Frugal Cooking Tips

MurdyWurdy · 16-12-2013 12:52am #1

I know that the cooking forum has some info about cooking cheaply but I thought maybe a thread about ways to save money with food etc would go down well.

My tip I recently discovered is that you can freeze whole lemons and limes. I have a chest freezer so try to stock up on things on special. Aldi regularly have a lemon/lime tray (3 lemons and 2 limes) in their super 6 for 39c.

Just run the lemon under the hot tap when you need it. Lemons are great for cleaning too (you can rub them on light bulbs to make a room smell nice!). My freezer smells nice now because of all the bags of lemons

If you see chillis or peppers on special they can also be frozen and defrosted by putting them under running water.

rawn · 03-01-2014 3:03am

I freeze lemons and put them into my glass of water (or vodka, teehee) instead of ice. Doesn't water it down but tastes lovely. Same with grapes. I also freeze leftover fresh herbs in olive oil in ice cube trays, then fry them in a dish that asks for oil and herbs, I fry them with garlic and onions usually. Mmmm... frugality

Also a well known practice already but still surprises me that a lot of people never think of this: Buy a whole chicken, you can get a 2kg stuffed chicken in Tesci for ~€4.50, roast it, let it cool, strip it, then use the chicken on the day or freeze it to use in curry or for sandwiches during the week. I then use the bones to make chicken stock (which can also be frozen) and the oil that runs off, I use to fry bread in for a fried cheese sandwich. Mmmm... who's hungry

dudara · 03-01-2014 12:08pm

Have a fridge day once or twice a week where you don't buy anything but instead make a meal entirely from leftovers and odds & ends in the fridge & cupboards. It's great for cleaning out bits.

draiochtanois · 03-01-2014 12:11pm

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deelite · 03-01-2014 12:21pm

I make bread crumbs out of stale bread and freeze.

ElleEm · 03-01-2014 1:57pm

draiochtanois wrote: »

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www.supercook.com is a great site for that. You put in all the ingredients you have and specify if you want a starter, main or dessert and it generates a recipe for you.

livinsane · 04-01-2014 7:22pm

Buy a slow cooker so you can get the most out of cheap cuts of meat.

Eat food in season. Better quality and cheaper. BBC Food website is great for finding out what is in season and recipes to go with.

Cook in bulk and freeze what you won't eat.

Keep a log of what's in your cupboards/fridge/freezer.

Victoria Fortescue · 05-01-2014 2:27am

Love this forum. It really resets your thinking about food expenditure and honestly speaking, the waste involved in the modern day house hold. I would have been of the 'waste not want not era', and told to clear our plates. These days so much goes in the bin (or brown bin), when a lot of it can be frozen and re-used for another meal at a later stage, or even stocks and soups. This forum set me scouring the internet all evening (to this point :eek:) for ways of lowering food expenditure. I found this little diagram on a website; basic but it's a good guideline I think for those only starting out living a little more frugally. Its from a UK/NI site love food hate waste, which I thought was an interesting read and it gives some recipes too (in keeping with the frugal cooking theme of the thread).

Lyssa · 06-01-2014 12:32am

These are american sites I think, but I like them

Freezer meals on the cheap.

Slow-cooker freezer cooking

I try to do something similar sometimes... I buy meat and veg, and cook for the freezer, big lasagne, shepherds pies, casseroles,.. I bulk out everything with tins of mixed beans, lentils, or kidney beans etc, and when there's some veggies etc leftover, I make up some pastry and make some quiches. All goes in the freezer in portions, ready to be taken out as needed.

Witchie · 07-01-2014 2:00am

rawn wrote: »

I freeze lemons and put them into my glass of water (or vodka, teehee) instead of ice. Doesn't water it down but tastes lovely. Same with grapes. I also freeze leftover fresh herbs in olive oil in ice cube trays, then fry them in a dish that asks for oil and herbs, I fry them with garlic and onions usually. Mmmm... frugality

Must try that with the lemons and herbs. I buy root ginger and cut it into approx 1 inch pieces and then freeze coz most recipes call for an inch. Then defrost as needed.

