[coreyj888]

Hi all!

I have been working in kitchens for bout 10 years now. I have worked from lil mom and pop restaurant, to high volume "bar &grill" franchise restaurant ,where I am currently. I am looking for a lil advice , im trying to come up with ideas for menu items ,kitchen advice regarding how you handle food waste. being summer time the corporate nature has us using fresh berries in our salads but our food waste went up b/c berries mold /go soft so quickly. would u happen to have any advice as to how to keep these items longer in the walk-in. as for menu items im looking for anything that would work in a "bar & grill" setting. i have mostly started this post to get brain storming and to get an more expert option from the community. 

 

[mgm0]

Pickle them in flavored vinegars or liquor. You'll get to use the berries and the liquid for a long time depending on how strong you make the mix. Also if you have time and a budget you could try making some boose out of them, just fill up a jar with fruits and sugar(some vodka is optional) let it stay in a chilled(10 C) place for about two months. Boom homemade special fruit juice for fall and winter.

 

[chefross]

I work with fresh berries on a daily basis. We have a procedure that works well.

When the berries first come in, they go on paper towel lined pans or flat insert pans.

The berries are laid out in one layer and loosely packed so as not to insure that the berries touch.

The papers are changed daily as a routine. 

Berries that are questionable....meaning, that they may not last another day, are placed in a pan in the freezer.

When that pan is filled we make a mixed berry sherbet from them to serve.

This way, you lose very little berries each day and one package will last a week or more.

Variables include....temperature of fridge, how often it is opened, the condition of the berries before they went in.