The aftermath of Ramadan pantry hoarding and iftar cum dinner parties/events is serious food wastage. I realized that when I peaked into a trash can while discarding my finished plate at an iftar cum dinner. In fact, I realized, while walking the buffet line, that there was salad on the floor that I had stepped on and gravy that had created a filth pool at the other end. Each morsel of food and every drop of water is from Allah, the Most Gracious, and we are accountable for its wastage. A beautiful way to earn His merits in Ramadan is to ensure that food wastes are minimal, and the excessive is distributed among the needy in a hygienic way.
Just-In-Time Pantry Management
People are fond of hoarding in Ramadan. Flour, rice, pulses, frozen foods, and baked goods are purchased until the fridges and freezers won't close shut, and pantries spill over. One cannot do everyday, fresh shopping even in routine life, but for Ramadan I do the 2 week Just-In-Time pantry management. I calculate the number of rotis (flatbread) we would need for seher each morning, and the load of fruit and frozen snacks required for Iftar. Then, we buy for 15 Ramadan days. Midway, we shop again.
My sister introduced the idea of cooking the daily meat curries a week before Ramadan and stocking them up in the freezer - the full 30 day supply.
Proper Food Storage
Brown households (Indian/Pakistani/Bangladeshi/etc.) consume rotis and parathas which can be either purchased ready made or made at home. In both cases, they can be wrapped separately piece by piece in polyethene wraps and stocked in the freezer. I have had the nasty experience of ripping open a packet of rotis and finding green fungus growing on it because we stocked them up for 30 days in our room temperature pantry.
The fruits should go into the coldest compartment of the fridge, and ideally they should be purchased weekly throughout Ramadan. Milk goes bad very often in Ramadan so the expiry date needs to kept in mind when purchasing a big can.
My sister is a baker, and Sara's Baked Creations practically runs on milk, flour, sugar, and baking pro goodies. Those are carefully planned by her so nothing goes bad in the fridge. On Mom's special orders, Sara bakes cakes, muffins, cupcakes, and breads for energy-desserts for seher time. She uses the midway JIT management for her baker's pantry too!
Just-In-Time Pantry Management
People are fond of hoarding in Ramadan. Flour, rice, pulses, frozen foods, and baked goods are purchased until the fridges and freezers won't close shut, and pantries spill over. One cannot do everyday, fresh shopping even in routine life, but for Ramadan I do the 2 week Just-In-Time pantry management. I calculate the number of rotis (flatbread) we would need for seher each morning, and the load of fruit and frozen snacks required for Iftar. Then, we buy for 15 Ramadan days. Midway, we shop again.
My sister introduced the idea of cooking the daily meat curries a week before Ramadan and stocking them up in the freezer - the full 30 day supply.
Proper Food Storage
Brown households (Indian/Pakistani/Bangladeshi/etc.) consume rotis and parathas which can be either purchased ready made or made at home. In both cases, they can be wrapped separately piece by piece in polyethene wraps and stocked in the freezer. I have had the nasty experience of ripping open a packet of rotis and finding green fungus growing on it because we stocked them up for 30 days in our room temperature pantry.
The fruits should go into the coldest compartment of the fridge, and ideally they should be purchased weekly throughout Ramadan. Milk goes bad very often in Ramadan so the expiry date needs to kept in mind when purchasing a big can.
My sister is a baker, and Sara's Baked Creations practically runs on milk, flour, sugar, and baking pro goodies. Those are carefully planned by her so nothing goes bad in the fridge. On Mom's special orders, Sara bakes cakes, muffins, cupcakes, and breads for energy-desserts for seher time. She uses the midway JIT management for her baker's pantry too!
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