Friday, August 20, 2010

Food Waste Friday 20 August 2010

Having to throw so much out food last week coupled with being too broke to buy much new food means that I have a practically no waste week to report this week.

Exceptions (forgot to take photos, sorry) were earlier in the week when I realised that there was still a small amount of sour cream sitting in a tupperware container at the back of the fridge hiding behind the jam.  With so little in the fridge you'd think I wouldn't have miss the rest of this leftover from salsa night.

I also finally threw out the homemade mincemeat that I made at the start of the year.  After going to all the trouble of specially ordering suet from the farmer (it's hard to get your hands on it here) in order to try my hand at making old-fashioned mincemeat (the kind that actually has meat in it) I did get around to making it, put it into jars and then promptly got all caught up in the crappy situation that was having my alcoholic friend staying with me, dealing with that depressing episode which got worse after he left in March and which I have only started to come out of in the last month or two.  All of which is to say that I made mincemeat at the end of February and then didn't go near it again.  As I don't have a pressure canner I had planned to use it up within the four or six weeks it's supposed to be good for as is.  But you do need to leave it for a few days for the flavours to develop as well and it was one of those things that if you don't do it straightaway...  So I finally decided to get rid of the jars which have been standing there accusingly for the last six months or so.  I have to say I was pleasantly surprised at the state of them.  I'm sure a hundred years ago they would have been considered fine for eating but I was just nervous enough of the meat not to want to risk it.  But it actually smelled pretty good.  Quite strongly of brandy but also of the spicy mix and definintely not like rotting meat.  But out it all went and it is a weight off my mind to be honest.

So not much current waste and long may it continue so (in addition to me continuing to improve on actually using up stuff I make and preserve!)

As always Food Waste Fridays are hosted by The Frugal Girl

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