C&G’s Guide to Reusing Leftovers

Tips & Advice

Are you spending your WFH (Work From Home) breaks cooking up a storm? All this extra time allows us to be productive with our meal prepping, but it can also lead to big amounts of leftovers! In this latest C&G blog we list some creative ways you can repurpose your leftovers to make new stock. 

Repurposing Leftovers

Save and freeze offcuts and peels from vegetables. Once you have enough accumulated, make a stock by adding them into a big pot of water. You can sprinkle in some herbs, salt and pepper for some extra flavour. If you really want to jazz it up, lemons make a delicious addition. Simmer away for as long as necessary, strain and freeze the liquid stock in cup portions. You can then defrost them and use when required. 

If you’ve stocked up on lemons and limes during citrus season, squeeze the juice into ice cube trays. These frozen citrus treats can add flavour to drinks or cooking, especially when they are no longer in season.

Reuse Plastic Packaging

Hold onto and clean any undamaged plastic packaging. Frozen pea bags, for example, can be reused as small rubbish bags for things like gardening, dog poop bags, and bathroom waste. Ice cream or yoghurt tubs, on the other hand, will work nicely as small storage. You can use them to freeze your stocks, soups or homemade pasta sauces!

If your groceries come with rubber bands, keep these for a future use. Twist ties on bread packaging can be reused in many creative ways such as DIY projects, art or holding up pothos plants.

Meal Prep Wisely

Buy groceries with the intention of using them over multiple meals. Produce such as celery can be divided up into bases for Bolognese sauce as well as vegetable soups. Alternatively, you can combine it with carrots, apples and gingers in a juicer to create a delicious immune-supporting breakfast smoothie!

Be Creative 

If you’ve bought more groceries than you need, use it creatively instead of throwing it out. Too many potatoes could be turned into delicious gnocchi, which is tomorrow’s dinner sorted! Likewise, leftover roast works beautifully in a Shepherd’s Pie the next day.