New eco-friendly ways to save holiday leftovers
Holiday meals tend to mean lots of leftovers; either we make enough for an army, or the army we expect doesn’t materialize.
If you’re worried about the environmental impact of that kingsized roll of plastic wrap or that stack of disposable plastic tubs, here are some alternatives:
GLASS JARS, STAINLESS STEEL
“The key to storing leftovers in an eco-friendly way is to use — and reuse — what you already own,” says Madeleine Somerville of Edmonton, author of All You Need Is Less: The Eco-Friendly Guide to GuiltFree Green Living and Stress-Free Simplicity (Viva).
“Making use of (jars and containers) that you already have will almost always beat out buying something new,” she says.
“Don’t worry about not having a perfect, Instagram-worthy fridge or freezer. As your old containers break, get lost or wear out, then you can begin investing in glass or stainless steel options.”
Soups, stews, smoothies, frozen fruits and vegetables all work well stored in glass jars.
A glass container with a snaplock lid isn’t plastic-free, but it does a good job keeping turkey and other leftovers fresh, and can be used indefinitely.
Williams-Sonoma stocks a variety of glass Mason or Weck canning jars. Check out Fishs Eddy’s jar collection, embellished with strawberries, flowers, bees or polka dots. (fishseddy.com )
Mighty Nest stocks Duralex’s tempered-glass storage containers, which can go from fridge or freezer to microwave or oven. The lids are free of phthalates, BPA, PVC and lead. They’ve got sturdy stainless steel containers, too. (mightynest.com )
Or check out Corelle’s enamel steel storage collection, in many prints and patterns. (wayfair.com)
NEW ALTERNATIVES
Bee’s Wrap, invented by Bristol, Vermont, mom and gardener Sarah Kaeck, is a beeswax, jojoba oil and resin-coated organic cloth that can be used to cover bowls or to wrap breads. It comes in several sizes and warms to a pleasing malleability when handled. The wraps last about a year, and can be cleaned with cool water. (amazon.ca)
FREEZE IT
Kris Bordessa, who writes a blog called Attainable Sustainable, has a suggestion for saving small amounts of food. “When it’s time to clean up after dinner, we often have small amounts of vegetables or sauces left in the pan. Not quite enough for a leftover lunch, but enough that I don’t want to waste it.”
She collects those odds and ends in containers in the freezer and uses them in soups.
The trick, she notes, is not to mix incompatible flavours.
HGTV’s Scott McGillivray uses his freezer for herbs: “I use a lot of fresh herbs from my garden while cooking … so I cut up the leftovers and freeze them in olive oil in ice cube trays. You can toss the frozen cubes in a sauce pan or frying pan for a future meal and you’re good to go.”(scottmcgillivray.com )