weekly simple eco tip, 4.10

My eco goal for this Earth Month is to waste less food. I tend to throw a lot of leftovers out because I am not able to use everything before it goes bad. 

And this goal inspired this week's simple eco tip:

Freeze your leftovers!

I mean really, can you get any easier? You can use airtight glass containers, plastic food containers or zippered freezer bags. (However, the bags are less eco-friendly than reusable containers, since most people don't tend to wash the bags out between uses and simply throw them out instead.)

Putting my goal into action last week, I took a container of extra spaghetti sauce and put it in the freezer, instead of letting it go bad in the fridge for another few days. So one day when I'm out of options, I can cook some pasta and use the frozen spaghetti sauce. 

And a few months ago, I got some locally grown oranges and lemons, but didn't have a need for them at the time. So I decided to slice and freeze them for future use. A good tip I was given is to use the slices in lemonade or tea. They act as a natural ice cube, and when they start to thaw, they add extra flavor. The slices will come in handy in the coming hot hot months. I can already picture myself drinking some mason jar lemonade out on my porch with my boyfriend, while my silly kitty gets himself dirty and guards his territory.

The key is to use the frozen food within a few months. Recently, I cleaned out my freezer and found foods from two years ago - food I probably moved from my old apartment! Keeping track of what food you have, and how long you've had it, is very important.