Miscellaneous late-summer note, number one. If you acquire a large (5 litres in my case) jug of white vinegar, you’ll use it with something approaching gay abandon. And in the process, you’ll discover some unorthodox uses for it that are particularly germane in summer.

My discoveries so far: spraying vinegar into a bin or compost bucket acts as an odour-suppressant for four to twelve hours, depending on the olfactory disgust level of your bins; vinegar subdues the black flies that make rubbish their summer home; it has a powerful grease-cutting effect if the grease is mild-mannered in character, such as the build-up on a hob.

Miscellaneous late-summer note, number two. I don’t need to tell you that compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs, better known as energy-saving bulbs) are the only type that an environmentally aware household should use. But if you’re one of the thousands who have been suckered into buying recessed ceiling lamps, using CFLs in the kitchen is tricky.

Or was tricky, until CFL spots became available. The first outlet I’ve seen in the UK is www.greenandeasy.co.uk, and the bulbs are £21.99 for 8. I haven’t tested them myself, but I’ve seen others in the USA, and they look and work just like their profligate predecessors. No excuses, folks!

Miscellaneous late-summer note, number three. If there’s still sweetcorn on sale near you, microwave it. Don’t husk the corn, just put it into the oven and cook at full power (turning once) for three minutes for one ear, six minutes for two. This uses no more energy than conventional cooking, saves on water and washing-up, and is the best method for preserving nutrients and flavour. Guaranteed.

thegreenkitchen@thetimes.co.uk

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