Properly store and preserve autumn treasures
Kira Zabe
September 29, 2022
September and October are our golden harvest months for long-lasting fruits and vegetables. Do you also find that you were able to harvest many apples, pears, plums, or quinces from the garden? Or were supplied by friends and family?
Often the double-edged sword becomes apparent here. Because everyone is delighted by the magnificent treasures that can be used to prepare all sorts of wonderful things. But perhaps you too are wondering how dishes can be modified so as not to have to eat the same thing every day. Because quickly, the food becomes tiresome or may even spoil if it's not consumed. That would be annoying, wouldn't it?
We want to support you on this topic, with our tips and recipes to bring more variety to your meal plan. Moreover, our app ensures that you don't miss any food expirations, and this way you save real money. If you're not familiar with it yet, give it a try right now!
Our first recommendation, and also the most well-known method to preserve ripe fruit for longer, is canning. This prevents the fruit from spoiling quickly, and the canned goods can easily last for 12 months. Preserved foods can be easily integrated into various meal variations.
Must a must!
Whether it's apple puree, raspberry puree, pear puree, apricot puree, plum puree, rosehip puree, coconut or nut puree. Puree is the simplest form of canning.
With Mus, it's very simple. Whether with hash browns, porridge, pancakes, or on cake. There are no limits to preferences here.
Stock of applesauce, delicious with all sorts of dishes.
Store fruit properly
Have you ever experienced this? You have a lot of apples and they rot faster than you can eat them? We are familiar with this problem too. Here, alongside the variety of apple, the key is proper storage. Only the daily requirement should be stored in the fruit bowl. Everything else should be moved to a cool, dark place, like the cellar for example. There, a humidity level of 85 to 90% is optimal. It is also important to store apples separately from other fruits and vegetables. This is because apples can influence their ripening process. If the apples are undamaged, clean, and dry, they can last without any problems until spring.
Dark and cool, that's how apples prefer it for good storage.
What makes the difference in storage for the apple variety?
Not every apple can be stored without issues. There are early/summer, autumn, and winter apples. With this list, we want to make it easier for you to understand the storability.
With this chart, storing apples over the winter will be hassle-free.
Not a conspiracy, but compote
Compote is another way you can extend the shelf life of many types of fruits and vegetables. You can easily store it for up to 12 months or even longer without any problems. It's important to periodically perform a visual check. Because it can quickly happen that a jar has let in air or was perhaps contaminated from the start. Use our App to always keep track of how much you have of what and when it needs to be consumed.
Good preparation is everything!
This saying is not far-fetched and an important tip when it comes to adding variety to the meal plan. Instead of eating potato pancakes with applesauce for 3 days in a row, meals can easily be varied to be delicious. Here we show you 3 ways to not only cover lunch but also to spice up breakfast and dinner with variety.
Breakfast: Pancakes with apple sauce*
In between: Apple sauce cake, Yogurt with apple sauce
Lunch: Potato dumplings with apple sauce
Dinner: Bread with peanut butter and applesauce
Tip: Applesauce can also be used very well as an egg substitute. One egg is replaced by 70 gr. of sauce. Give it a try!
Tomatoes are not only great for sauce.
Not blind to the obvious
The tomato is a vegetable that can also be preserved quickly by canning, without much preparation. You probably think of a delicious sauce first when you think of tomatoes, which you can prepare. But even here, with a bit of thought, variety can be brought to the plate.
If you prepare a tomato compote* it can easily transform breakfast, lunch, and dinner into something fantastic. It tastes delicious on toasted white bread, as bruschetta, or on buttermilk biscuits* for breakfast. It's also simply scrumptious with grilled meat or vegetables. The recipe described here can be kept in the fridge for about a month without any worries. If you want to preserve it for even longer, canning is essential.
You can easily make a sauce from canned tomatoes, so that a delicious tomato sauce can be conjured up. This allows the often popular dish of pasta with tomato sauce to be whipped up in no time. Canned tomatoes or vegetables are also very suitable for preparing casseroles. Whether as lasagna, moussaka, or a vegetable quiche, there is plenty of room for your creativity.
