Every week, I post a picture of the food that has gone bad over the last seven days. Why do I do this? Because in March of 2008, I finally got fed up with the amount of food I was wasting, and I thought that showing my waste to other people would motivate me to use up my food instead of wasting it. Because this often embarrassing practice was so helpful for me, I invited other bloggers to join me in posting their food waste photos, and Food Waste Friday was born.
You know how when you have a banana that’s getting a bit too ripe, you just throw it in the freezer to use later?
Well, if you do that about 20 times, here’s what you end up with.
I’m perfectly happy to make banana chocolate chip muffins when I have an extra banana or two, but I really, really don’t think we need to eat the number of muffins it would take to use up this many bananas.
And I could theoretically use them in a smoothie, but I seriously loathe the taste of overripe bananas in anything except bread or muffins.
So, I am turning these into dirt in my compost bin, and I will now have a lovely fresh start with the bananas.
I’m happy to tell you that I’m managing my current bunch of bananas very nicely. I noticed last night that a lot of them had turned yellow all at once, so I cut them up and topped them with peanut butter. They always disappear fast at my house this way.
I wish the bananas were all I wasted, but they’re not.
The cilantro went south surprisingly soon (I did use up the entire bunch I bought after that, though!). I’m sad about the moldy cheese, but the two hot dogs left over from a cookout, I’m not that sad about. It’s not like hot dogs are terribly nutritious, so I wasn’t too motivated to get someone to eat them. I’m much more pleased that we ate up the cauliflower and broccoli and spinach, you know?
Oh, and remember how my freezer was getting a little bit out of control last time I hosted Food Waste Friday?
It’s looking a lot better now.
I was really diligent about sorting through the contents and I made a point of using up what was in there. Now it mostly houses ice, ice packs, fruit for smoothies, some OJ concentrate, and a few items for Monday’s main dish. That’s a big improvement for me!
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Joshua’s 365 post: Spinning
Randi
Monday 23rd of June 2014
If you chop the mouldy bits off the cheese it's good as new. Or, if you want preventative care: a quick swipe of butter on the sides after you cut and handle it does wonders for prolonging it's life.
MG
Tuesday 6th of May 2014
Here's an idea for wasting less food: if there's a case like this in the future where the food is perfectly edible but just not to your taste, find someone to give it to. For example, I love using over-ripe bananas in smoothies. I freeze my overripe bananas for that purpose. It adds extra natural sweetness to them. Were I your neighbor or good friend or family member, I'd be thrilled to take some free bananas from you and to save them from being wasted. So, maybe next time you can ask a few of those closest to you if they'd like to inherit whatever you won't eat.
Julie
Tuesday 16th of October 2012
Question about freezing bananas: How do you thaw them without them liquifying?! I have tried your trick of freezing bananas before they go bad on two occasions. The first time, I ate the two bananas frozen (yum!) but had a really hard time getting them unpeeled (tips?). The second time, I set them on the counter to thaw for banana bread and they liquified all over the place. Should I have put them in the fridge to thaw? Is there some sort of trick to this? :) Thanks!
Diana @ SAHMonomics
Tuesday 16th of October 2012
Kristin, I just wrote up a little blog post on how to avoid food waste, and I referenced your Food Waste Friday and linked to your blog. I really like this topic, and plan on posting my own food waste photos. Again, thanks!
Diana @ SAHMonomics
Tuesday 16th of October 2012
OK, how much do I love "Food Waste Friday"? I just stumbled upon your blog, and really like this topic. I know that, as Americans, we waste a terrible amount of food. I am trying to be better about that. Thanks for the inspiration!