When we think about our must-have kitchen ingredients, water most likely isn’t at the top of the list. However, water is an essential part of any kitchen, always in the background keeping our pasta boiling and dishes clean.
For World Water Day, we’ve put together a few tips about saving water while cooking. These tips will not only help you save water but also boost flavor and save money!
Steam or roast vegetables instead of boiling them. Not only does steaming vegetables use less water, it also maintains nutrients.
If you’re washing vegetables, don’t keep the tap running. Instead, fill a large bin of water and use this water, along with a scrub brush, to clean the vegetables.
Plan ahead and defrost meat overnight in the fridge instead of submerging your frozen meat in a bowl of water.
Pay attention to the amount of water you use when boiling pasta or vegetables. You need just enough to submerge whatever it is you are cooking.
It takes about 1.5 gallons of water to manufacture a plastic bottle. Save water and your wallet by choosing tap water!
Save time and use less water by washing your dishes in the dishwasher instead of by hand. Washing one load of dishes by hand uses 20 gallons of water while washing the same dishes in the dishwasher only uses 4.5 gallons of water. Invest in a water and energy-efficient dishwasher to save time and money.
Experiment with dry-heat cooking methods such as pan-frying, baking, broiling, roasting, grilling, and deep-fat-frying. These methods are used to caramelize and brown foods, lending them a deep and rich flavor.
Instead of ice cubes, use frozen fruit in your smoothies. This will provide your smoothies with a boost of flavor and lessen the amount of liquid you need to use.
If it takes your tap a while to run cold, keep a pitcher of cool tap water in the fridge.
Anything we missed? Comment below to let us know how you save water in the kitchen!