Creative Ways to Make Your Groceries Last Longer
By Ellen Edwards, Chair, Bronxville Green Committee
Jun. 3, 2020: It's a frequently cited statistic—in the U.S. we waste 40% of the food we produce.
Perhaps now that you're staying home and cooking more often, you've become aware of the food your own family wastes. And maybe you want to waste less to avoid another uncomfortable trip to the grocery store, and because you're aware of food scarcity in Westchester county.
Food scarcity has been a chronic concern in our area, and now, with so many people out of work, food insecurity has skyrocketed. Yet it's estimated that an average family of four wastes $1,500 a year in unused food.
Bedford2020, a community organization devoted to informing residents on environmental issues and offering programs to encourage the switch to clean energy, has been running a series of terrific Zoom presentations on food, energy, and gardening.
On May 11, Leslie Lampert, proprietor of Ladle of Love and the Scrappy Chef, and Martha Elder, Executive Director of Second Chance Foods, discussed the documentary "Just Eat It" and their work in food rescue.
Leslie Lampert offered advice for home cooks seeking tips on how to reduce their family's food waste.
She suggests some general meal planning before heading to the grocery store, but beyond that, the key is to learn to use whatever you have on hand. Treat recipes as a foundation and improvise madly.
Don't be afraid of ugly, seemingly over-ripe fruits and vegetables: just wash and use them. Once they're cooked, they'll look fine, and they'll taste even better because the ripening process will have intensified their flavors.
Leslie and Martha suggested ways to store items so they last longer:
-Wash lettuce when you get home and dry it thoroughly. Store it in bags with paper or linen towels to absorb any lingering moisture.
-Mushrooms store well in paper bags that absorb moisture. If you wash mushrooms instead of merely brushing them, wait until just before you're ready to use them.
-Never throw away old bread or buy commercially-prepared breadcrumbs. Instead, pulse dry bread for a few seconds in a food processor to make crumbs, then freeze them. You can also cut bread into small cubes, toss them with oil, and bake them in a hot oven to make long-lasting croutons. You can also use dry bread in savory or sweet bread puddings.
-When you buy hearts of celery or hearts of romaine, you're supporting a system in which half of those vegetables have been left in the farmer's field to rot. Instead, buy only whole celery bunches and heads of romaine. Save the less perfect bits to make stock.
-To make herbs last longer, put the stems in a vase of water in the refrigerator. (My tip: choose a vase with a sturdy base that won't tip over.)
-Whatever you can't use in time, freeze--either raw or cooked. Take bananas out of their skins before freezing them. I cook over-ripe fruit with a tiny bit of sugar to make a topping for plain yogurt.
Consider using food you never thought to use:
-When you've used all the pickles in a jar, rather than pouring the juice down the drain, add cucumber slices or spears to make your own light pickles.
-Use pickle or olive juice instead of vinegar to make a vinaigrette salad dressing.
-Save the ends of carrots, celery leaves, fennel fronds, and other bits and pieces of vegetables in a zip lock bag (in either the frig or freezer) and use them to make stock.
Most of all, when it's time for dinner, rather than ask, "What am I in the mood for?" ask, "What do I have in the pantry?"
The documentary "Just Eat It" suggests that a common mindset results in waste. Restaurants, banquet planners, and home hosts all tend to think that running out of food is the worst thing that can happen. Having "just enough" food is considered embarrassing.
So, we order far more than we need and end up tossing tons of leftovers. Can we begin to change this attitude? If we make wasting food a strong taboo, maybe "just enough" can become "the perfect amount."
Food waste also occurs because of confusion over labeling. The "sell by" date is intended only for manufacturers and store managers. Ignore it.
"Best used by" means that the food will retain its ultimate freshness until this date. It is perfectly good and safe to eat afterward. In fact, according to "Just Eat It," there are no federal regulations regarding sell-by dates for food. Only baby formula is governed by specific regulations.
The environmental impact of food waste is enormous, so reducing it is a gift to planet earth.
Think of all the resources that go into growing that orange you just tossed or the overripe tomato you forgot was in the crisper. That includes soil that's often "enhanced" with environmentally-detrimental pesticides and fertilizers. It includes gallons of water, often in areas where water is scarce. It requires fossil fuel to operate the vehicles that plant, harvest, and transport the food, often over thousands of miles. And it involves the labor of countless people, from the farm-laborer to the grocery store clerk. Of course, producing meat and dairy requires exponentially greater resources than are needed to raise grains, fruits, and vegetables.
It's been estimated that four percent of all U.S. energy consumption is lost in tossed food. In the U.S., a huge percentage of wasted food goes into landfills, where it produces harmful greenhouse gas methane. In Westchester, wasted food from our homes, combined with regular trash, is incinerated at a plant in Peekskill.
Perhaps, like me, you've felt heartsick over recent news stories of fields of produce being plowed under and gallons of milk being dumped. Many state and local organizations are working hard to reconnect our broken supply chains and bring food to where it's needed.
But well before this pandemic, our system was deeply flawed. Too much edible food is left in the field. Too much doesn't meet the standards of perfection set by an industry that's convinced consumers won't buy ugly fruits and vegetables.
