How To Feel Like A Successful Human Being When It Comes To Food Sustainability In Malta

Everyone loves the planet; we don’t use straws, we hate plastic forks with a passion and we all look at plastic bags as if they were the Antichrist. Most of us try their best when it comes to being sustainable and saving the planet from imminent doom, but others seem to be a bit less successful in it. 

If you want to make a difference but don’t know where to being, here are 14 tips to help get you started.

1. Use your peels

Do you like crisps? Yes? So do we. You can make your own crisps using potato peels, and it’s so easy you’ll start peeling stuff for no reason.

Toss the peels in oil, salt and whatever herb or spice you like.

Place them on a dish lined with baking sheet in a single layer.

Bake for around 15 minutes. remove when crispy and serve. 

You can also get creative and make beet crisps and carrot crisps. The world is your oyster.

2. Stocks

You can use onions, carrots, roots, leaves, ends, parsnips, whatever you want. Store them in airtight container in fridge or freezer – you can get around two quarts of stock out of four cups of vegetable scraps. 

Place them in a pot and cover with water. Let them simmer for about an hour or so, stir at intervals and let it cool.

Strain and divide for future use. It will keep fresh for a week if refrigerated, and three months if frozen. 

3. Stalk(er) soup

Stop throwing away stuff like broccoli stalks or cauliflower stalks, asparagus stalks and kale stems — turn them into a delicious soup instead.

Melt two tablespoons of butter in a large pot, cook a chopped onion until translucent, maybe add garlic too whatever. Throw in all the stalks (one kilo feeds seven people Madonna) and boil for about 20 minutes. 

Add the vegetable stock you made earlier, puree everything with a blender and add some seasoning if you fancy. 

4. DIY Tomato Polpa

You can make your own tomato sauce using tomato waste like the weird inside stuff and peels. All you need is some basil and a couple of bayleaves. Throw all of your tomato waste in a pot, sprinkle with salt and let simmer for around 5-10 minutes.

When they start looking all melty and tragic, mash them up and transfer the puree in a jar. Hekk ħa, you just made your own polpa. 

5. Stop peeling carrots

This is the most useless and annoying peeling process in the universe. 

Carrots really don’t need to be peeled; all you need to do is give them a good scrub and they’re ready to eat. 

6. Grow your own herbs

There’s an endless list of herbs and spices which you can grow from the comfort of your own home. Not only will it help you save up on money, but it will also make your home look prettier and greener too. Mint generally grows at the rate of a mother fucking weed, it will thrive in shade and only needs a teeny bit of light each day. 

Parsley and basil on the other hand are slow-ass growers, but that only means that they will be twice as rewarding. Other herbs which you can grow yourself are thyme, rosemary, sage, coriander, oregano and chives. You can also dry your herbs in an oven.

7. Keep the stale bread

You can use dried-up bread to make tons of shit. Off the top of our heads are pudina, bread crumbs, croutons and meatloaf. 

If you don’t fancy reusing dry bread for yourself, you can always leave it out for the birds to feast on.

8. Keep the overripe fruit

Overripe bananas are so versatile it makes us want to cry. You can use them to make banana bread, face masks and even hair masks. 

Have you ever had peach bread? You should try it. You could also make your own jam if you have the time and patience for that y’know. You can also make cobblers, crumbles and pies from overripe apples, cherries, strawberries and nectarines to mention a few. 

Stop throwing shit out and make some delicious dessert goddamnit. 

9. Hold onto bones

You can add that bit of beef bone or pork rind to add some extra flavour to your soups or stocks. Just keep in mind that you better take it out and throw it away before serving.

10. Grow your meals

Apart from growing your own herbs, you can regrow vegetables too, if not you can always just get the seeds and grow them yourself. Trust us, it’s very rewarding to do so. 

Lettuce, onions, tomatoes, garlic, celery and potatoes are just among the few vegetables you can grow in a pot. You will know exactly what’s in your food and won’t have to worry about any weird chemicals.

11. Plan your meals

Planning your meals ahead does not only give you one less headache to worry about after work, but it also helps in making you more sustainable. 

You will have less food waste by the end of the week and you’ll also waste less time staring at your fridge trying to conjure a meal.

12. Containers are your best friends

Using containers for cheeses and stuff might seem like a bit of a hassle and waste of space for your fridge. However the food you store will keep fresher for longer, and you will waste less plastic bags, so it’s a win-win for both you and the planet. 

While we’re at it, invest in a couple of storage clips to keep biscuits and breads from going stale prematurely. 

13. Don’t throw the shit wine out

We all forget to close our bottles of wine sometimes — especially after that late night session of getting drunk and crying on your kitchen counter. 

Do not throw that bad wine away when this happens, just reuse it as vinegar or cooking wine. You can also use it to marinade your meat. Isn’t that handy?

Did we miss out on any tips? Leave us a comment below

READ NEXT: 6 Easy Steps To Become A Beginner Farmer In Malta