Welcome toThrifty. A weekly column where nutrition editor and registered dietitian Jessica Ball keeps it real on how to grocery shop on a budget, make healthy meals for one or two, and make Earth-friendly choices without overhauling your entire life.Though I’m not the best at meal prepping, I firmly believe in making aweekly menu plan. This allows me to create a grocery list focused on only the foods I can get through in the week, which helps me save money and cut down on food waste. That said, things don’t always go according to plan, and sometimes travel can sneak up on me. If I go out of town for more than a few days, I always try to empty out and clean my fridge as best as possible. This is typically when I find that bunch of celery, bag of carrots or half onion I forgot about from earlier in the week. Luckily, I’ve found one easy solution that helps when I have veggies (and even fruits) I need to use up before heading on a trip: I’ll pickle them!Eva KolenkoPictured Recipe:JardiniereThat’s right: before I depart, I set aside the 10 minutes it takes to make a big batch of pickle brine and add any disparate veg into jars to be covered in it. Many pickle recipes (like ourEasy Refrigerator Pickles) take several days to brine and can be stored in the fridge for up to a month. So what better time to make them than when you’ll be away and not tempted to start eating the jar before they’re fully flavored and ready? We have a super-helpfulformula for making picklesthat gives recipes for sour or sweet brine, as well as inspiration for spice combinations to try based on your flavor preferences. To me, one of the best things about this formula is that it doesn’t require any tedious canning or tricky fermenting. Simply add the ingredients and store them in the fridge.While cucumbers might seem like the most obvious vegetable to use, several types of produce are perfect for pickling. Ourpickled red onionsare perfect for everything from salads and grain bowls to sandwiches and tacos—and they only take 10 minutes to set up. I also love to do a mix of vegetables like carrots, celery, cauliflower and peppers, similar to ourJardiniere. Cabbage is also anothergreat candidate for pickling, especially when paired with hot peppers and aromatics like garlic, herbs or ginger. You can even try pickling fruits, like in ourGrilled Chicken Thighs with Pickled Peaches & Herbed Couscousrecipe (the pickled peaches can be made up to a week in advance, so you can make a delicious meal quickly and easily after you return home).A little creativity can go a long way in creating flavorful dishes while also reducing food waste. Pickling vegetables (and fruits) before going on a trip is a way that I use up everything in my fridge, and it allows me to have components for delicious meals and snacks ready to go when I get home. Not to mention, pickles can make a fun gift if you find yourself in need of fridge space! And if you want more inspiration, check out mygo-to meal after a long travel day.Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!Tell us why!OtherSubmit
Welcome toThrifty. A weekly column where nutrition editor and registered dietitian Jessica Ball keeps it real on how to grocery shop on a budget, make healthy meals for one or two, and make Earth-friendly choices without overhauling your entire life.Though I’m not the best at meal prepping, I firmly believe in making aweekly menu plan. This allows me to create a grocery list focused on only the foods I can get through in the week, which helps me save money and cut down on food waste. That said, things don’t always go according to plan, and sometimes travel can sneak up on me. If I go out of town for more than a few days, I always try to empty out and clean my fridge as best as possible. This is typically when I find that bunch of celery, bag of carrots or half onion I forgot about from earlier in the week. Luckily, I’ve found one easy solution that helps when I have veggies (and even fruits) I need to use up before heading on a trip: I’ll pickle them!Eva KolenkoPictured Recipe:JardiniereThat’s right: before I depart, I set aside the 10 minutes it takes to make a big batch of pickle brine and add any disparate veg into jars to be covered in it. Many pickle recipes (like ourEasy Refrigerator Pickles) take several days to brine and can be stored in the fridge for up to a month. So what better time to make them than when you’ll be away and not tempted to start eating the jar before they’re fully flavored and ready? We have a super-helpfulformula for making picklesthat gives recipes for sour or sweet brine, as well as inspiration for spice combinations to try based on your flavor preferences. To me, one of the best things about this formula is that it doesn’t require any tedious canning or tricky fermenting. Simply add the ingredients and store them in the fridge.While cucumbers might seem like the most obvious vegetable to use, several types of produce are perfect for pickling. Ourpickled red onionsare perfect for everything from salads and grain bowls to sandwiches and tacos—and they only take 10 minutes to set up. I also love to do a mix of vegetables like carrots, celery, cauliflower and peppers, similar to ourJardiniere. Cabbage is also anothergreat candidate for pickling, especially when paired with hot peppers and aromatics like garlic, herbs or ginger. You can even try pickling fruits, like in ourGrilled Chicken Thighs with Pickled Peaches & Herbed Couscousrecipe (the pickled peaches can be made up to a week in advance, so you can make a delicious meal quickly and easily after you return home).A little creativity can go a long way in creating flavorful dishes while also reducing food waste. Pickling vegetables (and fruits) before going on a trip is a way that I use up everything in my fridge, and it allows me to have components for delicious meals and snacks ready to go when I get home. Not to mention, pickles can make a fun gift if you find yourself in need of fridge space! And if you want more inspiration, check out mygo-to meal after a long travel day.
Welcome toThrifty. A weekly column where nutrition editor and registered dietitian Jessica Ball keeps it real on how to grocery shop on a budget, make healthy meals for one or two, and make Earth-friendly choices without overhauling your entire life.
Though I’m not the best at meal prepping, I firmly believe in making aweekly menu plan. This allows me to create a grocery list focused on only the foods I can get through in the week, which helps me save money and cut down on food waste. That said, things don’t always go according to plan, and sometimes travel can sneak up on me. If I go out of town for more than a few days, I always try to empty out and clean my fridge as best as possible. This is typically when I find that bunch of celery, bag of carrots or half onion I forgot about from earlier in the week. Luckily, I’ve found one easy solution that helps when I have veggies (and even fruits) I need to use up before heading on a trip: I’ll pickle them!
Eva Kolenko
Pictured Recipe:Jardiniere
That’s right: before I depart, I set aside the 10 minutes it takes to make a big batch of pickle brine and add any disparate veg into jars to be covered in it. Many pickle recipes (like ourEasy Refrigerator Pickles) take several days to brine and can be stored in the fridge for up to a month. So what better time to make them than when you’ll be away and not tempted to start eating the jar before they’re fully flavored and ready? We have a super-helpfulformula for making picklesthat gives recipes for sour or sweet brine, as well as inspiration for spice combinations to try based on your flavor preferences. To me, one of the best things about this formula is that it doesn’t require any tedious canning or tricky fermenting. Simply add the ingredients and store them in the fridge.
While cucumbers might seem like the most obvious vegetable to use, several types of produce are perfect for pickling. Ourpickled red onionsare perfect for everything from salads and grain bowls to sandwiches and tacos—and they only take 10 minutes to set up. I also love to do a mix of vegetables like carrots, celery, cauliflower and peppers, similar to ourJardiniere. Cabbage is also anothergreat candidate for pickling, especially when paired with hot peppers and aromatics like garlic, herbs or ginger. You can even try pickling fruits, like in ourGrilled Chicken Thighs with Pickled Peaches & Herbed Couscousrecipe (the pickled peaches can be made up to a week in advance, so you can make a delicious meal quickly and easily after you return home).
A little creativity can go a long way in creating flavorful dishes while also reducing food waste. Pickling vegetables (and fruits) before going on a trip is a way that I use up everything in my fridge, and it allows me to have components for delicious meals and snacks ready to go when I get home. Not to mention, pickles can make a fun gift if you find yourself in need of fridge space! And if you want more inspiration, check out mygo-to meal after a long travel day.
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