12/2/07- As seen in Keys Sunday

Conserve drop by drop
Twenty ways to save water in the kitchen

BY KATHLEEN PURVIS
McClatchy Tribune

Saving water in the kitchen isn’t just the right thing to do during the dry season. It’s the right thing to do all of the time.

Sure, it’s important to use clean water when we prepare food. But much of the water we use in our kitchens spills right down the sink.

Getting into these habits not only saves water — it can make your cooking more healthful and even tastier.

Get your money’s worth

1. When you get a drink of water, don’t run the faucet until the water is cool. Put a pitcher or jug of water in the refrigerator.

2. Plastic bottles of drinking water cost more and add to the waste stream. Fill your own water bottle and take it with you.

3. Need a little hot water? Don’t just run the faucet until it gets hot. Heat water on the stove, in the microwave or with an electric kettle.

4. Wash fruits and vegetables in a container of water. Then use it to water plants.

5. When you rinse out the coffee pot, use the water in your compost bin or on your garden. It may have minerals from inside the pot.

6. Peel fruits and vegetables on a sheet of old newspaper, then fold it up and throw them away. Even better: Make compost. Save egg shells, used coffee grounds (and the unbleached paper filter), tea bags and trimmings from fruits and vegetables for your compost bin. (Don’t compost meat and dairy products, including fats.)

7. Must we say it? Fix drippy faucets and leaking pipes. A faucet that drips one drop per second can waste up to 2,700 gallons of water a year.

8. When you replace your dishwasher, get the one with the highest efficiency rating you can afford.

9. If you can stop your ice maker easily (for most models, just raise the wire guide inside), don’t keep making ice when you have enough for the day.

Washing up

10. It takes less scrubbing to clean residue from pots and pans if you clean them right after you use them, before the food dries and sets.

11. Don’t waste water (and energy) scrubbing pots under running water. Fill them with water and let them sit to loosen residue. For stuck-on on food, add water and a little dishwashing powder, then bring to a simmer on the stove.

12. Don’t run the dishwasher until it’s full. And wait until after 10 p.m., when water demand is lower

13. There’s no need to rinse plates and utensils thoroughly before putting them in the dishwasher. Just scrape off food and let the dishwasher do its job.

14. Washing by hand? Use the two-sink method: Fill one sink with hot, soapy water and the second with water for rinsing. Or use the one-sink method: Put a few inches of hot, soapy water in the sink. Hold the dish under hot running water just long enough to rinse it. The rinse water will add to the soapy water, keeping it hot as you work.

15. Don’t keep adding glasses to the dishwasher every time you get a drink. Designate a daily drinking glass and don’t wash it until the end of the day.

Cooking

16. Don’t thaw frozen food under running water. Place it in a bowl of cold water (check it every 30 minutes to make sure the water is cold.) Even better: Plan ahead and thaw food overnight in the refrigerator.

17. Don’t cool hot items, such as hardcooked eggs, under running water. Put them in a bowl of water to cool. (Use that water on your garden, too.)

18. Don’t pour cooking water down the drain. Water from pasta, vegetables, rice and potatoes can be saved in the refrigerator for a couple of days and used for soup. That captures flavor and water-soluble vitamins and minerals, too. (Potato cooking water is great for making bread.)

19. Cook frozen vegetables in as little water as possible (package directions usually only call for a couple of tablespoons). Steam fresh vegetables instead of boiling: It saves vitamins and minerals and boosts flavor.

20. Put a lid on it. Heating a pot of water without a lid takes longer, and it releases heat that makes your air conditioner work harder, too.