Sustainability In The Kitchen

I love the environment. I learned a lot about environmental issues when I was in college, working at a small research library. I was just supposed to photocopy and file the articles, but I read them. I often learned about things that wouldn't be on the general public's radar for a few more years, for instance, BPA, why not to microwave plastic wrap, and endocrine disruptors. That being said, you don't need to spend hours in a research library to learn about the environment, and you can make a difference with the cumulative effect of small deeds done mindfully. In other words, small tweaks add up.

I'd like to introduce you to this website I learned about today, which offers very do-able ways to reduce our impact on the planet.
http://www.sustainablebabysteps.com
So what does this have to do with the theme of this blog, ie. food and the kitchen? Plenty.

For example, here is some of the advice they offer to conserve water in the kitchen.

1. Fill the dishwasher.
   Never run the dishwasher when it's less than full. Doing so wastes more than water; it wastes power and your own energy as well.
2. Don't rinse with running water.
   Whether pre-rinsing for the dishwasher or after handwashing, fill the sink or a bowl with an inch of water to rinse the dishes. If you're using a bowl, that water can go into your compost or garden.
3. Do you even need to rinse?
   If you have a newer dishwasher or enzyme-based detergent, it may be capable of cleaning dishes without rinsing first. Check with your manual or the manufacturer, scrape excess food into the trash or compost pail and let the machine do the dirty work.
4. Use one cup a day.
   Designate one glass a day for your beverages and do fewer dishes every night.
5. Reuse your dishes.
   Many times dishes don't need a full wash to be reused. Examples would be a measuring cup used for water, a plate with only a few sandwich crumbs. Use things as many times as is sanitary before washing for more water conservation.
6. Soak, don't scrub.
   Scrubbing hard-to-clean dishes under running water is a waste. Soak them right after use for easy and waste-free cleanup.
7. Wash dishes once a day.
   If you're hand-washing, save up your dishes for one wash and use a third the water. You can rinse them throughout the day with warm-up water to make your evening job easier. All rinse water can go in the garden or compost.
8. Try an instant hot-water tap.
   It uses less energy to heat small amounts of water near the tap in an instant hot water dispenser than in a conventional hot water heater. And no water waste while waiting for it to warm up!
9. Cover your pans.
   Hot water will evaporate faster, so all pans should be covered. It also helps the water to boil faster, thus using less energy to make your pasta.
10. Scrub your hands with the water off.
    Similar to the military shower described above, this "soap and save" technique turns the water off while you suds up. You could save a quart or more per handwashing by only turning the water on to rinse. Compare it yourself with a plugged drain to see the amount of greywater washed away.
11. Tighten the faucet.
    Not turning the water off completely is an easy mistake and can waste several gallons before you realize it's still dripping.
12. Keep a bowl in the sink.
    Just in case the faucet doesn't get turned off, no dripping water will be wasted.
13. Wash fruits and veggies in a bowl.
    Running water uses up to four times as much and is lost down the drain. Use a bowl instead and the water can be used in your garden when you're done.
14. Thaw frozen food without water.
    Use the fridge to thaw your food to conserve water and decrease contamination.
15. Store drinking water in the fridge.
    You'll use less water waiting for the tap to cool down and less ice is needed to keep it cool.
16. Reuse boiling water.
    Water used to make veggies, potatoes or paste can be used in soups and stews for added nutrients and water conservation. Or...
17. Dump boiling water on ant hills.
    It's better than dumping it down the drain and can often take care of problem ants without chemicals.
18. Skip the garbage disposal.
    Scrape food into the trash and use a metal drain strain to catch food waste before it goes down the drain.

I actually do more than half of these things already. (I don't mean to be smug, but rather, this is pretty do-able stuff.) Someday I may have to try the boiling water on ant hills tip. Nice to know.

How about saving energy in the kitchen? Here's what they have to say about that.

First of all, there's your fridge and freezer:

1. Energy-efficient appliances.
   If your appliance is more than 10 years old, upgrading to a newer more efficient model can save hundreds on your power bill each year. Look for the Energy-Star rating and read the FTC Energy Rating tag when choosing your next appliance.
2. Close the fridge!
   Turns out Dad was right. Fridges and freezers are responsible for approximately 1/3 of your electric bill and leaving the door open too long accounts for increased cooling up to 25%. Make Dad happy by deciding what you want before you open the door.
3. Check the seal on your fridge and freezer.
   A broken seal will cause your unit to run unnecessarily. Place a sheet of paper between the fridge and the door as you close it. Once closed, if it pulls out easily, it's time to replace the seal.
4. Opt for a box freezer.
   Cold air is heavier and falls to the bottom. With a box freezer (with a door on top) keeps cold air in better when opened and reduces the amount of time the unit runs.
5. Get a freezer-on-bottom fridge.
   For the same reasons as the box freezer, refrigerators with freezers on the bottom are much more efficient.
6. Vacuum fridge and freezer coils.
   This should be done twice a year to ensure your unit is running easily.
7. Fill the fridge and freezer space.
   Dead space takes more energy to cool. Fill a partially empty fridge or freezer with jugs of cool water instead.
8. Do not place hot foods in a fridge.
   Allowing your foods to cool to room temperature ensures your unit will not have to work as hard to keep the inside air cold.
9. Thaw in the fridge.
   Frozen items will throw off their cold air into the fridge, thus assisting it in keeping things cool.
10. Keep the fridge cool.
    Place it away from direct sunlight, the stove or oven and the dishwasher to reduce its energy consumption.
11. Reset the thermostat
    Experiment with higher settings on your fridge's temperature setting by adjusting it to slightly warmer than its recommended setting.
12. Make your own ice.
    Automatic ice makers use unnecessary energy and are prone to breakdown. Likewise, cold air can be lost through in-door dispensers with poor seals.

