University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension in Lancaster County
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Helping you prepare healthy foods in a hurry
Alice Henneman, MS, Registered Dietitian and Extension Educator
University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension in Lancaster County
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Using Up Food in the Refrigerator before
Leaving Town
meal of leftovers

You'll be gone several several days for the holidays, vacation, on business, to see family, etc. ... what can you do with the foods that stay behind in the refrigerator? Especially the foods that will no longer be safe or will decrease in quality by your return?

Here are some suggestions ...

  • Hard-cook any remaining eggs and use them on salads and in sandwiches (such as in this picture) before you leave. Hard-cooked eggs -- in their shells -- will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week; store in a clean container, not the original egg carton.

    For directions on hard-cooking eggs, check the bottom of this article.

  • Use cartons of yogurt nearing the end of their recommended use period for foods such as smoothies or as a quick fruit salad dressing (as shown in the above picture). This yogurt fruit salad uses the remainder of an opened can of pineapple with a few dried cranberries tossed in for extra flavor. You're limited only by your imagination and your leftovers!

    For a yogurt smoothie recipe, check the end of this article.

  • Toss together chopped fruit (such as the apples in this picture) with raisins and nuts. Sprinkle with a little orange juice for added flavor and to keep fruits such as apples from turning brown. Add a dash of a spice, such as cinnamon, if you like.

  • The remaining half of a red pepper was chopped and added to some thawed frozen corn and sugar snap peas. The corn and peas were thawed by placing them in a strainer and running cool water over them. A commercial Italian dressing was used for making this vegetable salad.

Hard-Cooked Eggs

Here are some directions from the American Egg Board (AEB) for successfully making and storing hard-cooked eggs.

(COOK'S TIP: Eggs stored for a week to 10 days before cooking usually peel more easily.)

  1. Place eggs in a single layer in a saucepan. Add enough tap water so water covers at least 1 inch above eggs.

  2. Cover and quickly bring just to boiling. Turn off heat. If necessary, remove pan from burner to prevent further boiling.

  3. Let eggs stand, covered, in the hot water, about 15 minutes for large eggs. (Adjust time up or down by about 3 minutes for each size larger or smaller.) Immediately run cold water over eggs or place them in ice water until completely cooled.

    It's important to use proper cooking and cooling procedures. Otherwise, a harmless greenish ring can occur around the yolk due to an iron and sulfur compound that forms when eggs are overcooked or not cooled quickly.

  4. To remove the egg shell, crackle it by tapping gently all over. Roll the egg between your hands to loosen the shell, then peel, starting at the large end. Hold the egg under cold running water or dip it in a bowl of water to help ease off the shell.

  5. Hard-cooked eggs in the shell can be kept in the refrigerator for up to one week.

For Egg Recipe Ideas: Check the Web site of the American Egg Board (www.aeb.org).

Yogurt Smoothies

  1. Blend small frozen fruit pieces (berries work especially well) with milk or yogurt. Per serving, use about a cup of yogurt; then add 1/2 to 1 cup frozen fruit and blend until smooth and of desired consistency.

  2. Sweeten to taste with a teaspoon or two of sugar, honey or jelly; or, use a low-calorie sweetener. If desired, add about 1/4 teaspoon vanilla. Drink right away.

COOK'S TIP #1: You also can freeze small pieces of fresh or canned fruit until solid. This is another way to use up fresh or opened, canned fruit in your fridge. Freeze for a few hours or overnight on a cookie sheet or in shallow metal pans -- place fruit in a single layer. Chop larger fruits like bananas, apricots, etc. into smaller chunks -- about 1/2 to 1 inch. Transfer frozen fruit to freezer bags for later use or enjoy in a smoothie right away!

COOK'S TIP #2: This recipe also works with a similar amount of milk, if you're trying to use up your milk. Yogurt gives a tangier taste than milk. Or, use a combination of milk and yogurt.

 

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Developed By:

Alice C. Henneman, MS, RD
Extension Educator
University of Nebraska
Cooperative Extension in Lancaster County

Fax: (402) 441-7148
Phone: (402) 441-7180
E-Mail: ahenneman1@unl.edu
Web site: lancaster.unl.edu/food

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For more information about preparing healthy meals, contact your local University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension Office; for the location of the office nearest you, click here. For a listing of Cooperative Extension Offices throughout the United States, click here.

Address: 444 Cherrycreek Road, Lincoln, NE 68528-1507, Phone: 402-441-7180

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