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Mushrooms have a permanent place on my shopping list. I don’t always have a plan for using them, but I know that after a week of slipping them into frittatas and stir-fries, I’ll be ready to buy more. For longest shelf-life, I use two different methods for storing my mushrooms.
Sugar and flour are two basic pantry staples. In previous generations, before mass-produced convenience foods were the norm, households stocked up on flour and sugar, used to make such basics as breads and other bakery items. For our great-grandparents, the need for long-term flour and sugar storage was often due to the inability to get to the market during some seasons. In modern times, households unable to use an entire package of flour or sugar within a short time frame must safely store flour and sugar for a long period.
No matter how clean you keep your kitchen, pests cans still cause problems in your pantry. They enter your home in a variety of ways and seek out improperly stored foods to lay eggs in. The eggs hatch into larva that look like worms, and they can spoil your food as they grow into full-fledged insects. The key to preventing worms in your food is to be proactive and make sure your flours and grains are stored properly as soon as you get home from the store.
Continue reading “How to store Flour (and other dry foods) and prevent pests”
So March arrived, and with it the excitement of starting sowing once again. Last year was my very first year to (seriously) grow something, and in the autumn of 2013 we harvested a good bunch of bell peppers, red chillies, lettuce and cocktail tomatoes. This time, ecogreenlove is going for more! Trying other seeds, seeds from sachets that we’ve bought but also trying to sow from last year’s harvest… we’ll see how it all goes.
Also, this year we started Bokashi composting, which means, we don’t need to buy fertilizer, we are practically making our own soil directly from our kitchen, 100% organic (and the big advantage is that I can be sure it is 100% organic, not only because the label says so). Another difference is that we are planting more and different vegetables rather than flowers.
And something I learned is that you really have to be organized when sowing. So many times I tried to plant something and never grew or eventually died, so we’re giving the seeds a better look and care this time, and I’m creating a timetable of when we’re planting what, when is sprouting and when we’ll be transplanting, as well as ideal conditions (temperature, soil, etc)
I even draw a very basic graphic to know which seeds are in which egg cartons, because as you can see, we planted most of them reusing egg cartons. So here is an example:
So far, we only have 50 seeds growing because of our small space, we do not have a garden, what we are doing is planting in our balconies, so everything has to be very well distributed having each the space they need. So there will be an update for this post when we manage to sow the rest of our vegetables and herbs. The weather here in southwest Germany is still fresh and rainy, so we are starting the seeds indoors. Now, since we didn’t plant aaaaall the seeds, I want to save some for next year (from harvest and from sachets), I did some research and here are some tips if you are also planning to do that:
Tips for Storing Seeds | When to Collect, How to Collect | Make a Seed Organizer
Continue reading “Starting this year’s ecogreenlove garden and how to store seeds”
For years I’ve stored onions, garlic and shallots in plastic bins in a kitchen drawer. Like this:
That works fine if I use everything up right away, but honestly that doesn’t happen very often. Instead, I stock up on onions, garlic or shallots for use in specific recipes, and some of them end up hanging around in the drawer for awhile. Here’s how some of them look after 2 or 3 months; rotten, moldy, or sprouting…..wasted.
Continue reading “How to Store Onions, Garlic, & Shallots via @TheYummyLife”
Tips to help you save money at the grocery store while eating healthy.
Being prepared before heading to the store is the best way to make sure you stick to your grocery shopping budget. But there are also some strategies to keep in mind and ingredients to keep an eye out for at the store. Here are some of our favorite ways to save while shopping.
Sure, bagged salad mixes are convenient. And anything that makes it easier to eat your veggies is a good thing. But they’re also expensive and can quickly go from perky to wilted to downright slimy. So try buying heads of lettuce (which often last longer in your crisper) and make your own mixes. Try mixing up romaine, radicchio, red leaf and/or escarole.
Another option for salad greens is to grow your own—they don’t take up much space and they grow quickly. For about the cost of a bag of salad greens ($3) you can buy a packet of seeds for mixed salad greens. The packets have 500 seeds and will plant a 30-foot long row of greens. (We’re not sure exactly how many salads that translates into, but it’s safe to say you’ll be swimming in salads for weeks.)
Spices are one of the keys to keeping food both healthy and delicious, because when you use bold flavors you don’t need as much fat. Look for a store that carries spices in bulk—the price per ounce is often less expensive. Plus you can buy a smaller amount, which helps you save in two ways: The up-front price is less. But perhaps more important, spices have a shelf life. After a year or two in your cupboard they just don’t have as much flavor. So when you buy smaller amounts, you’re less likely to have old spices sitting around that are ready for the trash can—a serious waste of money.
Continue reading “15 Tricks to Save Money on Food But Still Eat Well via @eatingwell”
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