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Leftovers

(62 Posts)
watermeadow Sat 17-Jun-17 07:39:04

I was horrified to hear how much food is thrown away. Older people are probably more thrifty than young families but still many seem to think they'll die from eating stuff past its best- before dates.
I freeze most leftovers and also cook in bulk then freeze bags of cooked rice, pasta and complete meals.
I buy fruit and vegetables from our market, where they tend to come in large quantities and don't keep as long as supermarket ones. What's left after a big cooking session is chopped and frozen. I successfully freeze mushrooms, tomatoes, cooked fruit, bread and cakes, corn on the cob, herbs. I don't blanch anything, just put them in freezer bags then straight into the freezer.
I also freeze individual portions of raw meat, rice and vegetables for my dog.
No ready-meals for us!

mumofmadboys Tue 20-Jun-17 07:58:42

I often eat meat that has been frozen for longer than 3 months. We waste very little food.

sluttygran Tue 20-Jun-17 08:25:10

The only thing I waste is salad leaves. I think I tend to over stock in case the family drop in, and then there are leftovers which you can't do a lot with. Tomatoes aren't a problem - I just make spaghetti sauce.
Every Sunday I cook lots of extra potatoes and greens in anticipation of a nice bubble and squeak on Monday, and every Sunday my DSiL scoffs the lot. I don't know where he puts it all, and he is so skinny he's almost transparent!
It's very rewarding to cook for appreciative eaters, tho', and I'm not struggling with unwanted leftovers. smile

annsixty Tue 20-Jun-17 08:37:15

I frequently read that we should not give dogs food we eat ourselves, leftovers etc.
What did dogs eat in days gone by before manufactures cottoned on to putting food they couldn't sell into tins and packets for domestic animals.
My D's puppy was ill last week and the vet told her to feed him chicken and rice for a few days.

vampirequeen Tue 20-Jun-17 08:39:45

I wonder where they find these people. They must realise they're wasting huge amounts of money and food. Our food bin mostly holds inedibles like used teabags and egg shells. If we had room for a compost heap it wouldn't even contain them.

Tizliz Tue 20-Jun-17 09:00:31

Meat should keep more than three months. We had half a venison last year which lasted at least six months (there is only so many times a week you can eat it!). I am careful to rotate meals I have cooked, especially pork so they are not so old.

I don't think dogs should be fed ready meals etc, but home cooked food is fine, with us they just get a spoonful to make their kibble more interesting. Cook liver for their treats as they love that.

TriciaF Tue 20-Jun-17 10:07:46

I often give leftovers to our hens, they'll eat almost anything. And we compost most leftover fruit and veg.
I don't think you're allowed to give hens leftovers in the UK, but who's going to police that?

TriciaF Tue 20-Jun-17 10:10:40

And frozen meat etc - what on earth harm can it cause if it's overdate but has been kept well below freezing? Unless you've had a powercut and the freezer de-frosted. As happened to us once - we've got a generator now.

lovebeigecardigans1955 Tue 20-Jun-17 16:04:52

I see what you mean, Watermeadow. I'm not a goody-goody by any means but I try not to create left-overs in the first place by only preparing what I need for each meal. Then left-overs simply don't happen.

Elrel Tue 20-Jun-17 16:29:54

Eat Well for Less includes some good simple recipes to serve instead of takeaways at a fraction of the cost. Often they are produced from leftovers or slightly over date food.
I

Juggernaut Tue 20-Jun-17 18:34:25

There are never leftovers here, we're greedy piglets!
Occasionally I deliberately make too much, slow cooked pulled pork, chili pork belly, braised ox cheeks etc and freeze some.
It makes for a tasty dinner in moments, if I can remember to get it out to defrost in the first place!

ajanela Thu 22-Jun-17 07:37:46

I only have a small freezer but manage well. The special offers bogof and 3 for £10 annoy me and must lead to waste or over eating. Running freezers also costs money.

Well with Brexit I think we will all be tightening our belts so people will learn quickly how not to be wasteful.