Too much good food is tossed into dumpsters by grocery stores, and too much is lost in our homes. It's thrown away because it's past the "best used by" date, or because it's too much trouble to save left-overs, or simply because it's left on our plates.
In recent years, dedicated individuals and non-profits have tackled the huge challenge of reducing food waste by "rescuing" food from farms, grocery stores, restaurants, and other organizations and donating it to people who are food insecure. Volunteers "glean" fields of perfectly good produce for which there's no commercial market.
In addition, community gardens like Bronxville's own Giving Garden, which donate food to local food banks, have sprouted up all over Westchester. And collecting food scraps for composting has become popular, whether it's at a drop-off site such as Tuckahoe runs or curbside pick-up available in Scarsdale. Residents are filling up more and more bins with food scraps during this time of home cooking.
On March 9, just before the official shut-down, the Green Committee presented to the Bronxville Board of Trustees its proposal for a food scrap drop-off site. If you'd support such a program, please let our Village officials know.
Resources For More Information On This Topic:
Village of Bronxville: villageofbronxville.com/; under the "Government" tab, you can click on each trustee's name to open a space to leave a comment.
Bedford2020: bedford2020.org/
You can watch "Just Eat It" through the Westchester public library system's streaming service, Kanopy: www.kanopy.com
Second Chance Foods, Inc.: secondchancefoods.org/
Ladle of Love: ladleoflove.com/
Photos courtesy The Green Committee
Editor's note: As a public service, MyhometownBronxville publishes articles from local institutions, officeholders, and individuals. MyhometownBronxville does not fact-check statements therein, and any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the thinking of its staff.
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Silver Spoon
Silver Spoon is a unique gift shop specializing in beautiful clothing and gifts for babies and young children, including adorable dresses and outfits for girls and boys, sweaters, bedding, baby gifts and accessories. They also carry gifts for adults including throws, cosmetic bags and other special items. Silver Spoon specializes in monogramming to create truly personalized items and gifts. They also offer a baby gift registry and complimentary gift wrap.
81 Pondfield Road
Bronxville, New York 10708
914-771-7645
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Toney Toni & The Gang
Born and raised in Westchester County, Kim Linn opened her boutique in Bronxville in 1995. Toney Toni & the Gang offers a curated selection of women's clothing, shoes & accessories. Ulla Johnson, Birds of Paradis, A Piece Apart, Clare V, Repeat Cashmere, Pons Quintana, White & Warren, Lilla P, Melissa Nepton are just a few of the designers found in the store.
Bronxville Wellness Sanctuary
Bronxville Wellness Sanctuary builds on an ancient tradition of mind, body, and spirit focus that is essential to total health, life balance, and true peace. Our clients experience an increase in well-being by participating in individualized holistic services including massage, facials, energy healing services, meditation, yoga therapy, and workshops
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14 Studio Arcade
Bronxville, NY 10708
914-337-9356
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Posh Beauty Boutique
POSH Beauty Boutique is a luxury spa offering the ultimate in body therapies and skincare. The founder of POSH Beauty Boutique is Bronxville resident Diana Rainsford who is a master Reflexologist and Esthetician.
POSH offers customized facials, massage, waxing, spray tans, professional makeup applications and much more including customized, all-inclusive packages for your bachelorette party, special birthday, or for fun with your friends. Little Miss packages are also available for your little princess’s special occasions.
POSH uses Eminence Organic Skin Care for all their facials. Body treatments are performed in their luxuriously appointed Hydrotherapy room with Vichy shower.
118 Pondfield Road
Bronxville, NY 10708
914-361-1277
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Rain Natural Skin Care
Rain Natural Skincare is the home for a wide range of handmade luxurious body and skincare products that are made from natural ingredients, harnessing the power of nature to rejuvenate and nourish your skin.
Value Drugs of Bronxville
Value Drugs of Bronxville has been a member of the Bronxville Community for over twenty years. They are a family center where you can find a large variety of items. They have over fifty departments including toys, clothing, home goods and everything else you need from your neighborhood drug store. They have a full-service pharmacy with free delivery. You can also find a large variety of seasonal goods for every time of year.
80 Pondfield Rd
Bronxville, NY 10708-3801
(914) 337-2520
Bronxville Vision Care
Bronxville Vision Care offers eye examinations and same-day service on most eyeglasses and contact lens services. The center is open every day and accepts most vision plans, including VSP, Eye Med, Spectera, and Pomco. John Dello Russo is the optician and Dr. Josephine Russo is the optometrist. Dr. Russo, a graduate of SUNY Optometry, has been in practice since 1996. Mr. Dello Russo, who has an MBA in finance and is an adjunct instructor at CUNY, has been an optician since 1976 and is designated a Master of Ophthalmic Optics by the American Board of Opticianry.
10 Park Place
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914-337-4440
Trapp Opticians
Founded in 1945, Trapp Opticians has been proud to serve Bronxville and Lower Westchester with the highest level of care and expertise in eye care. Our Optometrist offers comprehensive eye examinations and contact lens fittings. Trapp offers the best quality in eyewear and sun wear including a large selection of children’s eyewear and sportswear.