So, are you itching to get started right away? Great, then get to the jars. But don't forget! With all the pantry jars, it can happen that you lose track of their shelf life and forget which one to consume first. To prevent this from happening, our app supports you with digital monitoring. Check right away if everything is still in the green. Not using our app yet? Then download it here and try it for free.
Do you often have the problem that prepared meals spoil or you throw them away prematurely because you're unsure if they're still edible? Then this blog can support you in getting a sense for it.
We wish you lots of fun preserving your autumn treasures. Do you have any questions or suggestions? Then write to us at kontakt@speisekammer.app, we look forward to your message!
(* Unpaid advertising)
More clarity when shopping: How Open Food Facts and the Smantry app make nutrition transparent
Many foods look healthy at first glance – but what's really inside them? Are the nutritional values balanced? How processed is a product? And what impact does it have on our environment?
This is exactly where the Smantry-App comes in: It uses the globally open database Open Food Facts, to give you immediate clarity when scanning your items. But what's actually behind the colorful labels like Nutri-Score, NOVA or Eco-Score, that you encounter in the app?
Let's take a closer look at the background.
Open Food Facts: From the Idea to a Global Database
The journey began in 2012 with the founding of Open Food Facts – a non-profit organization that collects, analyzes, and makes food information freely accessible worldwide. The goal from the beginning was to provide consumers with scientifically substantiated information.
What started as a small project has now become a global platform with millions of products. And it is precisely this data that the Smantry-App uses to give you a clear overview directly on your smartphone.
An overview of the most important scores
1. Nutri-Score – how healthy is my product?
Since 2016, the Nutri-Score has been legally established in France – and it has quickly spread throughout Europe.
- A (green) means: very balanced.
- E (red) means: unbalanced, enjoy in moderation.
The rating is based on calories, sugar, salt, saturated fats – but also on positive factors such as fiber, protein, and the proportion of vegetables.
👉 So in the Smantry app, you can see at a glance whether a food item fits into your everyday life – or perhaps should be on the table less often.
2. NOVA-Score – how processed is it?
Not only the ingredients, but also the degree of processing plays a significant role for health. This is exactly what the NOVA-Score (integrated into Open Food Facts since 2018) shows you:
- 1 = unprocessed or minimally processed (e.g., fresh fruit, plain yogurt)
- 2 = ingredients such as vegetable oils, sugar, flour
- 3 = processed foods (e.g., bread, cheese, canned goods)
- 4 = highly processed products ("Ultra-Processed Food"), often with additives, flavors, and industrial processes
👉 With the Smantry app, you can instantly tell if a product is still 'close to nature' – or if it falls into the category of being highly processed.
3. Eco-Score (soon to be Green-Score) – how sustainable is my shopping?
Since 2019, Open Food Facts also includes an environmental assessment: the Eco-Score. It takes into account, among other things:
- CO₂ emissions from production and transportation,
- Packaging and recyclability,
- Origin and seasonal factors.
The rating is – similar to the Nutri-Score – from A (very eco-friendly) to E (less sustainable).
By 2025, this will become the Green-Score, which will take into account even more detailed data and thus provide you with even better guidance for sustainable consumption.
👉 For you in the Smantry app, this means: You can see not only whether a food is healthy for you, but also whether it is good for our planet.
What this means for you as a Smantry user
Currently, you can scan your products in the Smantry-App and view many details. The scores themselves are not yet integrated – but the integration is planned.
This means: Soon you will be able to see not only the nutritional values of a product but also how healthy, processed, or sustainable it is – all directly in your app.
Conclusion: Your Smart Nutrition Compass
The colorful labels are much more than pretty symbols. They are your quick compass in everyday life – whether you want to shop with health consciousness, reduce highly processed products, or pay attention to the environment.
With the Smantry-App you already have strong support for more transparency while shopping. And with the planned integration of the scores, it will become even more valuable – your smart nutritional compass for the future.
Cooking with the Future: Augmented Reality and Smart Interfaces for Your Recipes
That’s exactly what augmented reality (AR) and smart interfaces bring to the table. They project digital information where you need it most: into your cooking environment. This makes it easier to stay organized, cook more efficiently, and even reduce waste – because less stress in the kitchen often means fewer forgotten or spoiled ingredients.
