Vegamonics Lesson Four: One simple way to save money and the planet? Concentrate!

By purchasing concentrated products such as detergent, cleansers, and even juice, you reduce the amount of packaging and energy needed for production. Smaller bottles and less liquid also translates to smaller loads for transport, reducing fuel usage.

By reducing fuel and packaging usage, concentrated items are often a better bargin then regular sized items. For example, according to Ideal Bite, a regular 50-ounce bottle of Tide costs about $6, but for just $3 more, the 2X concentrated bottle will wash twice as many loads.

Ideal Bite: A Sassier Shade of Green is an excellent earth-friendly website that “offers bite-sized ideas for light green living.” Sign up for the daily email tips, like this one, to learn quick and easy strategies for saving the planet.

www.idealbite.com

Vegamonics Lesson Three: Reducing carbon footprints.

By far, red meat was the biggest culprit in a life-cycle assessment of greenhouse gases, with dairy products in second. Surprisingly, chicken, fish, and eggs fair slightly better than fruit and vegetables.

“Transportation creates only 11% of the greenhouse gases that an average U.S. household generates annually as a result of food consumption. The agricultural and industrial practices that go into growing and harvesting food are responsible for most (83%) of its greenhouse gas emissions.” Read the full article at Environmental Science & Technology.

What does this mean? Eating less red meat will make more of a positive impact on the environment than buying local produce.

When battling the rise cost of food, however, buying local will make a difference because fuel usage and travel time increase food prices.

Not unlike smoking cessation or exercise regimes, changing eating habits is a lifestyle change. So start small, eating one less meal a week with red meat. Try replacing half of the meat in a recipe with beans, nuts, or legumes. Instead of meat being the entree, give the vegetables center stage and move meat to the side. Use common vegetarian substitutions, such as mushrooms, eggplant, or tofu. Think of red meat the same way as onions: a way to enhance the flavor of a dish, not the main component.

Homework: Work to reduce my carbon footprint by buying less red meat and finding an alternative for dinner.

Vegamonics Lesson Two: How long do spices and dried herbs last?

While tinkering with the Moroccan Eggplant recipe, I found myself considering the saffron I purchased several months ago and never used. Given that spices and herbs can at times be an expensive investment for any cook’s kitchen, I wondered just when do these costly yet necessary item expire? To answer my question, I went to wiseGEEK and got the scoop on spices, dried herbs, and more.

Spices and dried herbs do not spoil, but rather lose strength and flavor over time. What is the easiest way to tell if a spice or dried herb has lost its potency? Your nose! If a spice or dried herb has lost its smell, it’s probably time to toss it…or find a creative way to recycle it.

Here is a short guide for getting the most out of your purchases:

Storage & Usage: Spices and dried herbs should be stored in airtight containers, in a cool, dry place. Do not store near a heat source such as an oven, and avoid humidity from a dishwasher. Spices and dried herbs should not be frozen. They will last even longer if you can avoid exposure to light. Also, do not pour spices out of the container over a hot pot or pan. The heat will degrade the remaining spice in the bottle. Always pre-measure with a clean, dry measuring spoon.

Whole spices: When properly stored, whole spices can last 3 to 5 years. Buy whole spices and grind yourself for the best value. Once spices are ground and exposed to atmospheric elements, they begin to slowly lose their flavors. Strong whole spices such as cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, cumin, nutmeg, and pepper may last even longer then 5 years, but any whole spice that has lost its aroma is too old and needs to be replaced.

Ground spices: Properly stored ground spices will last 2 to 3 years. Not sure how old your spices are? Gently shake the (closed) container, wait a minute for the dust to settle, then pop the lid and take a sniff. If the smell is very weak or nonexistent, it’s replacement time. If the spices have declined slightly, you can refresh the flavor by toasting the spices first in a cast iron skillet or heavy pot. Toss the spices for several minutes over medium heat, then use immediately.

Dried herbs: Dried herbs, if properly stored, can last anywhere from 1 to 3 years. Typically, they do not last as long as spices because dried herbs are more delicate. Even if the color has changed, however, they might still be good. Crush the dried herbs lightly in your hand, if they are still fragrant then they will still have flavor. Discard dried herbs if there is no odor after crushing.

Salt: As long as it is properly stored, salt will last indefinitely. Salt is neither a spice nor an herb, it is a mineral, but an important seasoning ingredient in any kitchen nonetheless. Salt storage is similar to spices and dried herbs in that it needs to be kept in an air-tight container, away from humidity. My grandma puts pieces of saltine crackers in her salt shakers to absorb any moisture (a few grains of rice would also work).  

Don’t believe me? Even the folks at McCormick, the master of selling spices, offers this chart to customers:

Whole spices: 3-4 years

Ground spices: 2-3 years

Herbs: 1-3 years

Seasoning Blends: 1-2 years

Extracts: 4 years*

*except pure vanilla extract (which apparently lasts forever)

McCormick also encourages customers to do the sniff test and use their spices as long as they are fragrant. You can go to their website the Spice Check Challenge to enter the code from the bottom of the container and verify its freshness (best case scenario with proper storage and usage).

Homework: Perform the sniff test on all spices and dried herbs in the kitchen cabinet, and move the spice rack away from the oven! Discard anything that is past its prime, but replace only if necessary.

Veganomics Lesson One: Shop for in-season produce. Aside from lower costs and less travel time, fruits and vegetables are tastiest when they are in-season. Here is an awesome tool from Epicurious.com to find out what produce is in season for any area of the country:

Peak-Season Map

Use this interactive map to see what’s fresh in any area, plus find ingredient descriptions, shopping guides, recipes, and tips.

Currently in season for June (Michigan):

Asparagus
Blackberries
Cherries
Peas
Potatoes
Rhubarb
Strawberries

I was very jealous to see some of the produce lists for other states (so wish I lived on the border between North and South Carolina, or any state in New England).

Homework: Take advantage of seasonal produce, such as locally-grown rhubarb.