Unforgettable waste-reducing cooking tips

Think before pitching rice if it’s been sitting in your cupboard for a few months. It can be used to dry electronics if you get them wet – just put the device in a bowl of the dry grains for 24 hours.

Your old sponge might look like it belongs in the bin, but two minutes in the microwave will kill as much as 99.9 per cent of the bacteria on it, making it good as new. Be sure to get it wet first.

Check out these nearly forgotten house cleaning tips from the past.

Celery is all about crispness, so when it starts to go soft, you may as well throw it out. Right? Not necessarily. Try this first: put limp stalks in a bowl of cold water with a few slices of raw potato. After an hour or so in this starchy bath, the stalks may deliver the crunch you expect.

And while even crisp celery may turn brown, you can stop browning before it starts. Before storing the stalks in the fridge, soak them for 30 minutes in 1 litre cold water mixed with 1 teaspoon lemon juice – a trick that will also crisp celery just before it’s served.

When a recipe calls for a few drops of lemon, don’t slice the lemon and squeeze. Simply puncture the rind with a toothpick and gently squeeze out the small amount of juice you need. Then cover the hole with a piece of tape and store the lemon in the fridge for later use. Waste not, want not!

Prolong the life of fresh eggs by dipping a paper towel into vegetable oil and rubbing the shells before storing the eggs in the fridge. The oil will keep the eggs fresh for an additional three to four weeks.

Check out these ‘facts’ about eggs that are an absolute yolk.

If you find you’ve peeled too many potatoes for a potato salad or casserole, don’t toss the uncooked extras. Put them in a bowl, cover with cold water, and add a few drops of vinegar. Now they will keep in the fridge for three to four days.

Lettuce will keep longer if you transfer it from a plastic bag to a roomier paper bag before storing it in the refrigerator. Lettuce likes a little air, but don’t think that calls for removing the limp and discoloured outermost leaves; they may not be pretty, but these leaves help keep the inner leaves crisper.

When all else fails, composting your old fruits and veggies can help optimise the fertilizer you use for your garden. If you’re going to toss them anyway, put them to good use.

Find out everything you need to know about composting in 2020

Sign up here to get Reader’s Digest’s favourite stories straight to your inbox!

Source: RD.com