Our resident sustainable food hero, Miranda, is back with a fresh set of kitchen rescues! This time she’s taking on everything from fiery surplus chillies to past-their-best potatoes.
The “Swaps Box” Chilli Jam
If you ever find yourself swapping items in your Patron Box, you might end up accumulating a mountain of chillies like Miranda does. Her ultimate solution? Chilli jam.
Miranda’s spice warning: “This time I made two batches. In one batch, I used mild paprika peppers, hoping they would balance out the heat of the scotch bonnets. Even though there were only a few scotch bonnets, it was still super-hot! Proceed with caution!”
The 50/50 jam rule
Miranda spotted a box of apricots in the swaps box that had a couple of mouldy fruits. Knowing most people would pass them by, she took them home, cut off the bad bits, and transformed the rest into a gorgeous apricot jam.
Miranda’s rules for easy jam:
The basic rule of thumb for jam is 50/50 sugar to fruit by weight.
Some fruits are low in natural pectin (the stuff that makes jam set). They will need a splash of lemon juice or a handful of jam sugar (sugar with pectin already added) to help them thicken.
If you’re ever unsure about a fruit’s pectin levels, a quick search online will give you the answer!
5-minute healthy cavolo nero crisps
Got kale or cavolo nero that needs using? You can turn them into crispy, healthy snacks in minutes.
Prep
- Tear the leaves into crisp-sized pieces and discard the tough stalks.
Season
- Coat them lightly in oil and your choice of seasoning. Salt and pepper works really well or any ready-mixed spice blends you have in the cupboard.
Bake
- Spread them out on a baking tray and bake at 180°C (Gas Mark 5) for 5 to 10 minutes until crunchy.
How to prep and freeze “past their best” potatoes
When potatoes start looking tired, it’s usually just skin-deep. Miranda peels them, cuts away any bad bits, and preps them for the freezer so she always has homemade chips, wedges, or roasties on hand.
The par-boiling method:
Cut the peeled potatoes into your desired shape (chips, wedges, or chunks).
Plunge them into boiling water and bring it back to a boil.
As soon as it boils, remove from the heat, drain, and immediately rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.
Spread them out on a tea towel to cool and dry completely.
Arrange them in a single layer on a greaseproof paper-lined tray and freeze. Once frozen solid, bag them up! You can cook them straight from frozen whenever you need them.
Out-of-season clementine marmalade
Satsumas, clementines, and oranges are almost always available at the warehouse, but when they are out of season, they aren’t always nice to eat fresh. But don’t let them go to waste! Miranda rescues hers by tracking down a simple online recipe and boiling them down into a bright, tangy clementine marmalade.
Are you a sustainable food hero too?
We love seeing the ingenious ways our community uses their Food Works finds. Whether it’s a family-favourite recipe or a clever rescue hack, why not share your creations with us?
Your tips could be the inspiration someone else needs to try something new!
Send your ideas and photos to sarah@thefoodworks.org