ElleEm · 07-01-2014 9:06am

If you keep a whole ginger root in the freezer, it grates so easily.

Makood · 07-01-2014 6:15pm

dudara wrote: »

Have a fridge day once or twice a week where you don't buy anything but instead make a meal entirely from leftovers and odds & ends in the fridge & cupboards. It's great for cleaning out bits.

My mother calls this a sh1t dinner-every Monday. Best dinner of the week!

Lyssa · 07-01-2014 6:25pm

Makood wrote: »

My mother calls this a sh1t dinner-every Monday. Best dinner of the week!

It's called Fruits of the Freezer in my house

rawn · 07-01-2014 6:35pm

Sometime the best meals are the ones you make with weird combinations of stuff haha. When our presses are getting full we refuse to buy anything for the week and just use it all up. Usually ends up being some sort of coddle or stew or casserole

Victoria Fortescue · 07-01-2014 8:24pm

rawn wrote: »

Sometime the best meals are the ones you make with weird combinations of stuff haha. When our presses are getting full we refuse to buy anything for the week and just use it all up. Usually ends up being some sort of coddle or stew or casserole

There is nothing more satisfying than being able to rustle something out of bits and pieces you have

I grow as much of my own fruit and veg as I can, but my garden is small, and I'm not what you might call self-sufficient. Saves some money here and there and obviously freshly picked is nicer.

I was in Dunnes earlier and they were selling nets of onions for 38 cent, nets of easy peeler oranges for 73 cent, cabbage for 48 cent, and a net of swedes for 68 cent. I'll be freezing what I don't use.

I've managed to get 2 slow cooker dinners to last 4 days, so I'm happy with that. I'll have to do something new tomorrow or there will be complaints :pac:

rawn · 07-01-2014 8:28pm

Victoria Fortescue wrote: »

There is nothing more satisfying than being able to rustle something out of bits and pieces you have I grow as much of my own fruit and veg as I can, but my garden is small, and I'm not what you might call self-sufficient. Saves some money here and there and obviously freshly picked is nicer.

I was in Dunnes earlier and they were selling nets of onions for 38 cent, nets of easy peeler oranges for 73 cent, cabbage for 48 cent, and a net of swedes for 68 cent. I'll be freezing what I don't use.

I've managed to get 2 slow cooker dinners to last 4 days, so I'm happy with that. I'll have to do something new tomorrow or there will be complaints :pac:

I must pick up a slow cooker, they seem to be a staple in a frugal cooking lifestyle

KrustyBurger · 07-01-2014 8:32pm

rawn wrote: »

I must pick up a slow cooker, they seem to be a staple in a frugal cooking lifestyle

Slow cookers are great. Mine is well over 20 years old and going strong.

Victoria Fortescue · 07-01-2014 10:07pm

rawn wrote: »

I must pick up a slow cooker, they seem to be a staple in a frugal cooking lifestyle

The absolutely are. So handy if you've a busy house and having to cook a dinner in the evening is a serious chore. I just thrown the meat and prepared veg into it in the morning, leave it on slow cook and off out the door we all go. When you come home the lovely welcoming smell of dinner is unreal. Cuts out all the various pots you'd have to use too. effortless dinners

I don't have mine quite as long as Krusty , but slow cookers are a great investment

rawn · 07-01-2014 11:55pm

Victoria Fortescue wrote: »

The absolutely are. So handy if you've a busy house and having to cook a dinner in the evening is a serious chore. I just thrown the meat and prepared veg into it in the morning, leave it on slow cook and off out the door we all go. When you come home the lovely welcoming smell of dinner is unreal. Cuts out all the various pots you'd have to use too. effortless dinners

I don't have mine quite as long as Krispy, but slow cookers are a great investment

Oooh that sounds amazing!

deelite · 08-01-2014 8:10am

Do slow cookers cost much to run?

