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Working behind the scenes for many years, I’ve seen just how much gets thrown out afterwards. From infusions and syrups, to dozens of kilograms of citrus husks, bars and restaurants throw away mounds of perfectly recyclable produce. Here are some of my favourite ways to give ingredients a second chance at life.
Cocktails with multiple bespoke ingredients tend to push the boundaries of flavour combinations, and it’s incredible to see just how far those boundaries get pushed. But, working behind the scenes for many years, I’ve seen just how much gets thrown out afterwards. From infusions and syrups, to dozens of kilograms of citrus husks, bars and restaurants throw away mounds of perfectly recyclable produce. Perhaps it’s time for us to unlock different ways to reuse all this preloved produce.
Sustainable, no-waste cocktails have been a primary focus for many bartenders around Auckland. I, myself, broke down pectin contained in citrus husks, using enzymes, to create a citrus stock for the Show Us Your Roots Auckland finals. Theo from Panacea saves sous-pressed mandarins from his Mum and Dad’s Martinis and has them freeze dried into a powder for sprinkling on the outside of the drink.
But, you don’t have to get all nerdy to create no-waste cocktails. Here are some of my favourite ways to give ingredients a second chance at life:
Make Your Own Jam!
Take your leftover fruits and add an equal amount of white sugar, along with a squeeze of citrus juice. Bring to a boil in a pot, and simmer for 20-30 minutes until the mixture gets thick. If you want to know how jammy it is, put a plate in the freezer for half an hour, and drop a little bit of your mixture onto it. If it looks jammy on the plate, it’s done! Plop it into a sterilised jar and leave it on the counter to cool and set.
Fruit Leather
Similar to your jam, add your fruit, sugar and citrus to a pot and just dissolve the sugar. You can blitz the fruit in a blender first for a smoother result! Once it’s all dissolved, smooth it out really thin on a baking sheet and leave it in the oven on 70 degrees for up to 12 hours. Try putting it in the oven while it’s off and cooling after you’ve cooked dinner to conserve energy. Then, cut it into whatever shapes you like!
Tepache
Take your pineapple rinds, some ginger skins, cinnamon, cloves and whatever sugar you like into a jar and cover it with just enough water to submerge everything. Cover the top with a cheesecloth, secure it with rubber bands, and leave for three-five days. You’ll see it bubble and ferment, and once it’s done, just strain and enjoy over ice (it’s also delicious with rum or tequila).
These methods make for easy ways give produce that would be otherwise thrown out, a second chance at life. If you do like getting a little weird with it, consider using the microbiome to your advantage in the form of enzymes, bacteria and yeast! Pectinase can increase the yield of juice from fresh fruit, break down citrus husks and even clarify bananas, and can be bought from brew shops for about $8. Egor from Origine (and Bayside Rum fame!) uses symbiotic cultures of bacteria and yeast (or SCOBYs) to turn waste fruit into fizzy kombucha, which can be a bright and unique addition of acidity to any highball.
Considering the price of rubbish removal increases with how much you throw out, it’s worth thinking about using everything twice. Think of the potential of the humble strawberry top, or the ugly knob at the end of the cucumber - they deserve better than to be cast aside. Knowing that your ingredients have been used as much as possible impresses your customers, shows respect to your produce, and makes the planet happy!
Born from passion and nurtured with love, this delicious spirit is the brainchild of two visionary co-founders, Stephanie Jordan being one of them. As she sat in a charming café in Amsterdam chatting with me via Google Meet, her eyes sparkled with pride and excitement as she delved into the story of her beloved "baby," Avallen.
Enter Salut Salut, an intimate hole-in-the-wall Spanish wine bar. Despite its cosiness, Salut Salut has an impressive range of wines as well as a handful of spirits and predominantly NZ beers.
Cal Ross is the friendly face that greets you the second you walk into Parasol and Swing, or the wine pop-up downstairs, Brolly. His cheeky British banter and contagious laugh has gained him a reputation for impeccable customer service, which ended up winning him the Lewisham Award for Outstanding FOH for 2023. I sat down with him with a cocktail in my hand, as we often do, to ask about his past, present, and future in our thriving industry.