Don't Throw Food Away Challenge 2012

stardrops42

Am I too late to join? I've joined a few challengers this year in a bid to save money, this challenge wiil definitely help:D Think I will start with £10 and see how I go

hamish222

I am terrible with waste. Have just looked in freezer and normally would just bin anything thats been in there for 6 months but trying to be good. Have cod (sealed by fishmonger) around 8 months old and beef, pork around 11 months old and smoked ham joint (vacume packed) around 12 months old. Will these still be okay. I am not very good at sniff test as I am paranoid about eating out date food and I know I will imagine I smell things lol.

Oscar_the_Pug

Hi Stardrops and Hamish - welcome to the thread!

Hamish, though I'm not a meat eater I would bet good money your frozen stuff is fine - not only it is frozen, it's been vacuum sealed so the chances of any germs getting into to make the food go off are virtually nil! I expect it would still be fine in another few years!

Why not plan to use up one of the packets (maybe making the tea that you like the best) to get your confidence up?

Good luck, and let us know how you get on!

debbiedeejay

Was given a brace of pheasants today but I am not going to declare the feathers am afraid - although someone did ask me for them for their son to make "bow & arrows" but I forgot and binned them all!

Anyway 2 items to declare - rather unusally for me they are dried stuff - a small packet of risotto rice and dried mushrooms (they were part of a set I got last Xmas with a risotto pan,spoon etc) Was making a risotto and went for the mushrooms and unfortunately they had been invaded by these tiny little mites - luckily they were in a box so the little critters couldn't get out , so the whole lot went in the bin. :eek:

Cost I have no idea as part of a set and both open so going to say £1.50 based on todays prices.

Off to update sig now.

Keep it up people - we can win this one!

Vicky496

Found a packet of ham in the fridge draw (£1 label on it). It's use by date is Dec 19th... do you think it would be ok? The packet's not opened, but it doesn't look green or mouldy or anything.

Firemunchkin

Bad day today!!

Threw out the cooked carrots in the shepherds pie that I had for my work lunch (I cannot stand carrots cooked) - est 5p

Had to chuck the mouldy bits of the Philadelphia, I did get the non-mouldy bits out first though. Only paid £1 for the pot, so est about 10p for that.

The jar of tomato puree in fridge has gone mouldy, OH refused to let me scoop off the mould and use the rest - 1/4 of a jar so about 25p.

A few slivers of very soft pepper - about 10p.

Brown bread which went mouldy - not sure what to put here as it didn't cost us anything, was a gift.

and the OH threw away the leftovers from tonight's dinner, so a mix of past their best veg and a few bits of pasta. Grrrr - est about 50p.

So, today's tally is £1, giving me a total for the month so far of £1.30 waste.

NOT best pleased.

ScarletRaven

Had to throw some bread out today that I'd not gotten around to using = 21p.

Also got rid of 2/3 jar of apple sauce as the other half said it was revolting! I tried it and agreed, so reluctantly that went in the bin - can't remember how much this was so will find out and add it on later in the week.

Managed to use up a whole pack of baby parsnips that I bought reduced a few days ago, roasted them all in honey and had some with dinner and froze the rest. Had leftovers from dinner, so I made another snmall dinner up for myself to have at lunchtime tomorrow and froze a small amount of mushy peas and 2 yorkshire puddings. Used up all the apples that I had left in the fruit bowl threatening to go off - managed to make 3 small apple crumbles (I do individual ones in ramekins), so that was dessert tonight and the other has gone in the fridge to be eaten later in the week.

Quite enjoying this

squeaky

katy721 wrote: »

I was going to make soup with chicken stock this evening but I have put it off until I get some advice! My chicken stock seems a bit greasy, would I dilute it down much for soup? I haven't made soup with real stock before so am a bit unsure what it should look like.

Also, if you use veg peelings for stock would you just simmer it down and then drain out the peelings?

This thread is really teaching me to cook, I love it!!

The best way to deal with chicken stock is to put it in the fridge. The fat will rise to the top and solidify so that you can lift it off.

As for the veg stock - yep, that's the way to do it

squeaky

stardrops42 wrote: »

Am I too late to join? I've joined a few challengers this year in a bid to save money, this challenge wiil definitely help:D Think I will start with £10 and see how I go

There's no such thing as "too late"

Join in any time, any way you like

squeaky

Firemunchkin wrote: »

So, today's tally is £1, giving me a total for the month so far of £1.30 waste.

NOT best pleased.

Well, we've seen, from what folks have posted as results when we first started this challenge that quite a number of people, once they started keeping track (including me!) have reported around a fiver for the month...

..and if you were to stay at this level - you'd hit that target area too.

That isn't really so bad, honest The main reason you're upset is that for the first time now you are counting up what you waste - and it's always a shocker. Innit?