We all love a big feast during Chinese New Year, but what happens if there’s too much leftover? Repurpose them !
We have feasted our way through the first days of CNY, but we are still saddled with towering piles of Chinese New Year goodies. And there is still half a carton of mandarin oranges snapped up in the flurry of festivities and containers full of leftover foods. So don’t waste food by binning them. Here are five nifty creative ways to repurpose and save those festive goodies.
RELEVANT SUSTAINABLE GOALS
CNY Leftovers : Orange Peels
Did you know that fruit peels contain just as much, if not more, nutritional value than the inner fruit itself? Here are some of the best and easiest ideas to repurpose the orange peels :
1. Orange peels for your food
Make your own zesty, citrus-infused olive oil; it’s perfect with salad or veggies. Alternatively, you can dry orange peels and add some to tea the next time you brew it. The orange will infuse a subtle citrusy taste into the tea.
2. Orange peels hack for your house
Make your own zesty, citrus-infused olive oil; it’s perfect with salad or veggies. Alternatively, you can dry orange peels and add some to tea the next time you brew it. The orange will infuse a subtle citrusy taste into the tea. You can also try to make some orange marmalade.
CNY Leftovers : Cookies, Snacks and Foods
Are you left with plenty of cookies, chocolate, and roast meat after your celebrations? Here’s how to make the most of them
3. Half-consumed and opened snacks and festive goodies
Tired of the never-ending festive cookie feast? Here’s a quick and easy method to turn these snacks into delectable toppings. Simply place leftover cookies in a ziplock bag and pound them with a rolling pin to get crumbs (or your bare hands). Then, sprinkle them on top of ice cream, yogurt, or our personal favorite, milk.
4. Spread some joy with unopened and unexpired foods, snacks and festive goodies
Did you know that we typically generate around 30% more food waste during Chinese New Year and other festive occasions? We can cut down our food waste in our homes and eating out just by small, simple measures :
Spread the love to others! If you have leftover festive snacks and you don’t know what to do about it, you can donate them to non-profit organisations in your city. There are a handful of organisations such as Food Bank Singapore that collects food items and distribute them to low-income families and the elderly. Do ensure that the food items donated are in good condition (not crumbled or consumed), and are at least one to two weeks before their expiry date! Check out their website for more information on how to donate your snacks.
CNY Leftovers : Red Hong Baos and Home Decorations
When Chinese New Year season arrives, it’s easy to get into a frenzy when it’s time to stock up on necessities like red packets and piles of home decorations. But unfortunately, the holiday spirit gets the best of us, and we only realise how much garbage we have once the festivities are over. If you don’t want this to happen to you, here are some recommendations for reducing garbage and enjoying a more sustainable CNY with peace of mind:
5. Recycle red envelopes (hong baos)
We love receiving red packets but what can you do with the empty, used red packets (hong baos) ? These empty, used red packets can become useful materials again. Give a new lease of life to your used red packets through up-cycling activities such as lantern-making, or a decorative Year-round centrepiece. And of course, if you receive any red packets that close using a slot rather than glue, you can just reuse them to put money in next year.
6. Reuse boxes and baskets from gift sets
Exchanging gift hampers is a CNY norm, so much so that companies produce special gift sets for the occasion. More often than not, they usually come with boxes, baskets and ribbons so extravagant that it’s such a shame to discard them.
Instead, up cycling the se beautiful boxes into exquisite storage boxes for your personal stuff. You can even repurpose them to wrap gifts for loved ones on important occasions like birthdays and anniversaries. They’re also helpful when you have odd-shaped items, such as plushies or food, because you can carefully wrap them in attractive boxes or baskets.
7. Repurpose Lunar New Year Home Decorations
It’s a terrific way to amp up the festive mood when you go all out with your décor. But, let’s face it, many of us conveniently discard these decorations once Chinese New Year is done. To contribute less waste, consider repurpose your non-zodiac CNY decor for other festivals such as mid-autumn.
CNY Leftovers : bones and scarps
8. Save bones and scraps to make broth.
Chinese New Year is all about feasting. There will be plenty of leftover prawn shells, pig, and chicken bones. These carcasses may appear to be garbage, but they are excellent for brewing stocks! A quick Google search will provide some really great and simple recipes, and you’ll be on your way to serving some delicious tasting soup to your visitors in no time.
CNY Leftovers : variety of nuts
9. Make some nut butter
Whether they’re mouth-watering peanut or aromatic almond varieties, they could be easily repurposed to nut butter. All you need is a blender and a little time. Simply place the nuts in the blender and mix! The most excellent part about creating your own nut butter instead of buying it is that you can control the consistency of the combination. If you like a crunchier texture, simply stop blending sooner and vice versa. Furthermore, you may prepare a variety of nut butter that may be difficult to buy in supermarkets, such as macadamia or cashew butter. Oh, delicious!
CNY Leftovers : Plastic Containers
10. Reuse and repurpose plastic containers
Chinese New Year treats are commonly marketed in clear plastic containers with a red lid. Once the goods have been devoured, do not discard the containers. They are highly durable and may be utilised for many years. Use them to keep packaging-free food and groceries, as planters, store leftovers from a reunion meal, or hold your own handcrafted Chinese New Year sweets next year.
There you have it. There are many creative ways to repurpose and use up your leftover Chinese New Year food, so they don’t go to waste. Which of these strategies do you intend to try? Please share your thoughts in the comments box below.
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