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.

For those who are still going to supermarkets Lidl currently have a sprouter for £1.99 which also comes with a pack of seeds. Bean sprouts are really nutritious so a bag of mung beans would give you masses and masses of bean sprouts for very little outlay

Pearl barley doesn't take that long to cook but I've never tried making risotto with it. I use it as I would use rice, and have always eaten it.

Ooh yes, bread pudding can be lush! Specially with some currants and a bit of cream.

Here's my fave. Serves 4.

2 oz butter
6 slices of white bread (no crusts)
2 oz sultanas
2 oz caster sugar (can use granulated if necess)
three-quarters of a pint of milk
quarter of a pint of single cream
3 beaten eggs
grated rind of half a lemon (optional)
nutmeg

Butter the bread generously with the 2 oz of butter, cut it into strips and lay it in a shallow, ovenproof dish, butter-side up. Sprinkle sultanas and sugar, then add another layer of the bread. Repeat, finishing with a layer of bread at the top.

Heat the milk and cream to nearly boiling, stir in the eggs and lemon rind. Pour over the bread, sprinkle with nutmeg and leave to stand for 20 mins to soak in.

Bake for 30-40 mins at 350 F / 180 C until the custardy bit is set and the top is crisp.

I love pearl barley used to bulk out stews. But what you really need is the MN thread about Pearl Fucking Barley.

A white knuckle ride of a thread about PEARL BARLEY
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/mumsnet_classics/1141078-A-white-knuckle-ride-of-a-thread-about-PEARL-BARLEY

By don't throw them! Chuck them in a stock!

For those of us that eat tofu and tempeh, these can both be frozen too. The key to freezing things is to take as much air out as possible then things are less like to get freezer burn and ice crystals forming.

Thanks MauriceandAlec

I can't unfortunately use a lot of these good ideas because I'm a really fussy eater but picking up tips here and there. Bread and butter pudding is a brilliant idea and I love bread pudding too.

I've had a bag of strong flour and a packet of yeast sitting in my cupboard for ages, maybe now's the time to give bread making a go though not sure I've got the strength for all the kneading.

For bread makers, did you know that if you ask nicely at a Tesco bread counter, they will give you a lump of fresh yeast? Or they used to, not so sure in these unusual times.

Sainsburys used to have yeast at the bread counter too Silvery.
If you've run out of yeast you can always make your own sour dough starter, though it takes a few days to get going. Once made though, it's perpetual, as you save some each time to use for the next batch.

Or soda bread is an option too.

I've just had a thought. All the rats and seagulls that normally live off discarded pizza and chips will be getting hungry. Hmmm. Maybe buy a rat trap.

Thanks for the pink, perking

Friggin needed that

Pink? Pink???

LINK

'It's a bit like eating wet cotton wool buds, without the sticks'

Gold

-use ends of bread
could chop/cube and fry as croutons in a little oil and add to vegetable soup?

My mum told me last night to take my potatoes out of the plastic they come in and put them in a pillow case
See, not heard of this specifically but makes sense - veg etc tends to sweat in plastic if not opened up so a pillow case would be more breathable lol.

YY to croutons, no pea soup is complete without croutons! They can also be added to salad for some crunch, think Caesar salad!

Make stews more hearty with dumplings or a scone topping known as cobbler.

Leftover wraps, I took two yesterday, sandwiched them with a slice of ham and some grated cheese and dry cooked in a frying pan. Very good, akin to a toastie.

Gave a whole new meaning to PFB for months, managedmis.

Stilton/blue cheese can be cubed and frozen.
Then, any left over green veg, including mange tout, broccoli, washed salad leaves (if starting to go past their best) and broccoli stalks can be boiled with stock and a couple of spoonfuls of porridge oats.
When the veg is soft, add cubed frozen blue cheese, cook for 5-10 mins more, then blitz/blend when cooler.
Tastes just like posh broccoli and Stilton soup with cream, but uses up any old green veg and broccoli stalks. Can also be frozen.

Go through your cans and jars and write the bbf with a sharpie on top so you can see at a glance what to use first.
Write a list on the freezer door of what’s inside and where, so you’re not standing there with the door open thinking and searching. And be diligent about crossing off what you use.
If you can’t get out for a while to get supplies, aim to work through fresh first, then frozen and dried/ canned goods last (roughly speaking).
Use a wee bit less than normal every time, and as a pp mentioned, if we’re not getting exercise a bit less food might be a good thing.
If you use a jar or can and there’s a bit left inside, add a bit of water and give it a swirl and put it in the pot. The extra water will boil off. Use a rubber spatula to scrape out jars, bowls and pots. There’s usually an extra spoonful smeared on.
If you cook pasta for dinner, save the water and add the veg stalks, left overs, stock and seasoning for soup the next day. Any carb cooked in water will do, or you can use the stock from boiling ham etc. There’s often a free lunch in the scraps from dinner.
Freeze in small portions so you only defrost what you need. When you freeze sausages, chopped veg, fruit etc spread it out on a tray and flash freeze then transfer to a box/bag and it won’t stick together in a big lump. If you freeze liquids remember they will expand so check they have space in the container.
Keep the freezer full to keep energy costs down- wrap things in newspaper to take up more space as it gets depleted or just stuff paper in the gaps.
In terms of what you can freeze the basic rule is: If you intend cooking it you can freeze it- if you want to eat it raw it may not have a perfect texture when you defrost it.

I've just had a reread of this thread and thought it might be useful to bump it now, as times get slightly stranger again and the colder weather comes.