2021's Most Popular Food-Saving Tips – How to Be Environmentally Conscious in 2022!

This post is based on our Food-Saving mini booklet that debuted in December, with the first copies raffled among customers who purchased MunCharity charity products in December.

1. Environmental Tip: Candied Lemon and Orange Peel

As we've mentioned in our previous article series, it's very important to eat seasonally, because seasonal eating is not only good for the environment, but also for your wallet. Although there are very few locally seasonal foods in winter, store shelves are full of citrus fruits shipped from abroad, which are in their prime in southern countries at this time. However, consuming these citrus fruits also means you have to throw away a lot of citrus peel, which with a little twist could even make a delicious treat. Here's how!

1. Cut 2 oranges and 2 lemons into quarters with the peel on! (You can use more or less, but we wrote the numbers just for the proportions.)
2. Scoop the fruit flesh out of the quarters (and eat it) so only the peel remains! A small soft white part can remain on the peel, you don't need to scrape it out completely.
3. Cut the peel quarters into strips 2-4 mm thick!
4. Place the peels in a pot and fill it with enough water to generously cover the peel strips. Bring the water to a boil, then strain the peels; this will eliminate the bitter taste. (You can do this twice if you want to be sure.)
5. Put the peels back in the pot, add 1 cup (approximately 2.5 dl) of water and 2 cups of sugar!
6. Heat the mixture until it boils, then cook on low heat for 1 hour.
7. Roll the syrupy, "dried" peels in sugar and you're done!

2. Environmental Tip: Re-Greens

Most kitchen wizards dream of having their own small garden where they can pick fresh vegetables any time of year for Sunday dinner. With our re-greens tip, you can create a mini garden even in a tenth-floor apartment or university dorm, and you can also fight waste. Often we throw away vegetable ends or stalks because we think we can't use them or simply don't want to consume them, but with a mason jar, water, light, and a little love, they can get a new life.

Take out a mason jar and clean it thoroughly. Place the leftover vegetables in it and fill the jar with water (it's important that only the root/bottom touches the water). Place it on the windowsill and change the water daily. If you really get into gardening, you can even plant them in soil.

3. Environmental Tip: Storing Leafy Greens

Leafy greens like lamb's lettuce, arugula, and spinach wilt very quickly in the refrigerator, so a simple but wonderful change would be to wrap them in damp paper towels. Believe us, they and you will appreciate it!

4. Environmental Tip: Banana Peel Bacon

We've written many articles and posts about bananas, because there are so many ways to use them even when they're already brown, slightly wilted, and you'd think they belong only in the trash. With this tip, however, you can use not only the banana flesh but also the peel. Here's how!

1. Separate the banana peel into 4-5 strips and scrape out the white part on the inside with a spoon so that only the peel remains.
2. Make a marinade: mix together soy sauce, maple syrup, paprika, and garlic powder/garlic in a bowl with enough liquid to cover the banana peels.
3. Let the peels marinate for at least 10 minutes, but they can stay in the marinade for 1-2 hours.
4. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. It's hot enough when a banana peel sizzles immediately upon contact.
5. Fry the peels in oil (give each side 1 minute), then place them on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil.
6. If there's leftover marinade, put it in a small container in the refrigerator and use it next time!

5. Environmental Tip: Everything Goes!

A wilted carrot, half a zucchini, a few broccoli florets, and a few capers at the bottom of a jar. Does your fridge look like this? If so, this tip was made for you. You only need leftover vegetables and a package of puff pastry.

1. Chop the vegetables and season them to taste (e.g., salt, pepper, thyme, oregano) and add a crushed or chopped garlic clove.
2. Sauté them in a pan, or put them in the oven on a baking sheet spread out nicely for about 10 minutes at 180-200°C.
3. Unroll the puff pastry. If you like, you can spread mascarpone underneath the vegetables, or 1-2 beaten eggs, grated cheese, or (vegan) béchamel (you can find many recipes for this).
4. Place the sautéed/pre-grilled vegetables on the puff pastry, then put it in the oven according to the instructions on the puff pastry package. The baking time is usually about 15 minutes.

Done in about half an hour total!

6. Environmental Tip: Fresh Herbs Anytime

Fresh herbs are essential in the kitchen, yet they're not always available fresh, and they're usually only sold in large bunches. With this tip, however, it doesn't matter if you can only buy a large bunch, because you can prepare fresh herb-flavored ice cubes months in advance. Here's what to watch out for!

1. Use an oil that can withstand the temperature you'll use the herb ice cubes at. For example, extra virgin olive oil is a great choice if you want to use them in salads, but sunflower oil is more recommended for sautéed/grilled vegetables.
2. Make sure the oil completely covers the herbs as you freeze them.
3. If there's not enough room in the ice cube tray, you can freeze the greens in two batches, and transfer the finished cubes to a freezer bag or container.

7. Environmental Tip: Potato Peel Chips

1. Whichever you prefer, first peel the potatoes with a peeler, or just take the peels out of the refrigerator if you've already peeled potatoes for another dish.
2. Salt them and season to taste with pepper, paprika, cumin, or caraway. Version A: Preheat the oven to 200°C. Spread the potato peels evenly on a baking sheet, add (olive) oil to them, roughly one teaspoon of oil per potato peel. Toss the peels in the oil a bit, then bake for 12-20 minutes (it depends on your specific oven and the potatoes how much time is needed in the end). Version B: Heat enough oil in a pot so it reaches about 2 cm in depth. It's hot enough when you drop a small piece of peel in and it immediately starts to sizzle. If it's hot enough, you can add more peels and they'll turn golden brown in 1-2 minutes. Place a paper towel on the plate where you remove the potato peel chips to absorb excess oil.