Before you do your shopping
Mar. 18th, 2010 08:04 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jamethiel posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
actyourwageThis is really prep for the week ahead. This is one of those things that I've found that is so much cheaper to do yourself, there's really no contest. It will require a bit of freezer room, or you can do it in smaller quantities and put it in the fridge. It'll keep at least for a couple of days and one of my tips for not buying take-away is soup, so you'll use it then.
Are you ready? The first part of the challenge, should you choose to accept it is:
MAKE YOUR OWN STOCK.
If you've made your own stock before, just skip past this bit. It's just a guide for people who have never done it before
Now, I want you to go to your fridge and pantry. Usually, you shouldn't have to buy anything for this beyond bones but you might have to just this first week because you possibly won't have vegetable scraps saved.
What veges do you have? Do you have some tomatoes that are a bit mushy? Broccoli where you're going to use the florets later on but there's a whole stem that you're just going to throw out? Every single vegetable that you have that might be a bit dubious, throw into the largest pot you have. Or your crockpot/slowcooker.
This is really a recipe that you make with what you've got on hand. Caveat: Do not throw anything that is growing mould or is at the brown stage of slimy in there. Cut the slime/mould off with a margin of an inch or so and only use the good portions.
In later weeks, what I'll get you to do is save things like carrot tops and onion skins that you're just going to throw away. Put them in a large bowl in the fridge and on stock day, just chuck them in. You can save any scraps, even potato peel (although only keep that for a day or so as it goes bad).
A side note. I'm fairly passionate about food. As such, I will recommend that you actually go to a butcher for meat. Butchers have better quality meat and they're knowledgeable about their product. It's also usually the same price or cheaper than supermarket stuff for better quality. They will do a lot of the prep work for you if you ask. You can get cuts of meat there that you just can't find at a supermarket. If you spend time developing a relationship with your butcher, they will actually set meat aside for you if they know that you buy it regularly.
The other thing to do is go to a specialty fruit and vege store. If you don't have sufficient scraps, ask a staff member for any offcuts they have. Don't grab lettuce (bitter) or tomato leaves (poisonous), but anything other than that (carrot tops, pumpkin skin, the paper from onions, stalks of broccoli, stalks of parsley, turnip tops) is fair game. It's best if you don't ask for that off the bat. But if you're a regular customer, just mention to them "Oh, hey. I'm cooking stock Thursday next week. Can I get you to save me a bucket of offcuts for Thursday?" and they should be happy to do so.
Now, think about what dishes you're going to cook next week. Do you want to cook a beef or lamb stew? Get some beef bones. I'm going to recommend you cook soup and most of my soups use chicken or vegetable stock. Go to your butchers today and ask for some bones. In Australia, they shouldn't cost more than a $5. If they try to sell you bones for $5 or more, say "This is not for my dog. I'm cooking stock with this. I don't care if there's meat on it or not. I don't care how scrappy it is. Just give me some offcuts, please" and they should be able to help you. If they don't have cheap beef bones, find another butcher. You should be able to get chicken necks for no more than $1 or $2 a kilo
If you have cooked something that has bones in it during the week, SAVE THEM. Put them in a plastic bag and chuck them in the freezer. It doesn't matter if they're covered in casserole sauce, it'll just add flavour. Likewise with roast chicken. Depending on your squeamishness, you may want to stop the people you cook for from gnawing on the bones, although they're going to be boiled to death, so.
The basic recipe is "throw in a pot. Add some herbs, spices and salt. Simmer for 4-6 hours. Cool down and refrigerate for 24 hours. Skim the fat off and store in cup portions in the freezer" but for those of you who are less confident with cooking.
INGREDIENTS FOR BASIC VEGETABLE STOCK
1-2 onions
6 cloves of garlic
A tablespoon of peppercorns
2 bay leaves
a bunch of parsley
a couple of sprigs of thyme
3 carrots
1 tablespoon of salt
Potato peel or 1 potato
Random vegetables. I make sure I have something from each colour. Usually broccoli for the green, a capsicum (sweet pepper?) for the red and squash or pumpkin for the yellow/orange.
