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What is Food Waste?
One of the big issues facing society currently is food waste. Food waste is simply food that is not eaten and is instead wasted. This could be during production, storage, processing, and distribution, or it could be because it is 'too ugly' to sell, or it goes off or bad before it is eaten. Between 25-35% of all food that is produced for human consumption is thrown away 🧺.
This is a problem because wasting the food is also wasting all of the time, energy and resources the went into making the food. Also, there are many people who don't have enough food, and if it wasn't wasted then we could ensure less people are hungry.
Watch is external video about the food waste journey.
This video was made for a separate project and is not directly associated with this site.Animation by: Cécile Robert, Monash Communication DesignMusic by: Artlist.io Voice over by: Annika Spiers
How can we preserve food?
Preserving food is a great way to make sure that it lasts longer and isn't wasted. Some methods ensure it lasts longer such as freezing, refligerating, or sealing in an airtight container. This prevents germs growing and slows down
Other processes don't only last longer, but also make the food taste even better! These include:
Pickling - this uses brine (a vinegar solution) to protect the food from bacteria, and add extra flavor.
Dehydrating - this involves removing water from the food, stopping germ growth and concentrating flavors.
Sugar or salt curing - surrounding foods with sugar or salt draws out water and kills bacteria.
Project - Make your own preserved food that will last longer then its ingredients (and taste good!!!!)
The most important part of preserving food is to see what is being wasted in your household. The most common things are fruit and vegetables, as they can spoil quickly. Fruit and vegetables are also very easy to preserve with a number of methods.
Make a Pickle 🥒
Pickling works very well for vegetables, especially softer ones like cucumbers, capsicum, cauliflower, and fennel. You just need a clean jar and some basic ingredients.
Clean a jar in hot soapy water and allow to air dry.
Mix together the following ingredients until the salt has dissolved:
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup vinegar
1.5 teaspoons salt
Cut your vegetables into bite sized pieces and fill up the jar. You can also add any whole spices like peppercorns, cumin, coriander, and fennel, and/or minced garlic to add flavor.
Refrigerate for a few hours then eat within 3 weeks!
Make a Dried Snack 🔥
Even without a dehydrator, drying out foods can be very straight forward. They work very well for a snack, hiking food, or to preserve food for a recipe down the line.
For fruit and vegetables:
Slice them 5mm thick.
Place them on a lined baking sheet. You can add a sprinkle of sugar, cinnamon, or lemon juice for extra flavor.
Put in the oven at the lowest setting (less then 90°C) until they have dried out. This can take several hours.
Enjoy!
If you are feeling confident then you could try a Beef Jerky recipe, or even a Fruit Rollup.
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