And here’s where Smantry comes in. The app already helps you keep track of your pantry, avoid food waste, and stay in control of your kitchen. With upcoming features like leftover-based recipe suggestions, you’re already stepping into the smart kitchen future today.
👉 Bottom line: The kitchen of tomorrow is here – and it’s efficient, sustainable, and surprisingly fun.
The best kitchen tools to turn leftovers into delicious dishes 🍲✨
Hand on heart: Each of us has them – those little leftovers in the fridge or pantry that somehow never get properly planned for. But it's exactly these remnants that can often be turned into the most creative and delicious dishes! All you need are a few clever kitchen tools that make the work easier and get the best out of your ingredients.
Here are our favorites:
🥣 1. The powerful blender
Smoothies, soups, dips – a good blender transforms leftover vegetables, fruit, or even bread into a new dish in seconds. Perfect when bananas are a bit brown or the vegetables no longer look crisp.
🔪 2. A sharp chef's knife
Sounds simple, but a really good knife is worth its weight in gold. It allows you to cut vegetable and meat scraps precisely and quickly. Moreover, cooking is just more fun when you have the right tools.
🍳 3. A cast iron skillet
The all-rounder in the kitchen: fried potatoes made from leftover boiled potatoes, frittatas with yesterday's vegetables, or crispy bread cubes from stale bread – everything tastes twice as good in a cast-iron skillet.
🥕 4. Vegetable Peeler & Grater
A modest tool with a big impact: grate carrot leftovers, turn zucchini into noodles, or finely shred cheese remnants. With a peeler and grater, you bring variety to your leftover cooking.
🥡 5. Storage Containers & Screw-top Jars
Without proper storage, nothing works. You can keep leftovers fresh, transport them, or even prepare them for the next meal prepping. Tip: Jars are also great for serving small amounts in style.
🌱 6. Kitchen Scale
It's practical to know exactly how much is left over, especially with leftovers. This way, you can adjust recipes and avoid waste.
🥄 7. Personal Blender
The little brother of the blender – perfect for soups or sauces right in the pot. When only a small amount needs to be processed, it's super convenient.
How Smantry additionally helps you 📲
With the Smantry App you can not only keep an eye on your supplies, but soon you'll also be able to discover recipes for your leftovers. This way, you'll immediately know which tool to take out of the cupboard to save your food and create something new.
👉 Because good tools and the right app are the perfect combo to combat food waste.
New laws on food waste in Spain
Spain has recently passed a groundbreaking law to combat food waste. This law requires all actors in the food chain, from producers to retailers, to implement specific plans to prevent food loss.
Key provisions of the law:
Obligation to donate surplus food: Supermarkets with a floor space of more than 1,300 square meters are now required to form partnerships with non-profit organizations to donate surplus food that is still fit for consumption. These donations are exempt from value-added tax.
Offer of packaging for leftover food: Restaurants and bars are required to provide their guests with free, reusable or recyclable packaging so that they can take home uneaten food. The aim is to raise consumer awareness of food waste and encourage them to take leftovers with them.
Promotion of the sale of products with approaching expiration dates: Retailers should offer products that are nearing their expiration date or have aesthetic defects at reduced prices to encourage their sale and reduce waste.
Hierarchy of priorities for dealing with surplus food: The law establishes an order for handling surplus food. Priority is given to human consumption through donations. If this is not possible, the food should be used for the production of processed products. The last options include using it as animal feed or for energy generation.
Sanctions for violations:
Companies that violate the provisions of the law can expect fines ranging from 2,000 to 500,000 euros.
Critique and Outlook:
While the law is considered an important step in the fight against food waste in Europe, there is also criticism. Some voices argue that the strict framework of sanctions could disproportionately burden companies and that the law does not sufficiently address the role of consumers, who are responsible for a significant portion of food waste.
Nevertheless, the law is seen as a significant advancement in reducing food waste and promoting a more sustainable awareness in society.
Join in and reduce food waste! 🌱📲
Spain's new law demonstrates: Sustainability starts in the pantry! With the Speisekammer App you can keep track of your groceries, plan meals efficiently, and avoid unnecessary waste.
👉 Download the app now and join the movement for less waste and more conscious consumption! 💚 Try it now!