Water awareness is often on people’s minds in the scorching heat of summer and we are all looking at the timer for outdoor watering, lovingly carrying buckets of water to our potted plants and hanging baskets of flowers, helping them cope. with the intense heat. There are plenty of ways we can all reduce water waste just in the kitchen, year-round, in fact, we devoted an entire chapter to the topic in our Trash Talk – It’s Easy To Be Green book series. Today, we’re going to mention just a few things that are very easy to start doing in the kitchen and that can have a big impact on the way water is used.

Let’s take a closer look at cooking water. We are talking about the water used to boil potatoes, poach eggs or cook pasta. That water is full of nutrients and would be a huge waste if we poured it down the drain. Here’s what we can do instead: 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 house. Then pour through a fine strainer into a container and store in the fridge. This liquid can now be used to thicken the dog’s food. Alternatively, add it to the compost bin where the moisture, starches, and nutrients will only benefit the compost. It can also be used to water plants outdoors, 2 feet from the base of any evergreen tree or shrub.

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

Other types of steamed or boiled vegetable cooking water can also be used in the same way as 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 canned soup concentrates or when reconstituting dehydrated vegetables. Reserved waters are easy to freeze, however be sure to pre-measure the liquid and label the container well.