Interactive lesson

The zero-waste kitchen, step by step

Interactive lesson: cook to the portion, use the whole food, make a dish from leftovers, keep leftovers safely and measure how much you throw away.

Free sample Chapters 1 and 2 (8 steps) are free. The full lesson comes with The zero-waste kitchen module. Already bought? Unlock

This lesson is general guidance, not professional training. Local regulations and expert advice always take precedence. Read our disclaimer.

The whole lesson as text

1. The zero-waste order

Every food that threatens to go off has its next place.

How much gets thrown away — The average household throws away roughly 74 kg of food per person a year. A homestead can bring that below 10 kg.
Don't make a surplus — Pick, slaughter and cook what you need. The cheapest waste is the waste that never happens.
Eat it, then preserve it — Eat the leftovers as a new dish, the same or the next day. What you can't manage, preserve: freezer, drying, preserves or vinegar.
Share it, then compost — Share while the food is still good, with neighbours or family. Only what none of the above can use goes on the compost.

Why: Homestead food that gets thrown away costs months of work, water, seed and animal feed. Go in order and stop at the first step that works: don't make a surplus, eat it, preserve it, share it, compost it.

The garden gives everything at once: sow in succession, every 2–3 weeks.
Check the cellar every week and take damaged produce out straight away.

2. A pot to the portion

Cook by the number of portions, not "just in case".

Cook to the portion — Before you cook, count who is eating. Size the pot by the number of portions, not "just in case".
Beans and barley — For 4 portions, 400–500 g of dried beans or barley is enough.
Potatoes and meat — For one meal: 1–1.2 kg (2.5 lb) of potatoes or 600–800 g of meat on the bone.
A third left over? — Make 1.5–2 L of soup. If a third of the pot is always left, cook less or decide straight away what it will become tomorrow.

Why: If a third of the pot is left every time, cook less or plan a leftovers dish in advance. The amounts below are rough, for 4 portions and a family of 3.1 adult equivalents.

Keep meat in the freezer in labelled portions, oldest at the front.
Plan preserves by the menu and count your jars in June.