A report on the BBC today highlights the amount of food that is going to waste in the UK, with Tesco reporting that it threw away 30,000 tonnes of food in the first six months of this year:
Using its own data and industry-wide figures, it has also estimated that, across the UK food industry, 68% of salad to be sold in bags was wasted – 35% of it thrown out by customers.
And it estimated that 40% of apples and 47% of bakery items were wasted.
My bucket of ‘food waste’!
These are shocking figures… but I’m not entirely surprised. Perhaps the fact that food is relatively cheap and, when bought from a supermarket, the customer has invested little effort in its production, means it has little ‘value’. I am reluctant to waste anything that I have taken time to create – whether a sock I have knitted or apples I have bottled – and I think this is true for many people. In our household no food goes to waste – if for some reason we can’t eat it, it is consumed by dogs, chickens or worms, with the compost heap being the ultimate destination if there are no other takers. In addition, we never buy a bag of salad leaves because I can almost always find some fresh in the garden or in a pot and then we only pick what we need… even if that’s just half a dozen for a sandwich.
However, this week I have embarked on an endeavour to make even better use of a ‘waste’ product. A few days ago, my friend Deano (supplier of my naked pumpkin seeds and all-round inspiring permaculture practitioner) posted a link to a blog describing how to make vinegar from fruit scraps.
Apple scraps, fermenting naturally as you can see from the bubbles on the surface
As you may have noticed from recent posts, I’ve got lots of apples! Until now, the peel and cores have either been fed to the hens (they love them, but there is a limit to the amount they can eat) or put direct on the compost heap (creating a lovely cidery smell). However, I’ve now decided to get an extra yield and am making apple vinegar. It takes several weeks, so I’m currently only at the stage of apple scraps, water and a bit of sugar fermenting naturally in a bucket (food grade plastic) covered with muslin to keep the fruit flies off. I will add to this as I work my way through the rest of the apples that I am going to bottle or freeze, and then it will be more weeks until the vinegar will be ready for bottling itself, but fingers crossed that it works. Once strained off the vinegar, the scraps will still be going on the compost heap, but cannot be fed to the chickens as they will contain alcohol and I really can do without drunken hens reeling round my back yard!
So, in our house, we’re not contributing at all to food waste. Do you have any tips for using up scraps?
The Snail of Happiness 
argylesock
/ October 21, 2013I grew up to value the rechauffe. My mother’s old cookery books were (and still are) great sources of recipes. The compost heap is excellent, too 🙂 I’m thinking about entomoculture but haven’t seen any methods for doing that on a domestic scale.
Anyway, thanks for commenting on my blog! I’m going to follow yours now.
LikeLike
The Snail of Happiness
/ October 21, 2013Réchauffé sounds so sophisticated and is a word that I will try to use more!!
What sort of insects do you have in mind? I have considered Black Soldier Flies for feeding to the hens, but haven’t really examined the practicalities…
LikeLike
argylesock
/ October 22, 2013I’m chewing over the entomoculture idea (pun intentional) and so is the FAO http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=7-insects-youll-be-eating-in-the-future Like you, I’ve more learning to do on this topic. I’m from a culture which doesn’t eat insects but others do, as I’ve mentioned in my blog, and there’s great potential for using insects in feed eg your hens.
LikeLike
The Snail of Happiness
/ October 22, 2013Interesting article… lots to think about!
LikeLike
gentlestitches
/ October 22, 2013We waste very little. wasting is very bad.I believe in small serves and then second helpings if the small serve wasn’t enough. We also have a compost bin.
Well done, this topic should be talked about more!:)
LikeLike
The Snail of Happiness
/ October 22, 2013I’m always a bit surprised that people can afford to waste so much – I’d rather have my money to spend rather than throwing it in the trash!
LikeLike
gentlestitches
/ October 22, 2013hallelujah!:)
LikeLike
planetcoops
/ October 22, 2013Not long after reading this post yesterday, I heard about a skate park, where the kids got to design it and build it themselves. It is still used and cared for and has no graffiti. I immediately thought of what you said that, ‘the customer has invested little effort in its production, means it has little ‘value’.’ So it works for more than food. You value what you put effort into creating. It’s such a shame we are now a nation of consumers rather than creators.
LikeLike
The Snail of Happiness
/ October 22, 2013and I suppose that our national focus on ‘service industries’ just makes things worse. Let’s all get creative and value what we produce – at home or at work!
LikeLike