<gripe mode = ON>

The good lady has just returned from Tesco at the Arena.

She tells me the place was heaving, and people buying up food like there might not be any next week. I'll guess that there's going to be a lot of wasted food about next week.

I don't know about the rest of you, but I find it almost criminal to waste food. We waste virtually nothing, the dog occasionally gaining anything that we buy in error or excess.

People complain and whinge about food prices, but they don't shop smart or do much to help themselves. Neither the good lady nor myself will venture near a supermarket without a list, and we stick to the list.

And no, we're not mean or Scrooge like.

<gripe mode = OFF>

this has been an issue I've become more aware of recently, as Holy trinity church in Stratford is in the process of setting a food bank up. I knew that thers was some poverty in the Stratford area, but didn't realise the extent of the problem.

http://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/2012/12/30/news-Shoppers-dig-deep-to-help-Stratford-Foodbank--57569.html

Two for the price of one or buy one get one free.. Both sound a bargain and in many cases it can be IF YOU USE THE ITEMS. If I think that I cannot use it all within a reasonable period of time ie not safe to eat, then, I only buy 1. It often works well if I am buying things like shower gel though because I know they will get used.

So, what happens when the use by date arrives and it hasn't been consumed? I think it sensible to use a bit of common sense before binning something as some foodstuffs, especially things like potatoes and carrots can be used in casseroles or soups. Over ripe tomatoes can be used in a similar way or even lightly cooked in a little butter. After all, how did we manage in ye olde dayes without use by or best by dates? Clearly some items need to be used within a certain period of time and it is true that vegetables do lose vitamin / mineral value as time goes by but that doesn't always mean they are inedible. When my Dad was a lad his mother would send him out for a shilling's worth of specks (sp?). This would be fruit and or veg that is past the point of fresh. He would come home with it and they would cut out the bits that are beyond redemption and consume the rest. In a like manner we used to have apple trees. Some had been invaded by codlin moth caterpillars who would bore a hole and merrily munch away. Did that stop us eating the fruit? Not at all, simply cut the apple in half and cut out the affected parts. The expression that comes to mind is waste not want not.

Stale bread was often used in baked bread pudding - different to bread/butter pudding. Roast beef / lamb / pork leftovers became other meals, in fact we used every scrap even if it was cottage pie which is a great way to eke out the Sunday roast. Perhaps people need to remember or even learn those skills.