SEASONAL & SUSTAINABLE LIVING - MAY: HOW TO CREATE A ZERO WASTE PANTRY
5 May 2020 - Posted by The Sisterhood of Sustainability
This month, we're going to share with you how to create your very own beautiful and luxurious, zero waste pantry at home! As always, we've also got a wonderful array of seasonal and sustainable recipes to try with your fresh and local produce. Happy cooking, creating and styling!
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FRUITS & VEGETABLES IN SEASON IN MAY
Make the most of this month by enjoying fresh air in the garden and implementing zero waste practices and sustainable living ideas
SEASONAL VEGETABLESAsian Greens – Bok Choy – Avocados – Beetroot - Broccoli - Brussels Sprout - Cabbage - Carrots - Cauliflower - Celeriac - Celery - Chow Sum - Daikon - Eggplant - Fennel - Gai Laan - Garlic - Ginger - Horseradish - Leeks - Lettuce - Mushrooms – Okra- Olives - Onions - Parsnip - Peas - Potato - Pumpkin - Shallots - Silverbeet - Spinach - Spring Onions - Squash - Swede - Sweet Potato - Taro - Tomato - Turnip - Witlof - Wonga Bok - Zucchini
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SEASONAL FRUITSBanana - Bonza Apples – Braeburn Apples – Champagne Mandarins - Chestnuts - Cumquat - Custard Apple - Cox’s Orange Pippins Apples – Feijoa - Fuji Apples – Gala Apples – Golden Delicious Apples – Granny Smith Apples – Hazelnut – Imperial Mandarins – Kiwifruit - Lemons - Limes - Melon Mandarins - Peanut – Pears - Pink Lady Apples - Purple Cornichon Grapes - Quince - Rhubarb - Red Delicious Apples – Waltham Cross Grapes - Walnuts
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HOW TO CREATE YOUR OWN ZERO WASTE PANTRY
Whilst having a zero waste pantry is about buying and using ingredients that can be bought in bulk or don't require packaging, don't go on a crazy cleaning spree and throw out all your ingredients to accomplish it.
- Before you even start, take everything out of your pantry and make a detailed list of all the ingredients you have on hand - this includes all dry ingredients, packaged and tinned products, herbs and spices
- Sort items into two piles - One with products that need to be used fairly soon (an upcoming use by date) and products that can virtually last forever (for example: rice, flour and tinned goods)
- With the ingredients that ended up in the "use soon" pile, create a list of meals for the week that can incorporate these ingredients so that you can use them up and avoid food waste
- One of the best parts about creating a zero waste pantry is choosing the glass jars or containers that you're going to use for your pantry. These can either be collected from your previous shopping trips (such as pasta sauce jars or jams) or can be purchased from a second hand shop or local boutique
- Now that you've got your selection of jars and ingredients ready, it's time to decide where each ingredient is going to live. Pour packets of flour, sugar, rice and pasta into large jars and delicate things such a dried herbs and ground spices into smaller glass jars
- The final step is to organise your jars in your pantry so that they are displayed just how you like them
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HOW AND WHERE TO GO BULK FOOD SHOPPING FOR YOUR ZERO WASTE PANTRY
A few staple items to consider when shopping in bulk include: zero waste cloth bags, reusable cloth bags, plastic free containers and a basket to carry all of your groceries. We have a great selection of reusable and zero waste essential items for you to choose from.
One of our favourite bulk food shops which can be found throughout Australia is The Source Bulk Foods. They believe that bulk food is as much about providing nutritious products as it is about embracing a zero waste goal. They nourish families, foster a healthy community, and in doing so, take a hands-on approach to nurturing our planet. "It’s about mindfulness, taking small steps to rethink the way we shop, how we reuse and recycle in order to achieve a giant leap for the future health of our environment and of course our children."
THE BENEFITS OF A ZERO WASTE PANTRY
There are so many personal and environmental benefits to having a zero waste pantry and we're going to share them all with you so that you are better informed about the products you use and the positive impact that you could be making by implementing zero waste practices.
- Buying in bulk allows you to avoid unnecessary plastic and packaging
- A zero waste pantry enables you to buy only what you need and to avoid food waste
- You'll save extra money by buying ingredients in bulk
- You'll be able to reduce your household waste significantly
- You can choose exactly what you want in your pantry and how much you need
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Now that you know how to create a beautiful and luxurious zero waste pantry, we're going to share with you some seasonal and sustainable ideas for your fresh produce
SUSTAINABLE RECIPES FOR CELERY
Australian celery is not sold by variety and is available all year round, although it’s most abundant in winter.
