making food last longer/cutting waste

[HelloMist]

Please point me in the right direction if there is a thread like this already. (there may be some pre-Covid threads about being frugal or reducing waste too).

Can we collect some tips for making food/household products last longer? And maybe meal ideas with what random items/cupboard basics we have left if we can't buy what we normally do. I'm worried seeing the supermarkets and online deliveries struggle with stock but would like to think about what I can do in a positive way and stay calm about it.

Hoping to keep this thread free of stockpiling debates or negative news. Thank you! :)

I'll start:

• use ends of bread?
• I like coffee but am starting to use a cheaper jar when I have a 3rd or 4th cup in the day, to save my favourite for first morning cup
• varying what we eat for breakfast as we might run out of favourites (peanut butter, milk)
• before all this I already tried to freeze surplus meat etc and write a clear list with dates so hopefully I can end up using it for other meals rather than throwing away. I'm freezing things like passata when I open it too.

Freeze bananas. You can make banana and date cake, or this great BBC recipe www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/microwave-banana-pudding
Use yoghurt near it's best before date mixed with fruit to make ice lollies.
If using tinned tom puree freeze contents of half used jar in ice cube tray.
If using fresh ginger, peel and chop into thumb-sized pieces and freeze. you can grate from frozen.
If you make your own bread and can't get yeast, make a sour dough starter (found loads of recipes on the internet and have been making sourdough bread for the past few months).
Freeze bread and take out a slice as you need it (stops the half a loaf going stale).

Make a list of what you have in your cupboards and freezer. You'd be amazed what you forget you have. Then meal plan every week. Make a note of the dishes your family like. I keep a spreadsheet of meals so if I am out of inspiration I can pick some from there.

I like to bake with butter. I buy it and freeze it when it is cheap. However, for economy purposes, I also buy blocks of baking margarine which can keep in the cupboard. Just in case. I bake with half and half.

Sorry, I seem to be filling up the thread! When I make pastry, I make double the quantity and pop one in the freezer for another day.

When I use the oven, I try to cook more than one thing at a time in it, so it doesn't cost as much. So a cake and pie, or two lasagnes (one for the freezer).

I am using my Mum's old cookery book from the 1970's which uses less exotic ingredients. I'm thinking that we may have to change our buying habits to be more local and seasonal. I found a delicious recipe for baked cabbage with sugar paprika and cheese and cream the other day.

Fantastic thread. I’ve been gradually improving at this recently but am being much more vigilant now.

We always end up with bread and ham going bad so I’m going to make up some cheese and ham sandwiches to freeze that can then be put in the sandwich toaster

Also got some celery and onion that I’ll chop and freeze bits of as they make a good sauce base

Broccoli and cauliflower stems are great in stir frys

Ooh ready to cook toasties! Yum.

Tortilla wraps make great pizza bases just remember to not take your eye off them whilst grilling! and folded in half with filling in you can dry fry them for a kind of toastie.

My mum always used to save me the stalk from broccoli and cauliflower :o I’d just eat it raw once peeled

Eat veg and fruit with skins on as much as possible. If you can’t preserve / pickle / cook / compost them. My gran used to make a curry with banana skins - will need to dig out the recipe.

Odds / ends can be frozen and reused in veg / meat stocks.

Bolognese that is made up of a proportion of stock uses less tomato / meat / veg.

Question - can I make rice pudding with regular rice? And is it easy to do on the pan? Does someone have an easy recipe?

After years of hating the stuff thanks to school dinners I had it last year in a fine dining restaurant. Oh. My. Lord. It was incredible. Probably due to a shit tonne of cream But it seems like it could be a cheap and seriously comforting treat.

Oh another tip ...if you make a white sauce for lasagna etc and have left overs it freezes really well and once defrosted and on cauliflower with some cheese bunged on top, cooks very nicely.

If anyone is stuck I have a pretty detailed book on what can be frozen, and what shouldn't so feel free to ask. I'm self isolating and exhausted but will answer as soon as I can.

You can make nettle soup from stinging nettles and if this lasts long enough blackberries and damsons

Question - can I make rice pudding with regular rice? And is it easy to do on the pan? Does someone have an easy recipe?

Is there any other way to make it? Indian / pakistani / bangladeshi kheer is made with any rice that is available.

For honey & lemon hot drinks if we don't have any fresh lemons... I've juiced older fresh lemons and put them in the ice cube tray then a small freezer bag.

I'm missing out bits of the meal. Like mince, potatoes and peas. Not bothering with either the peas or potatoes

Grumpy I've often heard of using a slow cooker (don't have one) and I've seen pudding rice so wondered if the normal stuff is ok.

I know I could google a recipe but I was being lazy

If you have left over mash mix it with fried onions, garlic, chilie, bacon or whatever is at hand, then spread it on a tortilla 1-5cm layer depending on taste and put another tortilla on top. Heat it both sides on a frying pan and cut it in triangles, it's actually very delicious.

I have posted this before, but making pasta is easy. You don't need eggs just flour, water and veg. Oil. Roll the dough as thin as you can, put flour on top so it doesn't stick and fold it a couple of times. Then cut it with a knife (about 5mm stripes) and you have tagliatelli .

I made a lovely leek and potato soup with some v old veg. I plan on using all old veg this way and freezing what I don’t need.

Yes MmeAlice we are going to look at our sell-by dates in our store cupboard and do a more casual inventory and meal plan. Have discovered four existing new bags of couscous which we may trade with our neighbours [grin} or pass to food bank

You can eat dandelion leaves as crisps or a salad. If anyone is near the sea, you can make your own seaweed crisps or toppings. Look online for 'how to' for both. I have made seaweed (wrack) crisps and it is nice (do remember to rinse out the sand ). And it is supposed to be healthy .

I've just made a very budget friendly pasta and we loved it. Garlic, oil flour. Add milk. Cheese. Pasta. Sweetcorn and chilli flakes and salt. Grill for a couple of mins. It was devoured.

It's not a balanced meal but spaghetti simply with oil, garlic, chilli and cheese is very nice.

And Nigellas marmite spaghetti.

IStressheadI your DM is right, I bought a cotton bag from Poundland and use it for my potatoes.

Today I'm going into the murky depths of my chest freezer, in which I'm finding unrecognizable lumps of what were once food. All going into the food bin to make way for what will be needing to keep me going through these difficult times.

I live alone but in my next supermarket delivery I've ordered a large rib of beef and once cooked I will be slicing and freezing in gravy. Will also be making several portions of lamb shanks, bacon, gammon, chops and chipolatas, scampi, all portioned and into the freezer.

tellmewhentheLangshiplandscoz I would only make rice pudding with pudding rice, have some on order with my next delivery.

Good luck everyone.

I have lots of odd bits of those supernoodles in my cupboard (don't ask why), today I cooked some in veg stock, put an egg on top and sprinkled some sweet chilli sauce on. It was delish.
When you make bolognaise, save a couple tablespoons of the tomato sauce base to make a pizza.

Can recommend a channel on youtube called Great Depression Cooking. Recipes from a lovely lady called Clara.