Can you Save a Spud?
Mashed, roasted, chipped or baked, potatoes are a key part of many of the meals we eat and they’re probably a staple item on your shopping list too. It’s no wonder they’re always there, being naturally fat free, containing fibre and several vitamins and minerals they’re pretty good for us too. An extra added bonus is the peelings can be composted in your garden and the cooked spud can go in your food waste recycling collection.
Whilst we love potatoes, sadly they’re second in the top 10 of most thrown away foods (that’s not counting the peelings either), with 5.8 million potatoes thrown away from UK homes each day. They also sneak into 10th place on the food waste list as processed potato products like chips and waffles.
When we love the Spud so much why are so many finding their way into the kitchen bin?
It could be because…
- We buy the standard size bag from the shop but don’t get round to making meals with them before the sprouts get out of control
- Plans change and we’re not sure who is coming to dinner
- We’re not as hungry as we thought
- An oops moment with cooking the dinner
- It doesn’t taste quite right after all
…you tell us why it happens in your home.
We’ve published some articles (keep scrolling) with ideas to help – save Spud with a cunning plan, use your fridge-freezer superhero, and some fantastic transformations of Mr Spud.
If you Love Spuds and can’t wait to save Spud yourself, check out the Love Potatoes website or have a look at the general ideas and tips in our reduce food waste section.
It’s easy to rescue Spud from the bin, be part of the challenge – follow us @WestLondonWaste, Like Us on Facebook and share the adventures of your Mr Spud.
Some tips from Spud
In the meantime here are a few quick and easy things you can do to help save Spud:
- Buy small amounts of potatoes if you know you won’t eat a whole bag.
- Store your potatoes in a cool dark place, that isn’t the fridge.
- If your potatoes are sprouting, simply cut out the sprouts and cook them. According to Good Housekeeping they are still safe to eat.
- If you peel too many, store them in water in the fridge and cook them as normal the next day
- Try to only cook the number of potatoes you need for that meal – if you have extra eat them with a meal the next day. Try out the Love Potatoes portion sizes, if they don’t work for you find another way to measure it out.
- Cook, mash and freeze – don’t add milk or butter to your mash, divide it in to portions and freeze. Defrost, add the milk/butter and any other flavours such as chives or cheese then eat.
