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)
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!
Sharing supplies together – why the Shared Economy is now moving into the kitchen
The concept of Shared Economy has long been more than a short-term trend – it's changing our everyday lives. More and more neighborhoods, shared apartments, and community projects are discovering how practical it is to organize groceries together and manage supplies transparently.
Why sharing supplies is becoming increasingly popular
- Save on costs: Bulk purchases become cheaper when more people participate.
- Save space: Not everyone needs their own package of rice or pasta.
- Better organization: Digital tools make it easy to see what is available.
- Experiencing community: Food brings people together – as does camping together.
From the flatshare to the neighborhood
Especially in shared apartments or families with multiple households it pays off to keep a communal stock of supplies. But neighborhood projects or small communities are also recognizing the added value: shopping, storing, and using together.
How Smantry helps
This is where Smantry comes into play:
- Community Feature: Supplies can be managed collectively.
- Transparency: Everyone can see which items are available.
- Efficiency: Duplicate purchases are avoided, leftovers are used up in time.
- Flexibility: Soon it will become even easier to manage entire communities (including new features such as categories or the option to completely delete communities).
👉 The shared economy doesn't stop with cars – it moves right into your kitchen. With Smantry sharing supplies becomes easier than ever.
At last, it's here: The categorization of articles 🎉
Over the past few months, we have collected numerous feedback from you – and the request for better organization of supplies was one of the most frequent wishes. Soon, it will be possible to sort your items into individual categories, so that you can keep track of everything even more quickly.
Why categories are so practical
- 🥦 More organization in your pantry: Instead of a long list, you can structure your products into categories such as "Vegetables", "Beverages", or "Household Goods".
- ⏱️ Faster Finding: No more long scrolling – jump straight to the right category.
- 👨👩👧👦 Improved collaboration: In communities or family households, everyone can immediately see where things belong.
- 🌍 Customization: You can create your own categories that suit your needs – whether for meal prep, stockpiling, or just your everyday life.
Your wish will become reality ✨
We know how important this feature is to you. That's why our development team has implemented categorization as a high priority. It will soon be available step by step in the app – fulfilling one of the biggest wishes of our community.
We are thrilled that we can make everyday life even easier for you with this. Stay tuned – as always, we will keep you updated on when the feature will be officially released.
👉 Do you already have ideas on how you want to structure your categories? Feel free to send us your suggestions or requests – your input might directly influence the ongoing development.