The summer season is prone to an increase in food waste. Do you feel that, at this time of year, you need to be more careful with the fruits and vegetables you buy, in what quantities, how to store them, and also find yourself rushing to invent recipes so they don’t spoil? Too Good To Go, a social impact company with B Corp certification, recognized for its globally leading app dedicated to rescuing unsold food and mitigating food surplus, shares some tips and recipes to counter waste in the heat.
The summer period is the most conducive to food waste, and 64% of Portuguese respondents in a recent Too Good To Go study say that high temperatures contribute to the acceleration of food deterioration, with a focus on fruit, vegetables and greens, considered the foods most wasted during the hot season by 76% of respondents. Reminding that both fruit and vegetables are beneficial for health, and also help reduce environmental impact.
Tips to avoid food waste
Too Good To Go shares some tips to combat food waste to make your summer a zero-waste one:
- Take stock of all the foods in the pantry and, if you make weekly menus, include them in recipes, in order to save time and prevent the products from spoiling.
- Preserving foods can help reduce the food footprint. You should place all foods with stalks, like cabbage and broccoli, in water-filled containers. For spinach and watercress, for example, it is recommended to wrap them in a damp cloth and always store them in the fridge, and storing fruit in the fridge can extend its shelf life.
- Use the freezer to preserve ripe fruit. If you want to flavor your summer drinks, all you have to do is put the ripe fruit into an ice bucket. Let your imagination run wild and surprise yourself with this trick.
- Certain vegetables and fruits, such as tomatoes, bananas and avocados, emit ethylene gas during their ripening process. This gas causes other foods that are more sensitive to ripen faster, such as potatoes, lettuce, carrots and cucumbers, for example. Separating these two types of foods can keep them fresh for longer.
How to be creative with food leftovers
But how to effectively put it into action and be creative and practical, especially when you cook extra? If you need ideas for how to prepare and cook your leftovers of fruits and vegetables, Too Good To Go offers two recipes for fresh and healthy meals for this August.
Tarte de Puré de Batata
Did you make too much mashed potatoes, and you have some leftover vegetables in the fridge? There is an easy and delicious way to put them to use: making a vegetable tart that is great both hot and served cold.
Ingredientes
- – Olive oil
- – Leftover vegetables: broccoli stalks, carrots and courgettes work beautifully
- – 1 clove of garlic
- – Approximately 100g of lentils
- – Approximately 250ml of vegetable stock
- – 200g of chopped tomatoes, fresh or canned
- – Leftover mashed potatoes
- – Cheese (such as Gouda or Cheddar) grated
Modo de Preparação
- Preheat the oven to 180º Celsius
- Sauté all the vegetables over low heat until they are tender
- Add the lentils, the vegetable stock and the tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the lentils are tender
- Spread the mixture in a dish, and spread the mashed potatoes over it. Then, on top, place the vegetable mixture. Finish with the grated cheese.
- Leave the tart in the oven until the topping is golden – about 20-30 minutes.
Mousse de Melancia
Do you have leftover ripe watermelon in your fridge? Prepare a refreshing and delicious dessert to enjoy after the meal.
Ingredientes
- – 250g of seeded-free watermelon pulp, strained
- – 150ml of cream
- – 3 egg whites
- – 5 tablespoons sugar
- – 6 leaves of gelatin
Modo de Preparação
- Whip the cream to whipped cream, add the sugar when they are starting to firm up and then continue beating a little longer. Reserve.
- Squeeze out the excess liquid from the watermelon, blend it, and remove half of the water. Reserve.
- Soak the gelatin sheets, then melt them and fold them into the watermelon, stirring until fully dissolved.
- Beat the egg whites to stiff peaks and fold them into the previous mixture, as well as the whipped cream. Divide into cups and refrigerate until set.
