Water awareness is often on people’s minds in the scorching heat of summer and we are all watching the timer for outdoor watering, tenderly bringing buckets of water to our potted plants and hanging flower baskets, helping them cope. with intense heat. There are many ways we can all reduce water waste in the kitchen alone, all year long; in fact, we devoted an entire chapter to the subject in our Trash Talk book series: It’s easy to go green. Today, we will tackle just a few things that are very easy to get started in the kitchen and that can have a huge impact on the way water is used.

Let’s take a look at the cooking water. We are talking about the water used to boil potatoes, poach eggs or cook pasta. That water is full of nutrients and it would be a waste if we flushed it down the drain. Instead, here’s what we can do: In the winter, cover with a lid and place the pot of water on a wire rack to cool. This keeps that valuable heat in your home. Then pour through a fine strainer into a container and store in the refrigerator. This liquid can now be used to thicken dog food. Alternatively, add it to the compost bin where moisture, starches, and nutrients will only benefit the compost. Can also be used to water plants outdoors – pour 2 feet away from the base of any evergreen tree or shrub.

In the summer, you’ll want to do this task just a little differently – place the covered pot outdoors on a wire rack to cool, keeping the heat out of the house. Once it has completely cooled down, use it as suggested above or for any thirsty outdoor plants.

Other types of steaming or boiling vegetable cooking water can also be used in the same way as the above, however they are much more valuable when used as a base for making homemade broth or broth. The reserved water can be used to cook dry beans and wild rice mixes. Alternatively, it can be used in place of water when using cans of concentrated soups or when reconstituting dehydrated vegetables. It is easy to freeze reserved waters, however be sure to pre-measure the liquid and label the container well.