Things you didnt believe were so easy to make from scratch

[Unorganisedchaos2]

After saving for ages I finally own a kitchen aid stand mixer and Im living my middle ages dreams 😆

Had a go at making butter at the weekend and I cant believe how quick and easy it was, Im not sure I'll buy it again.

Going to give Mayonnaise a try tonight as we also get through loads of that.

Im trying to reduce our UPF's - has anyone started making things from scratch that they were surprised how easy it was?

I use this recipe, but with about half the sugar.

Limes, in place of the lemons, give it a lovely extra flavour.

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/homemade-elderflower-cordial

I knew you’d say butter before I opened this thread OP! Was so astonished at how easy it was and how it just magically happens. Also how delicious it is especially on toast. 🤤

I do, boil it down till it's an inch deep and then put it in some silicone ice trays.
Haven't tried beef as I've never been able to get a bone but I've done ham and chicken.

This is fascinating. I make stock but only to use immediatly. It never occurred to me to reduce it that much and freeze it in cubes.

I love this thread. Full of so many good ideas.

I should have also said; cheese salt is just any non iodised salt but TBH if you are eating the lot immediately as I usually am any salt is fine.
When it asks to ‘press the cheese’ I sandwich the cheesecloth bag between two chopping boards slightly tilted over the sink and weight down with anything heavy. Dumbells if you have them. Otherwise books, water bottles, tin cans, saucepan full of water etc.

you will need a thermometer though. Again easy to get online for not much money and with the rennet etc you are set to make loads of batches.

Loads of internet videos too including how to cut curds etc. once you’ve done it once it’s a doddle. Most of the time is just waiting while it does the ‘way of the cheese’.

😀

The steady heat of the SC is great for so many things. Crustless quiche, soup, cheese sauce, sweetened condensed milk fudge, even ghee (or flavoured butter as mentioned upthread).

Preserved lemons, Just lemons and salt.

https://www.maggiebeer.com.au/pages/recipes/preserved-lemons

The recipe is very forgiving. Some say to add a little sugar. I mostly do only chopped peel, and guess at the amounts of salt and juice. So far, all good. I put slivers of it in couscous, yassa and G&T.

Pickled red onions.

I just slice a red onion on a mandolin, add a pinch of sugar and some vinegar like white wine vinegar and maybe peppercorns and leave for half an hour. Voila! I use them for lots of things. Cheese and biscuits, mixed into salads, with meat.

I also do the same recipe using sliced cucumbers and put chopped dill in. Cucumber salad is good with oily fish like mackrel.

I pickle my onions too, sometimes I use lemon or lime juice. It seems to quell the impending gas & indigestion attacks.

I feel daft but this is such a revelation to me. I only ever use it to make casseroles or red cabbage. But of course it would be ideal for cheese sauce and other things you've listed. It is going to get so much more use now. Thank you @GripGetter

Wow, I've watched documentaries about the Jewish way of life & it's really interesting. Keeping Kosher looks complicated but I guess you get used to everything and adapt. Love your username, have you got a recipe to share for chrayn?

How do you make cheese sauce in a sc ?
It doesn't take long on the hob, so what is the advantage please?

@Caramelty another one who would be very grateful for your chickpea curry recipe.
I cannot make curry. Everyone says to just "put in spices", but I have no idea re quantities so need a Noddy guide to precisely how much or I just get my usual bland mush or something very unbalanced.

ETA- I do lots of these (though not bread, no self control) so will add: flavoured vodka. My favourite is raspberry. Large , empty glass bottle. Half fill with raspberries. Top up with vodka, not to the brim, but pretty much full. Add a couple of tablespoons of icing sugar (more/less depending on sweetness of fruit). Lid on, rotate bottle horizontally to mix everything together. Leave on its side in a dark place, turning a few times every week. Make when the fruit is in season, leave for a few months, I usually make it in August and open in December. Strain (saving the vodka!) into a clean bottle. My grandmother's notes state: the very boozy leftover raspberries are excellent in trifle.

Melt a measure of cream cheese in the SC with half the amount of butter. Thicken with cornflour. I use it for cauliflower and macaroni. It cooks better on a gentler heat.
I use a smaller dish inside the SC dish with a bit of water (bain marie). Saves washing up the big SC dish.
I love the SC because I can leave it to do its thing while I do other stuff.

OK I might be cooking that later.

For anyone else critiquing the curry recipes there is more than one way to skin a cat.