Then there's the dishwasher:

1. Rinse in cold water.
   Whether pre-rinsing dishes for the dishwasher or rinsing handwashed dishes, do so with cold water.
2. Skip the dry cycle.
   Open the dishwasher's door and allow the dishes to air dry.
3. Select a shorter cycle.
   Pre-rinsing (using water conservation tips) can enable you to use shorter wash cycles and save energy.
4. Only wash full loads.
   Run the dishwasher less often by filling it completely.
5. Consider handwashing.
   If your dishwasher is old and you can't yet replace it with a more efficient model, consider handwashing to save energy and possibly water.
6. Maintain your machine.
   Keeping your machine in good working order and free of buildup will help extend the lifespan and save you money on major repairs that become necessary as a result of neglect.

And, of course, the biggies, stove and oven:

1. Avoid preheating when possible.
   Often we preheat for longer than necessary. Unless the recipe is more precise, turn the oven on when you place food inside and take advantage of all the heat.
2. Group baking.
   Baking several things at once (your bread with your casserole), or make double batches for easy-to-reheat leftovers.
3. Consider a slow cooker.
   Depending on the length of cooking required, a slow cooker or crock pot may be more efficient and cost-effective than using the oven.
4. Check the oven's seal.
   A poorly sealed oven will waste half your energy trying to stay at the accurate temperature.
5. Use the oven light.
   Instead of opening the door to check on foods, switch on the oven light to see inside without losing heat.
6. Turn the oven off early.
   The captured heat will finish the last few minutes of cooking without the added energy.
7. Utilize the oven heat.
   While the oven is baking, use the vented heat to thaw foods, melt butter or keep dishes warm.
8. Warm the kitchen.
   After baking in the winter, leave the oven door open to allow the warm air to heat up your home a bit more.
   
9. Use a kitchen vent in the summer.
   Heat from the stove or the oven should be removed from the kitchen as quickly as possible with an oven fan/vent to prevent your AC from working overtime. (For more energy saving tips on your AC, check out the energy-efficient cooling page.)
10. Use lids on pots and pans.
    You'll capture the heat and enable yourself to use a lower setting.
11. Use the correct sized burner.
    Larger burners used for smaller pots or pans will throw off as much heat as it uses.
12. Don't "over-boil" water.
    When making pastas or boiling eggs, bring the water to a rolling boil, add the food, cover the pot or pan and shut the heat off. The hot water will continue to cook the food without using any additional energy. Also, it takes less energy to keep liquid at a boil than it does to bring it to a boil, so even if you can't turn the burner off, you can still turn it down.
13. Invest in a solar oven.
    Whether homemade or professional grade, sun ovens are efficient and can reach temps up to 400 degrees in full sun.
14. Cut food into small pieces.
    Smaller pieces of potato or veggies cook faster and will use less energy.
15. Don't use too much water.
    When boiling water or pasta, use only the amount of water necessary to cover the food and allow for expansion. Heating less water is more efficient and will cut down on time.
16. Use an electric kettle.
    Electric kettles boil water faster and more efficiently - they can be used for making tea or boiling water for small meals.
17. Invest in a convection or toaster oven.
    Convection and toaster ovens use less energy than heating in an oven or microwave (and it's much healthier than nuking your food).
18. Plan your meals and defrost ahead of time.
    You'll save energy when you avoid defrosting in the oven, stovetop or microwave. As mentioned above, defrost overnight in the fridge to utilize the cold air released to keep the fridge cooler.
19. Invest in a multi-use pot.
    Some stock pots have a small strainer that sits above the water level, allowing you to cook pasta in the pot and steam vegetables at the same time.
20. Make one-pan/pot meals.
    One skillet meals are easy, use less energy and take less time to clean-up.
21. Cook on the top rack of the oven.
    Keep your food closer to the heating element and cut your cooking time by up to 20%.

Since it is such a nice day out, I'm going outside to enjoy the environment.
If this wasn't such a beautiful day outside, I would spend all afternoon on this site, as I am fascinated. http://www.sustainablebabysteps.com