People constantly throw out food that is still good to eat or that can be made into something delicious. This is either because they don’t know the food is still edible or they don’t want to take the time to make it usable. While the economy is still recovering, for many people it is important to save money where they can. Here are some ways to keep foods edible for longer.
Bananas
When bananas have been sitting out for a while they get brown and squishy. At this point, most people throw them out since they don’t taste very good when you try to peel and eat them. But when bananas become soggy they serve an entirely different purpose.
They are at the perfect point in their shelf life to use them in banana pudding or banana bread. If you don’t want to use them right away, you can place them in a freezer bag or sealed, plastic container and store them in your freezer. They will keep for several months this way.
Dairy Products
When milk is spoiled it tastes sour and starts to separate into curds. But wait, don’t throw it out! It can still be used as buttermilk. Just use the curdled milk in any recipe that calls for buttermilk- pancakes, muffins, or scones.
Also, if you have the necessary equipment (ice cream maker, yogurt maker, cheesecloth) you can use the spoiled milk to make ice cream, yogurt, or cheese.
There are lots of people who will look into a container of sour cream and see some water and decide it is no good. But this is just a natural process of the sour cream. The water tends to separate from the cream after being opened for a few days. All you need to do is mix them back together with a spoon, and the sour cream is as good as new.
Bread Products
When opened bread approaches its expiry date it will often develop mold spots. While this mold is not dangerous, it’s not particularly tasty either. You can simply scrape off the mold with a knife, and the bread will be just fine. At this point in its shelf life bread may not be at its freshest, but it is still perfectly edible.
When bread has been left out of its packaging for too long it can dry up and become hard. Instead of tossing it away, you can cut and crumble it into tiny pieces and make bread crumbs. Like the bananas mentioned above you can use it right way in a recipe that calls for bread crumbs (like a casserole) or you can freeze it for later use.
All of these are easy and effective ways to save money and extend the life of your food