According to research carried out by WRAP (wrap.org.uk) we throw away 6.6 million tonnes of household food waste each year in the UK alone. Cutting food waste can save a family £500 a year, and reduce greenhouse gases and wasted food miles and plastic.
I know myself how easy it is to create food waste. Turn your back for a minute and your pears are too ripe to eat. Your baps have gone stale and your most recent shopping shoves stuff to the back of the fridge, only to be discovered when you move house.
But it’s just as easy to salvage food waste and divert it from the bin (or compost) to something spectacularly drinkable instead. One trick is to have an arsenal of ideas and recipes to hand so as soon as you spot a mushy mango or a pile of abandoned apples you know just what to do. Soon you’ll be hunting out other people’s unwanted bits and bobs so you can magic them into a brew!
Don’t be shy about asking your family, friends and neighbours for surplus fruit that might otherwise rot on the tree, bush or ground. They’ll be happy that it’s being put to good use. And a bottle of the resulting brew is always a good way to show your thanks! Or if you ask your local shop or greengrocer you might be able to get some squishy fruit that hasn’t sold (but remember to cut off any mouldy or rotten bits!)
Here’s some inspiration to get you going.
pears A few years ago Northern Monk released Wasted, a beer made from surplus overripe pears and stale croissants and brioche. Or you can make perry.
apples The obvious choice is cider, but how about the cider-beer hybrid, Graf, which apparently was born from Stephen King’s series The Dark Tower?
Cherries It’s got to be a Belgian cherry wheat beer. Who you callin’ tart?
Exotic fruit Pull on your Hawaiian shirt and brew up a Tropical IPA - perfect for summer!
Bread Toast Ale’s bread pale ale recipe, obviously! See previous page.
Green tomatoes
Barnaby’s Brewhouse (remember them from issue 001?) make a popular Green Tomato Saison with tomatoes from their neighbours, Riverford Organic Farmers. Fruit that would otherwise have gone to waste. Put the word out to your gardening friends that you’ll take their green tomatoes at the end of the season.
.jpg)