BUYING
Look for celery that is pale green in colour with bright green leaves and crisp stems.
STORING
Celery will last up to one week in the refrigerator when stored in a paper bag or beeswax wraps.
Celery is a great fibre-filled low-kJ replacement for chips or crackers - and still has that satisfying crunch. Try filling celery sticks with tuna, peanut butter, cottage cheese or cream cheese or pair it with your favourite dip.
Make a refreshing and healthy drink, juice celery, carrots, beets, ginger and apples. Its an easy way to boost your fruit and veg.
Coleslaw makes a delicious, low-fat side dish. Combine shredded celery and carrot with thinly sliced cabbage. Mix in a generous squeeze of lemon juice, a heaping spoonful of mayo and a pinch of pepper.
SUSTAINABLE RECIPES FOR SWEET POTATO
Sweet potato is sold by colour, the most popular being orange (kumara) followed by white and purple.
BUYING
Choose sweet potatoes that are firm and evenly coloured. Avoid any with dark spots or bruising.
STORING
Sweet potatoes should not be refrigerated but stored in a cool, dark place. They will keep up to 2 weeks.
Try this pumpkin and sweet potato curry. Spray a large pan with oil. Fry 3 cloves crushed garlic and 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger for 3 minutes, then add 1/2 teaspoon each ground coriander, cayenne pepper and turmeric, combining into a paste. Add 500g chopped pumpkin and 2 small peeled and chopped sweet potatoes (about 500g). Coat in paste then add 1 can chopped tomatoes, 1/4 cup water and half a bunch of fresh chopped coriander. Simmer for 20 minutes until vegetables are tender. Add lemon juice and top with fresh coriander. Serve with naan bread and natural yogurt.
To make tasty sweet potato scones, simply add 1 cup of mashed sweet potato to your scone batter and bake as normal. Make sure there are no lumps in your mash!
For a yummy side salad, combine 200g roasted chopped sweet potato with mixed lettuce leaves, cherry tomatoes, feta, cucumber and a few pine nuts. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar before serving.
SUSTAINABLE RECIPES FOR LEMONS
Lemons are not sold by variety and are available all year round, but they are most plentiful in the winter months. They are oval shaped, have smooth or slightly bumpy yellow skin and a tart taste.
BUYING
Choose brightly coloured lemons that are plump and feel heavy for their size.
STORING
Lemons will stay fresh at room temperature for about a week, and can last in the fridge for up to another week.
A citrus dressing brightens up any salad: in a jug, combine the juice from 1 lemon with 2 tablespoons each of olive oil and white wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard and 1 teaspoon each of chopped chives, thyme and basil . Stir well.
Lemon sauces are a simple yet delicious way to enhance fish and chicken dishes. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a small saucepan. Add the juice and zest from 1 lemon, 1 teaspoon dried oregano and 1 tablespoon capers. Simmer for 1 minute, stir in 1 tablespoon chopped parsley and spoon over the meat.
Don’t toss out old lemons. Zest them and store the zest in a plastic bag in the freezer. Then juice the lemons, pour it into ice trays and freeze.
We hope that you've been enjoying our seasonal and sustainable living articles and can't wait to see your new, zero waste pantries!
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We’ve teamed up with Hannah Thompson @bramblyorchard and Camilla Jorvad @sigridsminde for this blog series and will be sharing their photos and little snippets of inspiration from them throughout each post.
Some photos displayed in this blog post have been styled, created and supplied by Camillia Jorvad from @sigridsminde. Camilla who is currently re-wilding a family farm on Ero Island in Denmark. She uses gardening and living mindfully and seasonally as a way of managing stress and depression shares beautiful and creative photos of life on the land.
Which are your favourite recipes in this blog post? Are you going to have a go at creating your own zero waste pantry at home or do you already have a zero waste pantry?
Some photos displayed in this blog post have been styled, created and supplied by Camillia Jorvad from @sigridsminde. Camilla who is currently re-wilding a family farm on Ero Island in Denmark. She uses gardening and living mindfully and seasonally as a way of managing stress and depression shares beautiful and creative photos of life on the land.
Which are your favourite recipes in this blog post? Are you going to have a go at creating your own zero waste pantry at home or do you already have a zero waste pantry?