M-F 8:30-5:00PM
Sat 9:30-3:00PM
42 Pondfield Rd.
Bronxville, NY 10708
(914) 337-0707
Tryforos & Pernice Florist
The Tryforos family has roots in the floral industry since the late 1800's and is privileged to be serving Bronxville since 1963. Their distinctive arrangements and bouquets consist of top of the market flowers from Holland, New Zealand, South America, the Pacific Basin and the US. For the floral enthusiast, all of their arrangements are customized from classic to trendy themes with inventive designs. Lush, dense packed vase arrangements in clear, low square, round glass, terra cotta and leaf lined vases are always available. They have beautiful orchids; potted and cut, as well as green and flowering plants which vary by season. They are pleased to present your unique inspirations for gift giving. Their customer base: "Busy People". They deliver and send flowers worldwide.
M-F: 9am-6pm
Sat.: 9am-5pm
73 Pondfield Road
Bronxville, NY 10708
914.337.2525
www.tryforosflorist.com
Framebridge
All of us have things sitting in boxes, drawers, and on our phones that we’d rather have up on our walls. At Framebridge, we’re making custom framing so easy and delightful that you’re inspired to celebrate everything you love–big, little and in-between. Whether digital photo or physical item, single frame or gallery wall, Framebridge has you covered. With our transparent pricing, there are no surprises. The price you see is the price you’ll pay–and shipping is always free. With over two dozen frame styles and mat options, you're sure to find the perfect combo to bring your piece to life. You can even personalize it with a brass plate, mat caption, or story pocket! Whether it’s macaroni art or a Picasso sketch, we treat every piece like a masterpiece.
Bronxville Furriers
Established in 1926, Bronxville Furrier has a long history as a trusted full service fur retailer. Luxurious furs, reversible garments, shearlings, Loro Piana cashmeres and accessories can be found here.
We offer a range of services that include Certified cold storage, cleaning and glazing, alterations and repairs. Our remodel program gives our customers the opportunity to Redesign and Modernize garments that no longer work with their lifestyles or fit properly.
Silver Spoon
Silver Spoon is a unique gift shop specializing in beautiful clothing and gifts for babies and young children, including adorable dresses and outfits for girls and boys, sweaters, bedding, baby gifts and accessories. They also carry gifts for adults including throws, cosmetic bags and other special items. Silver Spoon specializes in monogramming to create truly personalized items and gifts. They also offer a baby gift registry and complimentary gift wrap.
81 Pondfield Road
Bronxville, New York 10708
914-771-7645
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The Silk Road
We are a unique boutique specializing in Home Decor, Gifts, Annabelle's and Seely Mini Jewelry, Bedding, and Clothing. We carry noteworthy items from Simon Pearce, Julie Vos, Dash and Albert, Fermob, Calaisio and many others. Gift wrapping is available.
Continental 109
Continental 109 has a 60-year history of providing exceptional hair styling, color and essential services for beauty and well being. The salon is led by owner and stylists, Nick and Mark DeVincenzo.
Built on the tradition of superior customer service, their full service salon stays fresh and exciting through ongoing training and immersion in the best that the world of beauty and fashion has to offer.
Everything about us is leading-edge with a complete focus on our guests. This commitment, and our talented staff, are the reasons why you will come to enjoy the Continental 109 experience.
Centrally located in the elegant village of Bronxville, the salon is easy to reach by car or train. Discover us, and reveal a more beautiful, more vibrant you!
109 Pondfield Road
Bronxville, NY 10708
914.793.4198
914.793.4198
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Bacione Pasta Shop
Bacione Pasta Shop offers fresh pasta and sauces using high quality ingredients to create delicious pasta dishes loaded with flavor. Come in and enjoy the cuisine of Italy right here in Bronxville.
You can order from eleven kinds of fresh pasta by the pound and then choose from eight homemade sauces to complete your meal. Add-ons include: chicken, sausage, meatballs, mozzarella, ricotta and broccoli.
Bacione also sells loaves of Italian and focaccia bread and freshly prepared containers of homemade lasagna, vegetarian lasagna, sausage ragu and meat dishes to take home. Dessert offerings are: tiramisu, flan and panna cotta. Drink choices are Italian sodas.
Ladle of Love
Ladle of Love, 18 Palmer Avenue - just across the street from New York Presbyterian Westchester Hospital - stands for consciously - sourced food, community support and a caring work family.
Whether you're picking up from the shop, getting delivery by ordering at ladleoflove.com or crafting a catering with founder/owner, Leslie Lampert, Ladle of Love promises healthful, delicious food from award winning soups and stews to sandwiches, salads, sweets and supper selections. (We have daily curbside pickup at The Boys and Girls Club in Mt. Kisco.)
The UPS Store
The UPS Store is a great place to send a package, print documents, open a mailbox or purchase business supplies. You are assured great service and a personal touch.
81 Pondfield Rd
Bronxville, NY 10708-3817
914- 779-0140
http://www.theupsstorelocal.com/1363/
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