Parsley, basil, mint, and other fresh herbs can be stored at room temperature with their stems in a jar of water. Basil in particular prefers room temperature. Instant uplift to your kitchen and spirits!
Read more here.
Photo by Alan Levine, Flickr
Store fresh herbs upright in a jar or vase of water, like a bouquet of flowers, and enjoy them on your countertop. Parsley, basil, mint, and other fresh herbs can be stored at room temperature with their stems in a jar of water. Basil in particular prefers room temperature. Instant uplift to your kitchen and spirits! Read more here. Photo by Alan Levine, Flickr Swarthmore’s single use regulation ordinance goes into effect on January 8th, 2024. Decline the plastic utensils when asked by a restaurant if you want them. The new ordinance prohibits merchants from providing single-use plastic bags for purchases or Styrofoam packaging for food or beverages. In addition, disposable foodware accessories, such as plastic utensils, plastic straws, and pre-packaged condiments, will be provided only upon request by the customer or offered as a self-serve option. This provision will prevent unwanted and unused disposable items from ending up in the trash without even being used. To take full advantage of this option, decline plastic utensils when asked and use washable items instead. Photo by Susan O'Donnell “Ugly” produce is still perfectly good for eating, and buying it reduces food waste and can save you money on groceries. According to the FDA, 31% of our food supply is wasted by consumers and retail. One source of this waste is food that does not have the desired look for consumers but is perfectly edible. Various companies are working to counter this trend by selling this imperfect produce, sometimes at a lower price. For more information on purchasing “ugly” produce, see this article: https://www.greenmatters.com/p/ugly-produce-companies Photo by Susan O'Donnell You can reduce food waste by extending the life of perishable food through freezing, canning, and drying. The bounty of fruits and vegetables in summer and early fall can be overwhelming when you feel the pressure to enjoy these fresh foods before they turn bad. Extend the life of the foods you grow, buy, and prepare using a few kitchen tricks. The Pennsylvania Resources Council states that perishable foods account for 76% of food wasted. They suggest these techniques for helping your food keep longer:
See more details and ideas from the PRC flyer. Photo by Susan O'Donnell Make refreshing maple cream and other sodas at home with just a few ingredients--and lose the calories, additives, and packaging of store-bought. Homemade sodas use wholesome ingredients and much less sugar than commercial varieties, not to mention no high fructose corn syrup or preservatives. They are also easier on your pocketbook and the environment. How does maple cream, honey ginger, lemon basil or lavender plum sound? Read more here. Photo by Susan O'Donnell Make your own icy treats with high-quality stainless steel popsicle molds. All popsicle molds reduce single-use waste and allow you to choose healthy ingredients but, compared to plastic or silicone molds, stainless steel molds are longer lasting, more dishwasher-hardy, and quickest to unmold. Read more in this article. Photo by Susan O'Donnell When the weather is hot, cook outdoors or prepare meals that don’t require cooking. Using the stove and oven adds heat to your house, so when the weather is hot, find ways to avoid using them so that your air conditioner does not have to work overtime, adding to your summer energy use. Plan to eat salads and sandwiches or other dishes that do not require cooking. Do your cooking on the grill so that all of the heat produced is outside of the house. Another option is to use smaller appliances such as the toaster oven, slow-cooker, or microwave, which all produce much less heat and use less energy. For more details, check out this article in Consumer Reports: Mary H.J. Farrell, July 9, 2021. Cooking tips for hot weather: How to keep your cool in the kitchen this summer. Consumerreports.org. After you bring home produce, wash and prep it right away for a sustainable shortcut in the kitchen7/7/2023
After a big shopping trip at the grocery store or farmers market, wash and prepare all of your produce before you put it away. This sets you up for the week and allows you to avoid buying pre-packaged produce. For leafy greens, for example, rinse very well and dry in a salad spinner. You can simply wrap them in a tea towel and put in the crisper drawer. Read more here. Photo by Susan O'Donnell Bring hard sided containers, such as a dairy tub, to the Farmers Market to carry home strawberries and other loose, delicate produce without using a plastic bag. Re-use take-out containers, dairy tubs, mason jars, or other hard sided containers to contain loose, delicate produce, such as strawberries, cherry tomatoes, plums and apricots. These containers will protect the produce from spilling or being bruised during the ride home. The Swarthmore Farmers Market no longer offers plastic bags at check-out. Bringing your own containers reduces the number of single-use bags used to contain loose produce. You can also bring your saved produce bags from the grocery store to hold larger items such as apples, cucumbers, and potatoes. Make a difference by becoming a Reducetarian: Eat less meat, poultry, seafood, eggs and dairy4/7/2023
Reducetarianism, as defined by the Reducetarian Foundation website, “is the practice of eating less meat - red meat, poultry, and seafood - as well as less dairy and fewer eggs, regardless of the degree or motivation. This concept is appealing because not everyone is willing to follow an "all-or-nothing" diet. However, reducetarianism is still inclusive of vegans, vegetarians, and anyone else who reduces the amount of animal products in their diet” Livestock contribute to greenhouse gases directly by emitting methane as a product of their digestion as well as indirectly due to land use practices for raising livestock. Just by cutting back on the amount of meat that you normally eat reduces your carbon footprint. The Reducetarian Foundation suggests several strategies for gradually reducing your meat consumption:
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