Experimenting with food is something that a lot of people do. Some do it for fun, while others need to create new recipes for their work or business. Whether you like experimenting for pleasure or it’s a necessity of your job, it can quickly get expensive.
You might be cooking (or baking) more than you really need to feed yourself or your family, which means it can produce a lot of waste too, especially when things go wrong. However, there are ways you can reduce your waste, which can help to save money.
Try these tips that will allow you to keep experimenting with less waste.
Assign a Purpose for All Ingredients
One of the ways you can end up with a lot of food waste is by buying ingredients that won’t get used up. You might buy something for a particular recipe, but you don’t need to use all that you buy. The remainder then gets forgotten and eventually tossed away. Instead of letting this happen, make a plan for any leftover ingredients so you use them before they’re out of date. It’s also helpful to seek out zero-waste stores where you can measure out the exact ingredients you need.
Cook with an Audience in Mind
Experimenting with food can be tricky when there’s no one to eat it all. Even if you have a family and friends to eat what you make, sometimes you end up with too much even for them. Before you start cooking, think about what you’re going to do with all the food you make. Can you give it to extended family, neighbors, or even homeless shelters? Anything that won’t be eaten right away could possibly be refrigerated or frozen so that it lasts longer and can be eaten at a later date instead.
Focus on One Cuisine at a Time
If you love to try out new cuisines, consider focusing on one type of cuisine at a time when you’re experimenting. Different cuisines tend to have their own sets of typical ingredients, and focusing on one type of food can help you to stick to a narrower ingredient range. So if you’re cooking this recipe from TheBellyRulesTheMind.net, you could keep your waste down if you already have other Thai flavors in stock. It will also help you to save space in your kitchen or pantry because you can keep the number of ingredients you need down to a minimum.
Compost Your Scraps
It’s not always possible to prevent food waste, but you can make sure to dispose of any waste in the best way. If you have scraps, they can be used in various ways. Some bits and pieces, such as bones or vegetable cutoffs, can be used to make things like stock. But if you have scraps such as vegetable peelings and egg shells, you can also compost these for an eco-friendly way to deal with food waste.
Being conscious of food waste doesn’t have to stop you from experimenting with recipes. Just keep in mind ways you can use your ingredients responsibly.