Food from the "B-goods" category
Having already committed to a meat-free diet at the beginning of Lent, I wanted to take the next step and focus on avoiding food waste.
A blog post by waste consultant Oliver Gaksch
Over the last few months, I have repeatedly walked past a shelf in my local discount store full of paper bags of food that would normally be on the verge of being thrown away. This was usually only because the fruit and vegetables no longer met the visual requirements of the retail outlets. The contents were degraded by retailers to so-called "food B goods", even though they were neither expired nor unsightly. Nowadays, it makes sense not to throw such food away, but to offer it for sale separately.
For me and my single household, it seemed like the perfect amount of fruit and vegetables to save from the garbage can with the help of a pot and pan.
Before buying my first "B-goods groceries", I first used up all my "stocks" of fruit and vegetables at home.
One Friday the time had come: the pantry shelf was empty and the weekend had just begun. Ideal conditions to change your own consumption and shopping behavior.
On the way to the shops, I realized that my resolution would enable me to tackle several issues at once:
- Save food from the garbage can by buying "B-goods"
- Store food properly so that it doesn't go to waste at home due to its "age"
- Avoid spontaneous purchases, as I always stock up on what the "B-goods bag" offers me
A challenge for your own cooking skills
When I bought my first bag of B-goods, it quickly became clear that the biggest challenge for me was to leave my own comfort zone. As my "cooking skills" in the past were mostly limited to the same foods or simply ready meals, I now had to break new ground.
The very first bag full of assembled "B-goods" confronted me with foods that I had seen before, but didn't know what they were called, what they were suitable for, let alone how to prepare them...
In my defense: I could still categorize the mandarins, carrots, mushrooms and salad mix. But when it came to the rest of the contents, I was in the dark.
Luckily for me, one of our trainees, with whom I currently share the office, has been a vegetarian for years and enlightened me. I was now the owner of celeriac, parsley root and leeks. At the same time, I was given some useful preparation tips while looking through the contents
Contents of the rescue bag
All in all, I saved the following food from being thrown away for very little money:
- 2 celeriac
- 1 piece of leek
- 1 parsley root (which could also be a parsnip)
- 1 orange
- 5 mandarins
- 350 grams of mushrooms
- 125 grams salad mix
- 4 carrots
What can still be kept and what needs to be eaten soon?
Now that I knew what I had, the question arose as to what I should prepare first and what would keep for a while.
As everything was still quite crunchy apart from the slightly soft mandarins, the orange vitamin bombs were eaten straight away as a snack and the rest was stored in the fridge as a smoothie for the evening.
When we arrived in the evening, despite a growling stomach, it was clear that the salad would enjoy the privilege of first use. In combination with sautéed mushrooms and a few carrots, all that was needed was a quick dressing and dinner was complete.
For the following day, the first parts of the celeriac were sautéed with mushrooms (of which I felt I had too many) and carrots and eaten with a sauce and pasta for lunch.
A leftover carrot served as an instant snack and nerve food during food preparation.
On day two, I tackled a new recipe (for beginners) and tried my hand at a zucchini and celery ragout. The dish was combined with mushrooms, which I sautéed for the purpose and of which I still had plenty.
I then froze the rest of the mushrooms so that I could use them again for future cooking experiments or tried-and-tested vegetable stir-fry recipes.
To protect the remaining orange from loneliness, it was then eaten as a snack and vitamin booster.
My conclusion
The bottom line is that I can draw a positive conclusion with regard to the food I bought. The price was great and I got to know new recipes. And most importantly: I actually used up all the food. After all, that was the original intention, namely to reduce food waste.
I'm certain that this won't be the last time I try these food offers. Incidentally, the composition changes from time to time, so you can always discover new creations.
Quick addendum: I still use the paper bag in which the "B-goods" were packaged when I go shopping.
If you have any questions about resources and waste, the staff at the resources and waste advisory service will be happy to help you.