For meat stock, 1-2 kilos of bones.
Cut the onions in half but do not peel. Smash the garlic with the flat of your knife but don't peel. Cut stuff in half so there's a cut surface exposed to the liquid but don't cut it beyond that unless you need to chop it to fit it into the pot.
Add the whole lot to the biggest pot you have or your crockpot/slow cooker. Cover with water. Bring up to the boil, then simmer for 6 or so hours. If you're using a crockpot, put it on overnight and you'll have stock in the morning.
Refrigerate. Pick any congealed fat off the top and strain. Discard the solids.
If you don't have sufficient containers to freeze it in cup portions, use small plastic bags.
For around $6, or less if you had leftover bones, you've made something that will last you for weeks, that uses leftovers frugally and that would have cost you $12 or more to buy a liquid stock in the supermarket. And I can't tell you how much better it is than powdered stock.
Let me know if you decide to do it, and how it goes!
Are you ready? The first part of the challenge, should you choose to accept it is:
MAKE YOUR OWN STOCK.
If you've made your own stock before, just skip past this bit. It's just a guide for people who have never done it before
Now, I want you to go to your fridge and pantry. Usually, you shouldn't have to buy anything for this beyond bones but you might have to just this first week because you possibly won't have vegetable scraps saved.
What veges do you have? Do you have some tomatoes that are a bit mushy? Broccoli where you're going to use the florets later on but there's a whole stem that you're just going to throw out? Every single vegetable that you have that might be a bit dubious, throw into the largest pot you have. Or your crockpot/slowcooker.
This is really a recipe that you make with what you've got on hand. Caveat: Do not throw anything that is growing mould or is at the brown stage of slimy in there. Cut the slime/mould off with a margin of an inch or so and only use the good portions.
In later weeks, what I'll get you to do is save things like carrot tops and onion skins that you're just going to throw away. Put them in a large bowl in the fridge and on stock day, just chuck them in. You can save any scraps, even potato peel (although only keep that for a day or so as it goes bad).
A side note. I'm fairly passionate about food. As such, I will recommend that you actually go to a butcher for meat. Butchers have better quality meat and they're knowledgeable about their product. It's also usually the same price or cheaper than supermarket stuff for better quality. They will do a lot of the prep work for you if you ask. You can get cuts of meat there that you just can't find at a supermarket. If you spend time developing a relationship with your butcher, they will actually set meat aside for you if they know that you buy it regularly.
The other thing to do is go to a specialty fruit and vege store. If you don't have sufficient scraps, ask a staff member for any offcuts they have. Don't grab lettuce (bitter) or tomato leaves (poisonous), but anything other than that (carrot tops, pumpkin skin, the paper from onions, stalks of broccoli, stalks of parsley, turnip tops) is fair game. It's best if you don't ask for that off the bat. But if you're a regular customer, just mention to them "Oh, hey. I'm cooking stock Thursday next week. Can I get you to save me a bucket of offcuts for Thursday?" and they should be happy to do so.
Now, think about what dishes you're going to cook next week. Do you want to cook a beef or lamb stew? Get some beef bones. I'm going to recommend you cook soup and most of my soups use chicken or vegetable stock. Go to your butchers today and ask for some bones. In Australia, they shouldn't cost more than a $5. If they try to sell you bones for $5 or more, say "This is not for my dog. I'm cooking stock with this. I don't care if there's meat on it or not. I don't care how scrappy it is. Just give me some offcuts, please" and they should be able to help you. If they don't have cheap beef bones, find another butcher. You should be able to get chicken necks for no more than $1 or $2 a kilo
If you have cooked something that has bones in it during the week, SAVE THEM. Put them in a plastic bag and chuck them in the freezer. It doesn't matter if they're covered in casserole sauce, it'll just add flavour. Likewise with roast chicken. Depending on your squeamishness, you may want to stop the people you cook for from gnawing on the bones, although they're going to be boiled to death, so.
