Our Choc affair team simply love baking using our chocolate, and we are always coming up with new recipes that we can share with you! However; baking does have it’s impacts on the environment, and whilst we are making changes to our business in terms of our impact, we also thought we would share ways in which we try and be environmentally friendly when we bake too!
1. Don’t preheat your oven!
Most recipes will tell you to preheat your oven right at the start of the recipe – and yes, we do need to preheat our ovens, and I guess when people write recipes (including us), it seems to be the most normal thing to write it at the start. However; we all know our own ovens, and I know that mine doesn’t take that long to preheat. I would always suggest, read through the recipe first; and get a sense of how long it might take until you need your oven. Then; pre heat your oven a little later on – this will save you money, and energy!!
2. Baking sheets galore
I’ve seen so many people cutting 2 strips of baking paper for a square cake tin – but there is no need! There are two ways in which you can reduce the amount of baking paper you use. The first is to roll out your paper, trim so that the width and length will cover the bottom and the sides; then, simply trim a square from each corner. You can then slot your baking paper into the tray, and all your sides will be covered! No extra baking paper needed. Something else that I discovered earlier this year when I attended the Yorkshire Baking Club’s opening, was that there is such thing as re-usable baking sheets! (Thanks to Nancy Birtwhistle for that one)! This will certainly reduce waste – and money. You can purchase them here on Lakeland’s website.
3. Source your ingredients locally
This is hugely beneficial in many ways. Buying your produce from local, independent businesses is helping to support your local community, and is also reducing the air miles that are used to get those ingredients into your bake.
4. Look at the label!
When we buy ingredients for our bakes – how often is it that we look at the label to see where the product has come from? There are so many reasons for why we should do this – one of the most vital ones is use of palm oil, and it’s effects on deforestation. Trees in rainforests are being cut down in their masses to provide plantation spots to grow plants that produce palm oil, and this has a huge impact on our atmosphere, and animals such as orangutans who live in these areas. So next time you are baking something – try and go palm oil free, as it makes a huge difference. All of our products are palm oil free – you can read all about it here!
5. Free Range Eggs
When you are baking anything containing eggs, e.g. a cake, purchase free range eggs. Eggs from caged hens may be a little cheaper – but they are so much worse! Free range hens are treated with so much more freedom, and have a better life in general; which of course, means that their eggs are also so much nicer!