Do you eat all your food when you go out to eat or even when you cook at home? For me, there is always some yummy food leftover from my dinner. It doesn’t matter where I go or what I have to eat there is always more. I usually save what’s left for lunch at work or save it for a midnight snack several times a week. I just started thinking about frugal ways to save my leftovers for later. What if you didn’t have to eat them right away and could enjoy them a week from now. Is it possible, and if so, how?
Kitchen Scraps
When your cooking, I bet there is a lot of food scraps left over. While most scraps like meats and eggs aren’t reusable, don’t count your vegetables out. While not technically food leftovers, all vegetable scraps are not garbage. You can save and preserve food items like green onions, potatoes, celery, lettuce, ginger, and herbs. Set the scraps into the water like this, and you will produce an abundance of vegetables for later use.
Canning
If you are working with an overabundance of leftover fruits and vegetables, you can preserve them through canning. You can use this method for preserving jams, fresh fruits, beans, soup, leftover sauce, and other items you want to use later. You can also can meat. The process requires special equipment like a pressure canner but is fairly simple. Make sure you follow the appropriate heating time for what you are trying to preserve with this simple guide.
Freezing
The most frugal way to save leftovers is by freezing them. You can ration out your leftovers into small portions. Using a freezer-safe storage bag or container will work. After placing in your food, seal it tight, and pop them into the freezer. You can store food this way for up to four months. If you store it past four months, the food will lose its fresh taste.
While I have listed a few simple leftover preservative options, I want to hear more about how you all do it. Leave your ideas on frugal ways to save leftovers in the comments.
Read More
Reducing My Food Spending to Save Money
How to Prepare a Month of Meals on a Budget
New Food Plan: Is a Hungryroot Subscription The Way to Go?
Shatel Huntley has a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Georgia State University. In her spare time, she works with special needs adults and travels the world. Her interests include traveling to off the beaten path destinations, shopping, couponing, and saving.