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As you begin to pay more for gas and electricity because of colder weather, you can save energy when cooking to beat the increased costs. Here are some tips to get started.
Cut Up Your Meat Joints
Roasting a meat joint is an excellent way to get a lot of flavor from it. But it can take a long time and cost a bit of gas or electricity. However, you can cut the cost of the most delectable pork roast recipe by dividing a joint into pieces. By cutting your joint, you greatly reduce the time it takes to cook because the heat doesn’t need to penetrate as deep into the meat. So what once took over an hour will take between 20 and 40 minutes, depending on the thickness.
Make a Meal Plan for the Week
You can reduce the time and money you spend cooking with a simple meal plan. When you know exactly what you need and make a list, you will buy what you need in the store. And you are less likely to throw random stuff in your cart. Additionally, you can reuse ingredients for further meals when planned together. For example, from a ground beef, carrot, and onion base, you can make chili con carne, bolognese, or cottage pie over three days with some extras.
Save Energy when Cooking with Gadgets
There are many gadgets that can save a lot of time in the kitchen, such as electric whisks. But there are also some that will save a ton of energy. Here are some of the handiest:
- You can use the microwave for cooking vegetables and warming up sauces.
- Air fryers will use 50% less energy than cooking something in an oven.
- One-pot cooking devices like slow cookers are excellent for saving time and money.
The microwave has a bad reputation. But it’s a great tool for reheating quickly and cheaply. Air fryers are also becoming very popular as an energy-efficient alternative to oven cooking.
Cook in Batches and Freeze
Most food is also very safe to freeze at home. Meat sauces are a great example of this and can be used for almost anything. Additionally, you can save by not having to make a stock each week, which takes a long time and uses a lot of energy. Homemade chicken stock, for example, can be frozen in an ice cube tray, ready to pop into something for a massive burst of flavor when you need it. Make sure anything you want to freeze for later is at room temperature beforehand.
Roast Things Together
Even small home ovens have enough space to fit a lot of food. This is why you should capitalize on the area to save energy by cooking things at the same time. For instance, roasting potatoes after you have cooked a meat joint will almost double the power you use. Therefore, you can put your potatoes in 40 minutes before the end of your roast. However, you must be careful not to overload when using a fanless oven, or a lot of steam will generate inside.
Summary
You can lower your bills if you save energy when cooking. Cutting meat into portions will reduce cooking time, gadgets like air fryers use less than an oven, and you can cook things together.
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