say you’re making a recipe that calls for 10 ounces of mushrooms. Buy just that amount of loose mushrooms instead of those one pound packs. That’s what those scales are for in the produce section.
It’s even easier at the deli, butcher or seafood counters, where they’ll measure it out for you. Unfortunately, purchasing custom amounts doesn’t work with packaged items. That’s why I really don’t like bunched or bagged produce. Don’t even get me started on the three pack of bell peppers.
One way to combat that amount helplessness is to shop somewhere with a bulk goods section where you control just how much you buy. But don’t think you have to buy in “bulk” just because that’s the name of the section.
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One timely question: is this a waste of champagne? Part of me says yes and part of me is too big of a Red Sox fan to mind (all that much). You know, life’s full of exceptions…
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