By Anita Naik
Whereas you may not think how you cook your food adds much to the equation, cooking and refrigerating accounts for a third of all the electricity we use in our homes.
You’ve gone out of your way to calculate food miles, opted for organic over factory farmed and even walked to the shops instead of taking the car, but if you want to keep your green choices eco-friendly you need also to look at how you cook and store your food. Why? Well, because the more energy we use, the more we personally contribute towards global warming and climate change. So your next eco-friendly option is to think about becoming a green cook and see how energy efficient your techniques are.
Food cooks quicker and so uses less energy if you cover pans and woks with a lid. At the same time, make sure your pan covers the coil of your range – this means that when cooking on a gas ring or electric hob, match the pan to the ring size. If the ring is too big for a pan, 40 per cent of the energy escapes. Another good tip is to stop overcooking your vegetables, and 10 minutes before your food is cooked completely turn off the oven or burner and allow the heat in the pot or pan to continue the cooking process for you.
Finally, save water when you wash up. The good news is that dishwashers are more eco-friendly than hand-washing, but only if you comply with three rules: only use the machine when it’s full, don’t use the drying cycle and don’t run dishes under a tap before placing them in the dishwasher. This is because a dishwasher uses only half the energy, and one-sixth of the water, used by hand-washing your dirty plates.
Get more tips from Anita’s website www.anitanaik.co.uk and don’t forget to check out her latest book ‘Kitchen Table Tycoon’
Tags: eco-home