Burmese style curry you basically blend onion and garlic to a paste and start with that.

@drspouse you can normally get bones from a butcher or a market but you might want it to be chopped in to pieces. I once bought two cow thigh bones for a friends dogs. The dogs were westies and you have never seen more westie tail wagging in your life.

If a supermarket has a decent meat selection then they may have an actual butcher who is probably bored with the usual work and would love to get something more interesting.

There was a time I would have said buy an oxtail but these days it costs a fortune, although if you cooked oxtail as a meal and then used the left over bones that would work.

How odd my post above was written 24 hours ago but only just posted.

@Eastendboysandwestendgirls Have a look at Madhur Jaffrey, I got her book decades ago.

It is based on the letters her mother sent her when she first moved to London, MJ wanted home cooked food but didn't know how. You can get a second hand copy for £2-£3.

www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=19509320024&dest=gbr&ref_=ps_ggl_2039220669&cm_mmc=ggl--UK_Shopp_Tradestandard--product_id=UK9780563164913USED-_-keyword=&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=2039220669&gbraid=0AAAAAD3Y6gsC9MNC-q63k57RhKjIrrW6Q&gclid=CjwKCAjwprjDBhBTEiwA1m1d0mtoM5YLkWpYfCL6sHqVxYpf4AmajxI0U7SGBKrUycpOguYm3lKU8RoCd2kQAvD_BwE

@Eastendboysandwestendgirls I wouldn't trust anyone who just says "to just put in spices". Sounds like a recipe for disaster. There are some lovely and easy curry recipes - I would always follow one until I was really comfortable I knew what I was doing. If you fancy treating yourself I would splash out on this and you'll be set for life!
https://www.thespicery.com/how-to-be-a-curry-legend-cookbook-kit

I agree with mayonnaise and granola.

I have made my own butter but only tend to do it when cream is on offer.

A few years ago I discovered how easy lemon curd was to make - and it’s so much better than anything you can buy.

It may not be ‘authentic’ but Mary Berry has an excellent recipe for a lamb rogan Josh curry. You make the paste from about 8 spices, tomato puree and vegetable oil, it’s blended together on the hob then slow cooked in the oven. Then yoghurt is added at the end. I’ve made lots of curries but this one is really easy and a real crowd pleaser, it’s great for someone who’s a bit nervous about making a curry.

That's a new one on me !

I was wondering how you made a roux etc for a traditional cheese sauce.

I have just spent way to long thinking who the feck eats mayonnaise and granola.

Light bulb . . . . . Ooohh mayonnaise and granola, not mayonnaise with granola doh !

I make my own pickles it's time consuming but I sit at the dinning table with a Audio book on and spend a couple of hrs doing it.
I tend to do about 1 k of shallots but any amount will do .
1st make sure you have a large enough suitable jar to put them in.
Kilner jars are ideal .

Trim the top of the shallots taking off as little as possible, then trim the root , just the hairy bit it's important that you leave the root as intact as possible otherwise it falls apart in the vinegar.

In either a large tray , plastic bag , box layer salt - onion - salt , the onions need to be completely covered .
Leave them in that for a few hrs or overnight.

Gently warm some malt vinegar in a pan ( for 1k of onions you will need approx 500ml of vinegar but it obviously depends on the size of your jar)
To the vinegar add 2x Bay leaves, 1 table spoon of whole peppercorn, 1 table spoon of mustard seeds and 2 or 3 split birds eye chillies. .
Take the onions out of the salt , give them a very quick rinse and dry them thoroughly.
Put them in your jar and cover with spiced vinegar .
They are ready to eat in about 2 weeks but will keep well for many months.
The salt can be reused lots of times , but don't be tempted to reuse the vinegar it has to much water in it and the onions will go soggy.

Oh and (duh!) melt in yer grated cheese at the end. I often add a bit of blue cheese from my freezer stash.
No roux needed.

@DeanStockwelll I make pickled onions too. One time I ran out of pickling vinegar and the only other vinegar in the house was raspberry so I topped up with that.

They were the best pickles ever.

@sashh , have you tried Garners raspberry pickled onion ? It's unusual but very nice , they also do a blueberry one too but I haven't tried that one.

@minnienono what’s your method for making hummus with an immersion (stick) blender? I used to make hummus all the time when I had a regular food processor but haven’t in years. I keep thinking an immersion blender in a bowl would splatter everywhere.