Victoria Fortescue · 08-01-2014 10:51am

deelite wrote: »

Do slow cookers cost much to run?

I find it much cheaper than running the oven and several rings on the cooker to make a dinner. While the heat is constant most slow cookers are low in electricity usage, especially when on a low setting.

stargazer 68 · 08-01-2014 10:53am

Miss Behave wrote: »

It's called Fruits of the Freezer in my house

Ooh I call it a 'freezer special' but I like yours better!

KayPea · 08-01-2014 11:11am

My Mum called dinners that were cobbled together from what was left at the end of the week "gourmet dinners". She grew up in Rotterdam during the war. *Nothing* was ever wasted by her mother, or by her.

I freeze ginger whole and grate frozen.
I just popped 4 left over slices of bread into a loaf tin and sat it on the radiator. Tomorrow morning I will crush the dried bread to make dried breadcrumbs for coating.
I try to keep a good store cupboard of basic ingredients so that you have plenty of scope for creating gourmet dinners.
Cook double portions and freeze the second meal for later use. Even mashed potato freezes well.
Blanch and freeze veg that are on special.
Cook rice without much salt and it there is leftover, cool, pour on milk and add dried fruit. Pop in fridge overnight. Reheat for a yummy breakfast in the morning.
Leftover mashed potatoes and veg...form into patties and fry for lunch!
Leftover stirfry (nasi-goreng in our house) ...reheat and serve for lunch between two slices of bread.

I'll have to stop...I'm getting hungry.

dudara · 12-01-2014 2:36pm

An alternative to a slow cooker is a pressure cooker. A great way of creating stews, curries etc in a fraction of the time. Allows you to buy the cheaper cuts and cook them well, and save time.

Pang · 18-01-2014 2:44pm

If you have any leftover ale or beer, it can be used to make a lovely onion gravy.

I always find when I'm liquidising a soup, there is always some left in the liquidiser. If you just add some hot water in or leftover stock and blend, you will get every last drop of the soup out.

Any left over pieces of cheddar cheese can be successfully frozen and grated.

Lyssa · 18-01-2014 7:33pm

Pang wrote: »

If you have any leftover ale or beer, it can be used to make a lovely onion gravy.

I am confused... Leftover beer??? :pac:

Pang · 18-01-2014 8:09pm

Miss Behave wrote: »

I am confused... Leftover beer??? :pac:

Forgot this was Ireland! Maybe a can of unwanted beer that is left over from a house party?!

corks finest · 22-02-2014 7:25pm

i buy from dunnes,best before deals ,mainly turkey/chicken/salmon,normally get 6/7 lots,cook and freeze same day,just add spuds/rice/pasta/veg,easy,save on electricity ,time etc,defrost a day early,scoff.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,im on a budget,with a young ,hungry ,boy,so it makes sense to me,getting timing right for when they stock the shelves,is imperative,hope these hints help.

mlumley · 22-02-2014 8:25pm

Pang wrote: »

If you have any leftover ale or beer, it can be used to make a lovely onion gravy.

I always find when I'm liquidising a soup, there is always some left in the liquidiser. If you just add some hot water in or leftover stock and blend, you will get every last drop of the soup out.

Any left over pieces of cheddar cheese can be successfully frozen and grated.

freeze gravy in an ice cube tray or small coke bottle, saves making it fresh.

dozy doctor · 24-02-2014 2:37pm

Never ever crack an egg open on something with an EDGE as you can break the yolk.

If you open the egg by cracking it off a flat surface you will never break the yolk

Bobbyn · 28-02-2014 10:52pm

dozy doctor wrote: »

Never ever crack an egg open on something with an EDGE as you can break the yolk.

If you open the egg by cracking it off a flat surface you will never break the yolk

Also less chance of getting shell in egg when cracked on flat surface.

Frugal Cooking Tips

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