Ludicrous "convenience" foods

[inmysparetime]

Chatting about pre-grated cheese got me thinking about "convenience" foods that are actually not that convenient. What foods have you seen in shops that are just as much effort as but twice the price of normal food?

I always buy frozen ready-made yorkshire puddings.

No matter what, my home made ones always turn out horrible.

The frozen ones take 4 minutes in the oven and are always perfect. What's not to like?

Things like crumble mix are good for people who do not have great dexterity in their hands to make the sort of movements required to rub in butter and flour, like arthritis for example.

That's true, Grownup2012, and I'm not disputing that at all. But surely it's not just those people who are buying it?

Probably not, but if it weren't for people wanting convenience foods it might make things like this less available, or more expensive as so much stuff is catering towards people with disabilities. So I'm glad.

Why though, rubyrubyruby? It takes less than 1 minute to rub some butter into some flour.

I could eat crumble mix, raw, out of the packet and have done many times

Have we had the chocolate cake recipe yet?

very impressed by people who can rub in crumble mix in less than a minute - I must be very slow then

(I tend to do a big batch in the food processor and freeze in little bags, but who am I to question people who would rather buy it?)

I make my own crumble because I know what is in it - butter, flour and sugar, and it is easy. I don't like making pastry so I buy it. I can make perfectly good pastry, but I find it a chore to make and roll out.

Another pastry buyer here. I make shortcrust at home but buy puff. I also buy breadcrumbs as we've broken a food processor making our own. Since being pregnant I have also started buying frozen prechopped ginger, parsley and even garlic, for when I am too tired to go out and get them fresh. Never understood pre-made mash, potatoes or risotto and had never heard of pre-made scrambled eggs...

At the risk of setting it off again, surely crumble needs oats?
Also, lazy instant crumble: drop a packet of digestives a few times

My friend used to work in a cafe where they had frozen fried egg.

Oh I hate oats in crumble, makes it too dry.

Frozen fried egg sounds disgusting. Restaurant? A bit of a fancy name for a place that can't even fry an egg!

Oops jus read it's cafe. Even so, greasy spoons can fry eggs!

Is it wrong that when I see "pepperami. It's a bit of an animal" I always think "which bit?"

Snouts and hooves

Grating cheese is one of my least favourite tasks. But I spend about 10 minutes every fortnight grating cheese into big plastic bags - decent cheddar, parmesan and sometimes other types too. Much nicer than the pre-grated stuff you can buy. Especially the parmesan.

I saw a sandwhich in a tin on TV a few days ago. Lasts for years. Looked disgusting. Unless you are an astronaut or submariner with a serious pbj habit - why?.

I think the only convenience food mentioned here that I'm a bit hmmm about is the microwave baked potato - agree that it's bogging as it's so easy to microwave a normal potato.

Otherwise, love the ready done stuff. For e.g., we have ready chopped frozen basil somewhere in the freezer which is awesome - just throw it in pasta sauces.

strawbezza do you then freeze the grated cheese? Ive a friend who freezes cheese but have never tried it myself she says its fine but Im not so sure

Now complicated pastry I do buy, life is too short to make your own puff/filo pastry!