#FoodWasteFriday: All The Kitchen Tools You Already Own
Consumer culture encourages us to buy new and buy more. We learn that whatever the problem is, we can purchase a product to fix it. But with a little creativity, we can often problem solve using the stuff we already own.
Glass jars to store utensils
Use a large glass jar to store the commonly used utensils on the counter. Consider placing felt on the bottom of the jar intended for metal utensils to prevent the glass from breaking in case a utensil accidentally lands too hard.
Peel ginger with a spoon
No need for a special tool to de-skin this oddly-shaped root. Because the peel is fairly thin, simply scrape a metal spoon down the side and around the tricky rounded edges of the ginger to flake the skin away.
Juice with a fork
Stab half a lemon with a fork and continually twist it around to juice the lemon into a bowl or directly into your dish. No additional gadgets required!
Bowl over pot as a double boiler
With a heat-resistant metal or glass bowl just a little larger than the pot you’ll place it on top of, boil a couple inches of water in the pot. Be sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Use it to melt chocolate, make a custard, or prep anything that needs gentle heat!
Grind herbs with a coffee grinder
Few of us have a mortal and pestle as a kitchen staple anymore. Use your coffee grinder to make herb mixes that can be stored in airtight containers. Before you jump into this project, take a piece of bread and grind it down. The bread will collect the bits of coffee in the grinder. Do this again after processing your herbs to prevent any unwelcomed tastes with your morning cup of joe.
Next time you think you need that new gadget, check the kitchen because you may already have it!
