Uber cheap recipe! (and a question for you)

[Narnia_girl]

So many recipes call for chicken or vegetable stock/broth. These can be expensive so a lot cooks make their own to save money. I recently found a recipe that to create vegetable stock for almost nothing. It's called Scrappy Vegetable Stock and I was amazed at how well it turned out. The recipe is from Poor Girl Eats Well blog.

Basically it utilizes vegetable trimmings/pieces that you might have otherwise thrown away. It's perfect for summer harvest time.

The recipe follows below, but it's part of my overall question--What habits do you have that help you not waste food?
I threw away 10 eggs tonight because they were so far past their date (3.5 weeks) Some months we eat a lot of eggs but not others. I hate to waste that food. So enjoy this recipe if you want and please share any ideas you have to prevent food waste.
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Vegetable Scrap Stock (makes about 3 quarts, cost per quart about $0.01)

Step 1 – Get Scrappy
I keep a one-gallon-size zip-top bag in my freezer, and add my vegetable trimmings anytime I cook. Once the bag is full — which happens surprisingly quickly — it’s time to make stock! (I actually wait until I have two bags full.)

Also, if I find veggies in my fridge that are “on their way out” but not actually spoiled yet, I may toss it into the freezer bag if it would end up going to waste otherwise.

The best scraps to use include: Onions, garlic, carrots, celery, parsley, leeks, chard, mushrooms, scallions, potato peelings, lettuce, eggplant, zucchini, green beans, and bell peppers.
Other good scraps to include — but will impart more specific flavors, so be careful — include: Asparagus, parsnips, squash, fennel, corn cobs, pea pods, and cilantro.

Scraps to avoid: Turnips, cabbages, brussels sprouts (these all get bitter), and anything already rotting that you wouldn’t eat otherwise.

Step 2 – Boil ‘em!
Fill a large pot halfway with water, about 3-4 quarts, and bring to a boil. Drop in all the vegetable scraps and bring back to boiling.

Step 3 – Simmer & Season
Once the pot returns to boiling, you may want to add some seasonings. Good options include thyme, basil, and a bay leaf or two. I also add one or two teaspoons of kosher salt (remember, though — it’s easier to add more salt later than to take out too much!)
Simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Simmering longer won’t extract any more flavor, unlike when making meat stocks.

Step 4 – Strain
Allow to cool for a few minutes. Carefully scoop out the larger vegetable scraps with a slotted spoon, placing in a large bowl so they can cool. Next, take a fine-meshed strainer or colander lined with cheesecloth, and carefully pour the remaining broth through the strainer into another pot.

Step 5 – Chill Out
Let everything cool to room temperature, which will take an hour or two. Give the broth a taste and add any additional salt or seasonings as desired.
Discard the vegetable scraps (compost, anyone?). Then measure out the stock in 2- or 4-cup increments, and freeze in individual containers, being sure to leave a little bit of headroom for it to expand when it freezes.

 

[annsteere]

Did you test the eggs or just assume they were too old?

Eggs kept in the fridge last a l-o-n-g time past their date. If you crack one open and it smells off, then you know it is time to toss them.

If you have eggs that are starting to seem old to you, hard boil them to get yourself another week. Or, freeze them in an ice cube tray. (Stirr with a fork to blend white and yolk before freezing and again when thawed.)

I tried a new recipe last night. Since I wasn't sure we'd like it, I made only a 1/2 recipe and filled in with a big salad. That way, if it isn't a hit, we only have to eat it once and don't face a choice between mediocre leftovers or waste.

 

[Narnia_girl]

Did you test the eggs or just assume they were too old?


I tried a new recipe last night. Since I wasn't sure we'd like it, I made only a 1/2 recipe and filled in with a big salad. That way, if it isn't a hit, we only have to eat it once and don't face a choice between mediocre leftovers or waste.

I didn't test it, but my husband cracked one in the dog's dish and he only ate half. Maybe that's the doggy freshness test? But you are right, I should test them.

And great idea about making half a recipe to trial!

 

[2BigKIdz]

Eggs keep well past their posted date. There is a simple test to tell if an egg is still ok or not.

- Fill a bowl with cold water and place your first egg inside. If the egg sinks to the bottom, it's fresh. If the egg sinks to the bottom, but stands on its point, it's still good but needs to be used soon. If the egg floats to the top, it needs to be discarded - repeat with each egg

I have been using this trick for awhile and it has never failed me. My husband goes thru spells where he eats eggs often and then doesn't so I was throwing away whole cartons of eggs at times.

 

[mrsabbott]

We have used the water trick many times!

 

[Malibustyle23]

I don't have a whole lot of groceries in my house. I sit down every week ( or whenever I do my grocery trip) and make a menu for the entire week that includes breakfast, lunch and dinner for everyday of the week. I do this using the sale paper and plan my meals around what is on sale and what I already have in the pantry, fridge and freezer.

It is slightly time consuming but since I started this detailed planning my spending has reduced along with our waste. Now I feel very lost if I go without an organized list and menu.

If there is a day where a meal doesn't get made it can go to the end of the week to stretch out the time before shopping again. Before I start a new list I go through my ingredients on hand that are left over and incorporate them into the next week's menus.

 

[Narnia_girl]

Eggs keep well past their posted date. There is a simple test to tell if an egg is still ok or not.

- Fill a bowl with cold water and place your first egg inside. If the egg sinks to the bottom, it's fresh. If the egg sinks to the bottom, but stands on its point, it's still good but needs to be used soon. If the egg floats to the top, it needs to be discarded - repeat with each egg

I have been using this trick for awhile and it has never failed me. My husband goes thru spells where he eats eggs often and then doesn't so I was throwing away whole cartons of eggs at times.

I should try this. These eggs were dated June 3 and I threw them out June 30. I feel like even if they would have tested fresh I would have been too leery of eating them.

I don't have a whole lot of groceries in my house. I sit down every week ( or whenever I do my grocery trip) and make a menu for the entire week that includes breakfast, lunch and dinner for everyday of the week. I do this using the sale paper and plan my meals around what is on sale and what I already have in the pantry, fridge and freezer.

It is slightly time consuming but since I started this detailed planning my spending has reduced along with our waste. Now I feel very lost if I go without an organized list and menu.

If there is a day where a meal doesn't get made it can go to the end of the week to stretch out the time before shopping again. Before I start a new list I go through my ingredients on hand that are left over and incorporate them into the next week's menus.

Also a great idea.