Residents celebrating Jubilee urged to make most of their food

RESIDENTS in Carmarthenshire celebrating the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee are being urged to make the most of their food.

Waste Awareness Wales and Carmarthenshire County Council has teamed up with The Big Jubilee Lunch to offer advice on how to reduce food waste as part of the ‘Love Food Hate Waste’ campaign.

The Big Jubilee Lunch is part of the Diamond Jubilee events on Sunday, June 3 to encourage neighbourhoods to come together.

Residents organising a special lunch are being encouraged to try to make it as waste free as possible.

Georgina Taubman from Waste Awareness Wales said: “We waste over seven million tonnes and £12 billion worth of good food and drink every year in the UK just from our homes, but with a little planning, together with a few cool boxes and supply of freezer packs it’s easy to be well equipped for keeping food safe, fresh and tasty for longer.

“Love Food Hate Waste provides simple practical advice to reduce food waste and save us all money. Our website is packed with practical hints and tips and recipe ideas for reducing food waste.”

Council sustainability officer Tina Brice added: “We want residents to have a great time and make the most of the bank holiday. Hopefully, there will not be too much food waste left over, but if there is some that couldn’t be avoided please remember to use your green food bins so that it can be composted. There are changes to collection days over the bank holiday so please visit www.carmarthenshire.gov.uk/recycling or call Carmarthenshire Direct on 01267 234567 if you are not sure when your waste is being collected.”

Organising a waste-free lunch:

• It’s surprising how many tasty dishes can be made from ingredients we already have in our cupboards and fridges. In fact, every day we throw away food that is perfect for summer al fresco dining: including around five million potatoes, nearly three million tomatoes, and one million slices of ham. Get everyone to check their cupboards and fridges (and make a list) before making that special Big Jubilee Lunch shopping trip this year – you might just save pounds on the cost of food, leaving more money for the extras like bunting!
• Try to estimate how many people will be coming and only buy for that amount to avoid throwing food away. Love Food Hate Waste’s perfect portion planner can help.
• Get the storage right and your food will keep fresher for longer. Salad should always go in the fridge, bread in the bread bin or freezer (never the fridge), fruit and veg (except bananas, whole pineapple, potatoes and onions) should be kept in the fridge and keep things like sliced meats and cheese in an air-tight container once opened. Keep an eye on pack instructions too for more information once opened. If you have bought anything approaching its ‘use by’ date pop it in the freezer as this acts like a pause button until the day before when you can defrost it overnight in the fridge to use the next day.
• Fruit juice, smoothies and yoghurts can be frozen into ice-lolly moulds, perfect for keeping the children entertained.
• Fill sandwiches with tasty and unexpected combinations of leftovers, such as chicken, bacon and mayonnaise, leftover roast lamb and mint sauce or cheese and coleslaw.
• Try making leftover potatoes (or ones that have gone a bit sprouty) into a tasty salad with sliced red or spring onions and mayonnaise – a tasty salad that also travels well.
• Why not chop up some spare veg from your salad drawer into little crudités for dunking into hummus or your favourite dip?
• Put frozen, previously cooked, sausages and cold meats straight into your picnic bag early in the morning. They should be defrosted by the time you reach your picnic spot, but still be nice and chilled.
• Spare lemons squeezed, combined with sugar and sparkling spring water make refreshing lemonade. Alternatively, sliced lemons can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer to use as refreshing fruity ice-cubes in cold drinks – try frozen grapes as an alternative ice cube!

For more tips and great recipes for a cost-effective, enjoyable Big Lunch visit www.lovefoodhatewaste.com or www.thebiglunch.com