Q. Help! I always have leftover herbs I can't use up fast enough, not to mention half-open cans of tomato paste and other small amounts of ingredients that I hate to waste. What can I do with them?

A. Hey, a great way to solve your problem — and to reduce food waste in your home kitchen — is to freeze these leftovers in ice cube trays. Ice cube trays are great for freezing chopped herbs, stocks, coffee, tomato paste and more for easy use later on. Consider buying silicone ice cube trays as they make it easier to remove things when frozen. Once frozen, transfer the cubes to a zip-top bag and store in the freezer.

Here are some things to try:

·     Freeze finely chopped herbs in olive oil or melted butter in ice cube trays. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and freeze overnight. Transfer the frozen cubes to a zip-top bag and store in a freezer.

·     Freeze homemade chicken and vegetable stock for future use. Only thaw what you need! Stock will be fine in the freezer for up to two months.

·     Freeze leftover tomato sauce or tomato paste. These cubes won't take long to thaw in the microwave.

·     Make coffee ice cubes for your iced coffee.

·     Freeze milk or buttermilk for future use. Remember to measure out how many tablespoons of milk or buttermilk there are in each ice cube so when you're ready to use in a recipe, you can thaw and add.

·     Freeze homemade pesto to use at a moment’s notice in pastas, on pizzas, and in soups. Enjoy a little bit of summer throughout the year.

·     Make ice cubes with leftover wine for sangria or to cook with in the future.