|
|
Using Your Freezer to Save Money on GroceriesApr 24 '03 Write an essay on this topic.
Popular Products in Building Supplies
The Bottom Line Your freezer can help you save time and money.
Using Your Freezer to Save Money on Groceries I use the freezer mostly for large quantity-buying of foods on sale. My family goes through a lot of bread (mostly my DH for toast), and I find it best to buy several loaves whenever it goes on sale and pop them in the freezer. The loaves thaw very quickly at room temperature, in there unopened bags, and taste just as good as freshly bought. Other things I buy in quantity on sale then freeze: Flour tortillas; Meats & poultry (I find it is best to fry up the hamburger and divide it up before freezing.); Lunch Meat & Hot dogs; Overripe peeled bananas to use in smoothies, bread, cakes, etc.; Miniature marshmallows; Fruits & Vegetables; Chocolate chips; Nuts; Rice; Pasta; Wheat Flour. When I cook meats or poultry, I save the leftover scraps and bones to make homemade broth. I save the scraps in the freezer 'til ready to use, and also store the homemade broth in the freezer. I save the juice from cans of fruit and vegetables and freeze it in the freezer to use later in syrups or smoothies (in the case of the fruits), or in soups (vegetables). When I make pancakes and waffles, I always make enough to freeze so my I can have a quick breakfast in the morning before going to work. I also find it easy to sometimes double a recipe I am making for dinner and freeze the extra dinner. If a recipe makes a big batch, I freeze some of that. For another example of how I bulk freeze, when the local grocery store had a 10-cent sale. I bought 30 large baking potatoes for $3.00 and 50 large Red Delicious apples for $5.00. When I figure it at home I spent approximately 20-cents per pound! The apples I peeled with a vegetable peeler, cored, cut up in large chunks, then "steamed" in my electric skillet coated with nonstick cooking spray. I cooled these in the refrigerator on cookie sheets, then packed in freezer bags and tossed them in the freezer. Now I have apples for glazed apples, apples 'n' yams, applesauce, pancake topping, pies, etc.! (As I cut the apples, I put them in a bowl of lemon-lime soda to keep them from browning. I saved the "apple soda" to use in beverages.) I boiled up some of the potatoes in their skins. I threw them in the pot without scrubbing them to save time. After they were cooked through, but not "mushy," I put them in the refrigerator to get cold; once cold, I peeled them, rinsed them, dried them, cut them in large chunks, and froze them. It was very easy. I realized though, I had to throw out the water, so I decided to take more time and peel the potatoes first. TOO KEEP POTATOES FROM TURNING BROWN: put cut and peeled potatoes in cold SALT water as I was working, peeling and cutting 1 potato at a time and them putting it in the water. I boiled these drained them, cooled them on a cookie sheet in the refrigerator, then packed in freezer bags and froze. I can make pan-fried potatoes (I use butter-flavor nonstick cooking spray so there is no fat), mashed potatoes, use them in casseroles, etc. I reserved the potato water, cooled it, then pour it into freezer bags to use in soups, potato breads, potato rolls, etc. Meat is probably the one most expensive category on your grocery list, if you're not a vegetarian. If it seems like you're being held a helpless hostage in the land of fluctuating prices, you're not alone. It seems like meat prices go up and down at the whim of some mystical market that's totally out of touch with reality or sanity. Is the price of chicken up or down this week? Seafood is higher, you say? Oh, but ground beef is on sale! So are pork ribs, but they cost more than they did this time last year. Forget it. It all makes as much sense as reading alphabet soup. YOU take control. Protect yourself from these wild and unsettled meat prices by watching the market and doing some creative shopping. WHEN you buy is important: ~~ Buy several pieces of corned beef just before Saint Patrick's Day. ~~ Fill your freezer with hotdogs just before Independence Day (in the US). ~~ Turkey goes on sale just before Thanksgiving (Canadian & US), if you like them, buy several. ~~ Ham is at a good price just before Christmas and Easter. ~~ Pay attention to the time of day and week that meats are marked down and shop then. Pay special attention to these times just before (or after) a major holiday, to get even better mark downs. ~~ Don't be fooled by the meat department: Did you know that a frying chicken is designated a roasting chicken simply because of the size? There is no difference between the chickens otherwise - well, unless you count the cost per pound. ~~ If you wait until pork shoulder roasts are on sale and ask the butcher to slice it for you - magic. Shoulder blade steaks for much less. ~~ Buy by the serving, not by the pound. Look at the amount of fat, gristle and bone to determine how much of a piece is actually edible. Some meats go farther because of the way they are served. ~~ Chuck steak is usually a very good buy when it's on sale, so stock up when you find it, but don't buy it otherwise. It can be used for many, many recipes: Tenderize it with a mallet and cook it like cube steak. Make swiss steak from it. Cut it in strips, dip in egg and cracker crumbs and fry quickly for steak fingers. Cut it up for stir fry and stew meat. Fold it over and roast it with vegetables. Cook it slowly with garlic and butter and a little water in a covered skillet. ~~ Use one (on sale) meat purchase to plan several meals: Bake a ham, then slice, chop, package and freeze leftover ham for soups, salads and sandwiches. Use the bone for pea and bean soup. Chop scraps finely (a food processor works wonders here!), add mayonnaise, pickles, onions, cheese or whatever you enjoy, to make a sandwich spread. Cook bits with broccoli and/or cauliflower as a main dish. ~~ When you make a pot roast, plan on having old fashioned hash with the leftovers. Make gravy when you make the roast, then when you're ready for hash, cut up leftover vegetables and meat, add the gravy and simmer for a half hour or so. If you don't have enough leftovers for this, make a soup by adding a little tomato sauce, juice or paste with water. Add any other leftover vegetables you may have. Or make open faced sandwiches with gravy ladled over thinly sliced roast on a piece of bread. ~~ Got a good buy on chicken leg quarters? Before you toss them in the freezer, cook them and pull the meat off the bone. Boiling works well for this because you can get more of the meat off. Package the chicken in meal size portions for chicken soup, chicken and dumplings, chicken sandwiches, salads, stir frys or however you'd use those very expensive small cans of chicken.  |
| Read all comments (1)|Write your own comment |
