Everyone loves eating alfresco; it is a well know fact
that everything tastes better in the open air, but
keeping food and drinks fresh and cool in warm
summer weather can be a challenge.
Whether it’s in the back garden, an outside concert or
just a trip to the park, the secret of a successful picnic
or BBQ is simplicity, plus careful planning and packing.
The Love Food Hate waste campaign provides lots of
useful advice to help us enjoy the summer and reduce
our food waste.
When it comes to picnic food it doesn’t
pay to be too ambitious; the biggest
mistake most people make is assuming
that dishes which work at home will be
just as good al fresco.
Plan how much food you’ll need
for the number of adults and
children, so you will not have any
waste left over.
Pack perishable food from the fridge, at the last
minute into chill boxes and bags. Often picnic food
can get squashed if kept in one huge cool box, so try
taking several cool bags, and separate foods which
need to be kept cold from crisps and bread etc.
Larger summer gatherings at home can be
particularly challenging for hosts that are not used to
cooking and storing food for bigger groups of people.
Follow these few handy hints and you shouldn’t go
wrong!
If you are cooking barbecues keep it simple and resist
serving food before it is cooked thoroughly. Keep
guests happy with crisps or salad to pick at while you
cook.
If you are having a buffet, only bring it out of the
fridge at the last minute, so it stays fresh for longer.
If there are any leftovers from the buffet or barbecue
put them in the fridge as soon as you can.
Use your left over produce in other recipes.
When you take leftovers out of the fridge, eat them
immediately or reheat them thoroughly straight away
– don’t leave them standing at room temperature.
Keep a thermometer in your fridge to make sure it is
always running at the proper temperature. Store raw
meats on the bottom shelf and separate from other
cooked foods to avoid cross contamination.
Visit www.lovefoodhatewaste.com for more handy tips.
There is something for everyone, whether
you are a keen cook, or simply want
to reduce the amount of food which
you throw away.
Finally, help make your garden grow, compost your
vegetable peelings, leftover salad leaves and fruit
scraps. The compost you create will not only reduce
the amount of waste going to landfill but will create a
rich and free feed for your garden.
For further details on composting visit
www.recyclenow.com
