PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING

Hello Forumites! However well-intentioned, for the safety of other users we ask that you refrain from seeking or offering medical advice. This includes recommendations for medicines, procedures or over-the-counter remedies. Posts or threads found to be in breach of this rule will be removed.

Using up leftovers

Options
Sola
Sola Posts: 1,681 Forumite
in Old style MoneySaving
Article

The little article above has really challenged me; I generally don't like leftovers (although I'll shred chicken or beef/lamb and use it in stirfries or curries etc). I can't seem to get into the habit of using all our veg each week (I don't buy huge amounts but clearly I buy too much) and it ends up in the compost bin.

What have you found helpful in avoiding waste? Was it something you learned from your family? A conscious ethical choice? Necessity?
«13456

Comments

  • Farway
    Farway Posts: 13,221 Forumite
    Homepage Hero First Post Name Dropper Photogenic
    Options
    For me it was the way I was brought up, post war rationing, eat it or go without and never waste food

    Oddly enough there was an interview on "Today" radio 4 only 30 minutes ago about food waste

    There is a new web site going live at 0900 this morning with loads of tips [so they said], but for the life of me I can't remember what it was called
    Eight out of ten owners who expressed a preference said their cats preferred other peoples gardens
  • Pink.
    Pink. Posts: 17,675 Forumite
    Combo Breaker First Post
    Options
    Hi sola,

    I freeze left over veg to add later to soups and stocks.

    You might be interested in these older threads:

    15p out of every £ spent on food is thrown away....what a waste

    Waste list


    Pink
  • thriftlady_2
    thriftlady_2 Posts: 9,128 Forumite
    Combo Breaker First Post I've been Money Tipped!
    Options
    I actually have a very good recipe for eggless chocolate cakes made with cocoa ;)

    I shall be scraping the burnt bits off my Halloween pumpkins and cooking the remains to use in soup or muffins (I've already cooked the bits I scraped out when carving it).

    I try and use up everything. I find leftover veg quite a challenge though. I try to save all the leftover veg in a tub in the freezer for future soups, or use it in a hash.

    I know it is a cliche but I really do think about people starving in Africa and elsewhere whenever we have leftover food. I'm also trying to cook a bit less at mealtimes so that leftovers are minimised and we don't overeat (overeating is just as wasteful).
  • Penelope_Penguin
    Penelope_Penguin Posts: 17,288 Forumite
    First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker I've been Money Tipped!
    Options
    thriftlady wrote: »
    I try and use up everything. I find leftover veg quite a challenge though. I try to save all the leftover veg in a tub in the freezer for future soups, or use it in a hash.

    I know it is a cliche but I really do think about people starving in Africa and elsewhere whenever we have leftover food. I'm also trying to cook a bit less at mealtimes so that leftovers are minimised and we don't overeat (overeating is just as wasteful).

    I so agree :beer:

    We rarely throw food, either. I don't menu plan religiously, but every couple of days I look to see what needs using, and cook, freeze, or otherwise preserve it.

    With veg, I chop and freeze it, and it goes into pasta sauce, stews or soup.

    For me it was the way I was brought up. I hate to see waste of any kind. I've now become conscious of the ethical aspects of food production and consumption.

    There was another thread recently about food waste. I'll see if I can find it.

    Thriftlady, love your new sig, btw :T :A

    Penny. x
    :rudolf: Sheep, pigs, hens and bees on our Teesdale smallholding :rudolf:
  • Penelope_Penguin
    Penelope_Penguin Posts: 17,288 Forumite
    First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker I've been Money Tipped!
    Options
    Here you go - Throwing food away.

    Penny. x
    :rudolf: Sheep, pigs, hens and bees on our Teesdale smallholding :rudolf:
  • catznine
    catznine Posts: 3,192 Forumite
    I've been Money Tipped!
    Options
    Hello hope you don't mind me joining in as I haven't been around for a while,

    This has I am sure saved me lot of pennies! If I don't think I will use up food quickly then I will take time out to freeze and "squirrel" some of it away e.g.

    take some slices off my hm loaf to freeze for emergency toast in a hurry later.

    Freeze half the bottle of milk in a suitable container

    Prep and freeze some veg that looks like it won't make it through the week (I have 4 carrots from my veg box just waiting for me to do that today)

    Grate and freeze surplus cheese in handy sized zip locs ready for topping lasagne or adding to a quiche

    Slice tired mushrooms and gently cook in butter and freeze in marge containers. Just reheat in a pan and add to dinners. I know there are healthier ways of preserving mushrooms though but this is yummy.
    Our days are happier when we give people a bit of our heart rather than a piece of our mind.

    Jan grocery challenge £35.77/£120
  • dannahaz
    dannahaz Posts: 1,068 Forumite
    First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Options
    catznine wrote: »
    I know there are healthier ways of preserving mushrooms though but this is yummy.

    "Yumminess" is really important to me in using or saving leftovers.

    We always cook extra so we can freeze a spare portion for later use. The one criterion is that the mea has to be delicious to be frozen. Otherwise it would just sit in the freezer being avoided. This way we know that whatever "ready meal" we pull out will be tasty.

    I'm going to try your mushroom tip later.
  • moneyowen
    moneyowen Posts: 71 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Options
    Only this Sunday a friend of mine was quite amused to see me mash up all the left over veg and put it in a bowl in the fridge it was used up the next day fried up with bacon and egg my family love it its something I've done since my nan taught me to do it as a young girl. My nan hated any waste another thing I do is dry out all the stale bread for breadcrumbs and keep it in the freezer to mix in with hm beefburgers treacle tart etc. My nan had twelve children so she made sure nothing went to waste
  • Horace
    Horace Posts: 14,426 Forumite
    Options
    I see that the government is now telling us to use our leftovers - I always have same as my Mum.
    Sunday dinner - huge sausage casserole (sausage, onion, carrot, tinned toms and pear barley)
    Monday dinner - portion of sausage casserole with added peas and spuds
    Tuesday dinner - yet more casserole (I love it) with some leftover cheese and crusty bread.
    Tuesday lunch was an experiment: savoury bread & butter pudding (omitted sugar) so made it with milk, bread, dried herbs, salt n pepper, bacon bits and cheese - yum. (I just cut the mould off the bread...eww)
  • mummy_Jay
    mummy_Jay Posts: 495 Forumite
    Options
    left over mash potato, add any left over carrot/peas etc and fry it, and you get bubble n squeak. It's really nice.

    If you have left over veg not already cooked, stir frys

    Another one I like is to put cold cook veg at the bottom of a yorkshire pudding tin, mix up some yorkshire pudding mix, cook it and hey presto rabbit in a hole (same as toad in the hole but with veggies)

    cottage pie type things, chuck it all in a pot with a little gravy and put some mash or pie crust over the top and either cook it then or freeze it.
This discussion has been closed.
★ ★ ★ Meet your Ambassadors

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 343.2K Banking & Borrowing
  • 250.1K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 449.7K Spending & Discounts
  • 235.3K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 608K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 173.1K Life & Family
  • 247.9K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 15.9K Discuss & Feedback
  • 15.1K Coronavirus Support Boards