Kathryn Jordan
8/29/2025 2:23 PM
I made a vinegar-based cleaning solution out of the grapefruit and orange peels I saved this winter when citrus was in season.
August 1 - August 31, 2025
Kathryn Jordan
"constantly reevaluating my habits to not only optimize my wallet, my time, and my food, but to learn new tricks that I can share with those around me"
POINTS TOTAL
- 0 TODAY
- 0 THIS WEEK
- 480 TOTAL
participant impact
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UP TO1.7pounds of CO2have been saved
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UP TO0.7poundsfood waste prevented
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UP TO3.0minutesspent learning
Kathryn's actions
Planning
Find your meal planning personality
I will explore different meal plan techniques and choose one that works for my household.
Planning
Keep a Food Inventory
I will take a fridge and pantry inventory to stay up to date with what I have at home before I go grocery shopping.
Shopping
Support Imperfection
I will intentionally buy ugly produce at the grocery store, farmers market, or sign up for an ugly produce CSA box.
Cooking
Save the Peels
When life gives me lemons (or other citrus peels), I will use the rinds to make a nontoxic cleaner.
Storage
Properly Store Herbs
I will store fresh herbs just like cut flowers in a jar with 1 to 2 inches of water and cover with a plastic bag to maintain moisture. For woody or hardy herbs like rosemary, thyme, sage and chives, I will arrange them lengthwise on a damp paper towel, rolled up, then sealed in a plastic bag and stored in the refrigerator. I will properly store 3 bunches of herbs.
Cooking
Use the Edible Portion
I will learn about what food is still safe to eat if portions have gone bad and make sure to utilize the edible portions if I can.
Storage
Preserve food
I will try a new method of food preservation, such as canning, pickling, drying or making jam. I will try 1 preservation techniques.
Storage
Make Smoothies
I will freeze fruits and veggies, such as overripe bananas or avocados, to use later in smoothies.
Community
Send it Down the Grape Vine
I will talk to 1 family members or friends about my experience with this challenge, food waste, and what I have learned.
Participant Feed
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REFLECTION QUESTIONCookingWhich citrus do you have the most of and what kind of cleaning product will you make?
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Kathryn Jordan 8/29/2025 2:21 PMLearning what parts are edible has not only affected my cooking habits, but also has reshaped my opinion of produce in the grocery store. I treasure summer when I can get beets in season with the stalks and leaves still attached and now get bummed when the stalks/leaves aren't kept on the beets in a grocery store. Same thing with carrots and carrot tops! -
Kathryn Jordan 8/29/2025 2:17 PMToday's lesson: Sometimes preventing food waste means making a borderline bad meal and just dealing with it...-
H McCrillis 8/30/2025 4:42 AM
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REFLECTION QUESTIONStorageWhat kinds of fruit and vegetables do you like eating in a smoothie?
Kathryn Jordan 8/27/2025 9:32 AMI did not freeze fruit for smoothies, but had 2 tomatoes that were super ripe and I had no plan for them so I tossed them in the freezer. I will add them to a soup, stew, or sauce. -
Kathryn Jordan 8/26/2025 12:00 PMTried storing carrots in water to prolong their freshness and learned a few valuable lessons. I left on vacation for a week and the carrots definitely started fermenting a bit during that time... I'll drain the water before a longer trip in the future. I found that peeling the carrots removes the outer layer that fermented and they have been fine to eat. The other important lesson I learned is that the carrots will plump up a bit in the water - I definitely packed my jars too tight and almost broke a fork trying to pry them out of the jar!-
H McCrillis 8/27/2025 1:24 AMGah! Was it a bamboo fork? I never considered it, but naturally carrots would ferment. 🤔🥕🥃🎋🍴 -
Vivien Fowler 8/26/2025 5:48 PMGreat experiment! Storing carrots in water really can help extend their life, and it’s smart that you noticed the fermentation when leaving them too long. Draining the water before a trip is a simple fix, and peeling off the outer layer is a clever way to save the carrots instead of tossing them. I like your note about leaving a little extra space in the jar -- plumped-up carrots are definitely a surprise! Thanks for sharing; that’s a helpful reminder for anyone trying this method. -
Mary Ann Knox 8/26/2025 1:21 PM
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Kathryn Jordan 8/22/2025 2:03 PMI actually stored cilantro properly (in a jar of water with a container over the top to minimize water evaporation) and I am shocked at how long much longer it has lasted!! Pretty embarrassed that I wasn't doing this before and this has really opened up so many possibilities for me. I would sometimes avoid buying herbs all together if I didn't have a plan to use the whole bunch at once because I knew it would go bad. -
Kathryn Jordan 8/18/2025 9:48 AMI really want to be better about keeping a food inventory but don't know what application will work best for this. I want something I can access on my phone. The Notes app is a bit clunky and visually messy, but I like that I can use checkboxes to manage common items and unchecked items automatically go to the top of the list so it's easy to recognize when I'm out of an ingredient. However, I'm not very good at using my notes app consistently and am wondering if there are apps out there that would work for this... time for some research!-
Kathryn Jordan 8/19/2025 8:59 AMThanks for the recommendations, Jenny! KitchenPal looks awesome - I'm going to try that first. -
Jenny Kedward 8/18/2025 11:45 AMI've heard good things about Cozzi and Kitchen Pal. We go low-tech and use a laminated piece of paper. We add or take off items in our freezer which is where we tend to forget about stuff.
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REFLECTION QUESTIONPlanningWhat meal plan method works for you and why? Have you tried some in the past that didn't work?
Kathryn Jordan 8/06/2025 12:17 PMTurns out I am a Flexible Planner. This makes a lot of sense. I usually meal plan by figuring out what I have in my fridge/cupboard that I really need to use up first. Then I decide on recipes that use those ingredients and take note if any new ingredients for those meals may leave me with extras (this happens often for herbs or veggies that come in bigger portions). Those excess ingredients then guide me to picking additional recipes for the week. I try to prep as much food as I can on the weekends, but always prioritize recipes that use up end-of-life ingredients first. -
Kathryn Jordan 8/01/2025 10:37 AMToday is the first day of the challenge and a Friday which happens to be very busy. I won't be able to complete any actions today, but it was great to review my selected actions and start thinking about my plan for the weekend.