Pasta water is not only used in the kitchen.
With these five tips, it can be reused in many ways.
Stuttgart - Almost ten kilograms a year - that's how high the per capita consumption of pasta is in Germany.
Whether spaghetti, fusilli or tagliatelle, noodles and pasta are among the long-running favorites on our dining tables.
One reason for this is certainly not only the taste and versatility of the pasta, but also the simple and quick preparation.
Bring water to a boil, add salt and then cook the pasta in it.
However, many make a big mistake after cooking, as bw24.de reports: They pour the pasta through a sieve, the cooking water disappears down the drain.
The starchy water can be used for so much more than just cooking the pasta.
The pasta water can also serve other useful purposes.
1. Reuse pasta water in the kitchen
There are many ways to reuse water or reduce consumption.
Even in summer you can save water with a few tricks in the garden.
This is also possible when cooking, as the example of pasta water shows.
Because there is a lot of water: As a rule of thumb, one liter of water is required for every 100 grams of pasta.
Just throwing it down the drain is a shame.
Many also use the pasta strainer incorrectly.
Don't want to miss any more recipes and kitchen tricks? Click here for the enjoyment newsletter from Merkur.de.
A “second life” can be breathed into the pasta water in the kitchen.
Side dishes such as potatoes or rice can then be cooked in it without any problems.
It is also great for soaking legumes such as peas, lentils or beans.
Many of these are soaked before cooking to make them more digestible.
The salt contained in the pasta water also has an advantage: it improves the flavor of the legumes.
+
Soup can also be made from pasta water.
© imago
Pasta water can also be reused for soups or stews.
Starch is usually used to bind these dishes anyway.
Replacing this with a part of the pasta water does not harm the meal.
For example, half of the liquid needed for a soup can be replaced with leftover pasta water.
This also applies to sauces, dips or the like.
Pasta water is also an excellent base here, as it contains starch from the pasta.
2. Pasta water as dishwashing and cleaning agent
The starch in the pasta water can also be used in the household because it can even loosen stubborn dirt.
If, for example, food has burned in the pan while frying, it can be easily removed with the help of pasta water.
Dishes can also be washed off with the water without hesitation.
+
Stubborn dirt, for example from dishes, can be easily removed with pasta water.
© Simona Pilla/Westend61/Imago
The boiling water is also useful for cleaning.
To do this, fill some of it into a glass after it has cooled down and then put it in the fridge.
After a short time, a kind of jelly forms in it.
This can be used undiluted for cleaning, like normal cleaning agents.
3. Beneficial for plants: Minerals and nutrients from pasta water benefit plants
Pasta contains many nutrients and also minerals that get into the water during cooking.
Our plants are also happy about this, provided, however, that it is unsalted pasta water.
Because the salt would do more harm than good to the plants.
Allow the cooking water to cool well and then water the flowers with it.
+
Nutrient treatment for plants: pasta water is ideal for watering.
© imago images / Westend61
With this method you save one or the other watering can filling.
A Stuttgart start-up wants to put an end to water wastage with an app.
4. For skin and hair: pasta water as a care product
The starch and minerals in the pasta water are good for us too.
This is because pasta water is rich in minerals such as potassium, magnesium and calcium, which contribute to the health of our nails and skin.
The slightly cooled but still lukewarm water can easily be converted into a foot bath.
Soak your feet in the water for 15 to 20 minutes and then rinse them off with clear water.
This not only ensures relaxation, but also supple feet.
+
Would you like a beauty treatment?
Noodle water can be used to care for skin and hair.
(icon picture)
© Annette Riedl/dpa
The pasta water is also great as a hair care product, because it acts like a treatment pack.
To do this, massage the water into your hair, leave it on for about ten minutes and then rinse thoroughly.
Then wash your hair with shampoo as usual.
However, mistakes can be made when shampooing: many have not used shampoo properly for years, as a hairdresser claims on TikTok.
5. Pasta water becomes craft glue
It's not just pasta that often sticks together in an unwelcome way.
You can even use the cooking water to make handicraft glue very easily.
Boil about 200 milliliters of pasta water again and stir in about 60 grams of sifted flour.
The cooled mass becomes viscous and can be stored in an airtight jar, for example in an old jam jar, for a while without any problems.
So you not only reused the pasta water, but also a chemical-free, non-stinky craft glue.
+
A mixture of pasta water and flour can replace craft glue.
© Henning Kaiser
There are other exciting topics related to household, advice and service on the consumer page of BW24.
