These may not actually be all that extreme, but sometimes people think that the things we save or do are a little out of the norm. Maybe you will think so, or maybe you will think they are helpful or sensible ways to use what you have to the limit of their use. I don't want to make us out to be people who set out a stack of toilet paper that people are allotted each day, either. We still have luxuries and treats (for instance, after spending time peeling almonds as a child, I will buy skinned and slivered almonds, rather than blanche and peel and chop them - though that means that I know what to do with them, if that becomes too cost prohibitive), but we want to be able to do without them and still eat nourishing meals and enjoy them.

So, here is a list of things we save or use to get every last bit of value out of the ingredients we buy, especially the expensive or specialty items. Some of these are things we have always done, but some are new to us, as the costs of groceries have gone up so much.

• We have always saved butter wrappers with any butter remaining on them in a bag in the refrigerator for use in greasing pans, so we don't have to use a fresh lump of butter or fresh oil.
• Likewise, we have always saved the empty jars of mustard to make up mustard vinaigrette.
• If you have read much on the blog here, you know that I save bones from fish, poultry and meat or shells from shellfish and vegetable ends for stock. In the past, we saved the tough, green ends of leeks, the harder stems of lemongrass, things like that. We have gone a bit further now, and save trimmings from onions and garlic, the ends of celery and carrots, and stems from herbs (like parsley, thyme, mint, rosemary, cilantro, dill, and so on), so as not to waste them or have to use new vegetables in our stock. All of this goes into stock bags in the freezer. I plan to do a little tutorial on how I make stock for the blog soon, as well. Stock is basically free nutrition. And the protein in it is more available to your body than even the meat that was eaten off the bones and cartilage. We use stock as a base for soups and sauces, and to cook grains. You can sip it if you are not well, or need a little boost.
• I never let a can of tomatoes go to the recyling bin without first rinsing out the last bit of sauce or juice from it to add to the sauce or soup.
• We also save bacon grease in jars in the fridge to cook eggs and potatoes or other vegetables. We even save the fat skimmed from the top of the stock we make for cooking.
• Lately, we have begun saving the stems from chard to use like celery in cooked dishes. These are things that otherwise would be discarded, and this allows us to use them instead, and reduces how much celery we purchase.
• Recently, I saw a blogger pour off the oil from natural peanut butter to use as cooking oil. Even with the amount needed for keeping the butter smooth, there is plenty extra, and I have taken to doing the same.
• P.S. One of my favorite things to do for frugality's sake, and I can't believe I forgot to mention it, is that I zest all the citrus that comes in my house. With the exception of grapefruit, that is. I give the skins a good wash, and then zest them and keep the zest in the freezer for later times that I need it, if I don't need it immediately. Oranges, lemons, limes, all of them get that treatment. I usually keep them whole in the refrigerator, for a little while, zesting them as I use them, but if they've been in the fridge for a week or so, I zest them all, put that in the freezer, and if it looks like I'm not going to use the fruit or juice, either, I will juice them and put the juice in ice cube trays in the freezer to save for cooking, baking, or drinks later.

Previous Posts:
Make it at Home
Grocery Shopping
Waste Not, Want Not
Soup
The Celery Stalks at Midnight
Use What You Have
Combining Trips
Storing Bulk Purchases
Turn It Off
Grow Your Own
Buying in Bulk
Gleaning
Entertainment on the Down Low
Finding Fun Locally
Holiday Shopping
Reconsidering Convenience
More Bang for Your Grocery Buck
Preserving the Harvest
Revisiting Kitchen Strategies

Labels: Family, Frugality, Homemaking, Tales from the Kitchen

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 2:37 PM