How can you make the most of your Funky Food box?
If you've ever found you have left over fruit and vegetables in your Funky Food box, you may have wondered how you can reduce the cost and environmental impacts of this food waste. In this blog, we're bringing you our five favourite zero waste kitchen hacks!
Creative Citrus Preservation
Tip 1:
Don't toss those leftover lemons; turn them into a lemon curd instead! Start by zesting and juicing your lemons and then combine the zest, juice, sugar, and beaten eggs in a heat-proof bowl.
Place the container over simmering water and stir until the mixture thickens to a custard-like consistency. Once done, transfer it to a glass jar, let it cool, and refrigerate. Your homemade lemon curd can elevate everything from toast to desserts and is a brilliant way to use every part of the fruit!
Tip 2:
Next, for a zesty twist to your cocktails and an easy zero waste solution, try drying citrus slices. Thinly slice your leftover oranges, lemons, or limes and arrange them on a baking sheet. Bake at a low temperature (around 93°C) until they become crispy. These citrus chips can garnish your favourite cocktails, adding both flavour and flair. Plus, they make for a delightful snack on their own.
Tip 3:
Citrus peels have another handy purpose – they can help keep bugs at bay in your garden. Save those orange and lemon peels and scatter them around your plants. Citrus peels act as a natural repellent, keeping unwanted insects from feasting on your greens. It's a sustainable way to protect your garden without resorting to chemical pesticides.
Saving Leftover Veggies
Tip 4:
Not sure what to do with your remaining capsicums and cabbages? That's when pickling comes in!
Begin by thinly slicing these vegetables and arranging them in a glass jar. Then, concoct a pickling elixir by mixing vinegar, water, a pinch of salt, and just a hint of sugar. Pour this savoury solution over your cabbage and capsicum, ensuring they're fully immersed in the brine. Now, the waiting game begins. As time passes, the vegetables soak up the tangy goodness, transforming into a tantalizing treat that's ready to grace your salads, sandwiches, or serve as a zesty side dish.
Begin by thinly slicing these vegetables and arranging them in a glass jar. Then, concoct a pickling elixir by mixing vinegar, water, a pinch of salt, and just a hint of sugar. Pour this savoury solution over your cabbage and capsicum, ensuring they're fully immersed in the brine. Now, the waiting game begins. As time passes, the vegetables soak up the tangy goodness, transforming into a tantalizing treat that's ready to grace your salads, sandwiches, or serve as a zesty side dish.
Let Them Grow
Tip 5:
Transforming kitchen scraps into a mini garden is a fun journey and some fruits and veggies couldn't be easier to grow from your leftover food waste. Take, for instance, regrowing green onions from their root ends by placing them in water—within days, you'll witness fresh green shoots emerging. Potatoes can sprout from old spuds left in a sunny spot, and basil stems can root in water before transferring them to soil for a fragrant herb garden. Likewise, don't discard garlic cloves that have started sprouting; plant them for your garlic supply. It's a zero-waste way to enjoy fresh, homegrown produce while reducing landfill contributions
We hope you learnt something through these diverse range of waste-cutting tips. If you do something we've missed, we'd love to see! Send us a photo to @funkyfoodau.
We hope you learnt something through these diverse range of waste-cutting tips. If you do something we've missed, we'd love to see! Send us a photo to @funkyfoodau.