The basic recipe is "throw in a pot. Add some herbs, spices and salt. Simmer for 4-6 hours. Cool down and refrigerate for 24 hours. Skim the fat off and store in cup portions in the freezer" but for those of you who are less confident with cooking.
INGREDIENTS FOR BASIC VEGETABLE STOCK
1-2 onions
6 cloves of garlic
A tablespoon of peppercorns
2 bay leaves
a bunch of parsley
a couple of sprigs of thyme
3 carrots
1 tablespoon of salt
Potato peel or 1 potato
Random vegetables. I make sure I have something from each colour. Usually broccoli for the green, a capsicum (sweet pepper?) for the red and squash or pumpkin for the yellow/orange.
For meat stock, 1-2 kilos of bones.
Cut the onions in half but do not peel. Smash the garlic with the flat of your knife but don't peel. Cut stuff in half so there's a cut surface exposed to the liquid but don't cut it beyond that unless you need to chop it to fit it into the pot.
Add the whole lot to the biggest pot you have or your crockpot/slow cooker. Cover with water. Bring up to the boil, then simmer for 6 or so hours. If you're using a crockpot, put it on overnight and you'll have stock in the morning.
Refrigerate. Pick any congealed fat off the top and strain. Discard the solids.
If you don't have sufficient containers to freeze it in cup portions, use small plastic bags.
For around $6, or less if you had leftover bones, you've made something that will last you for weeks, that uses leftovers frugally and that would have cost you $12 or more to buy a liquid stock in the supermarket. And I can't tell you how much better it is than powdered stock.
Let me know if you decide to do it, and how it goes!
(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-17 10:49 pm (UTC)One trick I know: if you use stock in small amounts at a time (e.g. if you live on your own), it can be a good plan to freeze it in ice cube trays. Then you can just pop out however many cubes you need.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-18 01:44 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-18 12:26 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-18 01:45 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-18 02:18 am (UTC)(However, this will be handy while I'm home. I can make stock for the apartment.)
(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-18 07:24 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-18 08:07 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-18 08:52 am (UTC)(My grandma's house constantly had a pot of stock on the stove. Every night, some of the solids would be strained out, then that night's leftovers would be put in. Then the whole lot would be boiled up, and it would spend the day bubbling away on the stove. It was never refrigerated, which makes me CRINGE to think of potential microbes, but she chucked a bottle of brandy in there every week. It was the Best Stock Ever. So tasty.)
I should add--this is a very, VERY low sodium version. You may completely want to put more salt in. Just adjust it to taste.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-18 09:33 am (UTC)Very low sodium version is perfect, actually, as housemate has to limit her sodium intake.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-18 05:36 pm (UTC)I've also been known to make double stock when I'm feeling particularly
boredambitious: make stock on Saturday, then make it again on Sunday, using the previous stock as most or all of the water. It intensifies the flavors.And then this comment grew too large to leave here, so I posted it on my journal if anyone wants to click over and read my blatherings on the topic.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-18 07:51 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-18 07:56 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-18 05:53 pm (UTC)I like to add mushroom stems (cleaned off first) or the old, kind of shriveled before they got used, mushrooms out of the fridge for some flavour and some colour help. Creminis work well for this.
Another flavour enhancer for all-veggie stock is Marmite* (use very sparingly!) and it will add a nice golden tone to the stock too.
*I mean the British product of this name which is a yeast extract produced as a side product of brewing. The NZ/Australian version of the product sounds very different, but Vegemite looks very similar to what I use.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-18 07:47 pm (UTC)I never thought that the colour could be offputting. Those are some good tips!
(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-19 06:41 am (UTC)Don't forget you can use ice cube trays too to freeze stock in smaller portions.One of the mistakes I made was to freeze a big bag of stock. I never used it because it was so big, so unmanageable.I use stock to poach food in as well as for stews/soups. If you brown beef or fish on both sides, then put some stock in the pan with a bit of water and/or about 1/4 to 1/3 cup wine/beer (usually left over or too old to drink), let it cook on medium heat until done (usually only a few minutes for fish so turn it down a bit lower than medium).