5 FANTASTIC USES FOR POTATOES (THAT AREN’T EATING THEM)

Did you know??

Up to 30% of food we buy is wasted, at an estimated national cost of $5 billion-plus a year according to the Canberra-based Australia Institute. Much of it goes out of date before it can be consumed, which means all of the CO2 pollution embedded in producing it has been in vain.

The energy, and therefore the carbon pollution embedded in making products, means that we save money and conserve resources whenever we reuse. Reuse is how earlier generations made the most of limited resources in less wealthy and consumer-convenient times.

Ever had a big bag of potatoes sitting around and realised you won’t have enough time to cook them all?

By using potatoes around the house (besides cooking) we can avoid harsh chemicals being put into the environment, save the C02 involved in the production and transport of pre-packaged materials and you can use any leftovers in your compost heap!

POTATOES FIVE WAYS

1. AS AN EMERGENCY HOT OR COLD COMPRESS — potatoes hold their temperature (be it hot or cold) for a really long time. Heat one up (just a little) and pop it in an old sock for a hot compress alternative or, in a pinch, freeze a potato to be used as an icepack alternative.

2. AS A RUST REMOVER — Did you know, acid from a potato dissolves rust? Adding salt increases the cleaning power! A cut potato is the perfect texture for scrubbing baking pans or gardening tools. An excellent alternative to toxic rust removers.

3. TO REMOVE TARNISH — The potato starch contains a residue that can get rid of tarnish. After boiling some potatoes for dinner, try soaking any tarnished silverware in the water for an hour, and then simply wash as usual to make it good as new.

4. TO SHINE YOUR SHOES– If your shoes have lost that ‘brand new shine’, try cutting a potato in half and rubbing those old shoes with the raw potato. After that, polish them; they should come out nice and shiny.

5. TO REDUCE UNDER EYE BAGS– Waking up after a big night with puffy eyes is no fun. Bring on the potatoes and see the difference. Lie down again and apply slices of raw, cold potatoes to your eyes for up to ten minutes to make that puffiness go away!

(BONUS TIP)

6. TO DESALINATE YOUR SOUP–
I am always guilty of making my soup way too salty. If you ever commit a similar soup sin, cut a few uncooked potatoes into large chunks and add them to the soup while it’s still on the stove. After about 10 minutes, remove them and the excess salt they have absorbed.