How do you store your leftoversand food in the fridge

When I was growing up nothing was wasted.  Even a little bit of fat from the roast dinner was put to good use.  I am of course speaking of the days before oil was available and most fry ups were done with that little bit of fat left over from the joint or a little bit of lard or beef dripping for frying eggs and chips,  This stemmed from the war years where everybody did what they could to save food and make a meal.  A time far removed from today's wasteful society.

Growing up on the heels of my mother and practices she used to use she followed through faithfully with this concept all of her life.  I think also growing up in the war years one of ten children 12 in total counting the adults in a two up two down.  They were relatively comfortable until Granddad did not come home after being demobbed when the youngest child was 10. my grandmother went to get his pay and was turned away as he had been demobbed and there was nothing for her.  It was thanks to my grandmother that they managed to survive.  Grandad had himself a lady friend and mum believed that she had a half sister somewhere.  Indeed they nearly got back together again later on but grandma put the children first and so it never did quite happen.  Granddad had wanted to move somewhere new for a fresh start.  They never did divorce though.

They had nothing and what little they did have by way of vouchers etc were sold on to provide other basics which they were so dreadfully short of during the war.  Life for some was not how it is portrayed in the history books in an ideal world everyone is always catered for but then we did not live in an ideal world.

Up until Granddad joined the Army he had run an allotment to feed the family but they could not even afford to keep that on which was a big loss to the whole of the family.  Those years of scrimping and scraping left their mark on my mum especially having to wear hand outs or jumble clothing which was classed as being second class then.

For storing left over liquids, fats, soups and stocks my Mum used to have some long tubes of stoneware in beige or white which were used for storing fat in or stock or soup and kept on the cold shelf of the larder until fridges came in wherein they were stored in the fridge.  Sadly they do not seem to make them these days they were about 12 to 14 inches in height and about 5 inch diameter. Mum used to get them off the pottery store in the market. 

Above roasted vegetable stock for the base of a soup or gravy.  I tend to make this in bulk and freeze it down but any left over or to be in use is kept in the fridge in the interim.

Next to it my home prepared feta in olive oil with herbs and chilli.

Mixed fancy mushrooms preserved in olive oil.

However I have found my own solution to this and for storing liquids I use the large glass jars available in Lakeland what are being sold as the large size pickling jars four for 5.99 the pack of four.  They are recyclable and the lids can be reused.  I store my excess gravy, stock for soup and gravy, soups in them and that way I get to be thrifty and not waste anything either.

For storing left over food I use an old pyrex casserole dish or pie dish and then cover and pop into the fridge.  if there is mashed potato as part of the combination you can make bubble n squeak cakes They go very well with cold chicken and or game of any sort and pop them in the freezer for a later day.  I prefer glass or pottery for storing stuff in as I just do no do the plastic thing.  It really is not me.

I also use these jars for my home made deli items such as feta cheese in olive oil with fresh herbs, chilli etc.  These jars are 2lb in size and so a fair size.  I also use them for doing mushrooms in oil and goats cheese in oil and for roasting leeks in the oven in oil and butter and then using as a fresh relish in sandwiches or baguettes or popping on home made fresh pizza.  I also make my own gravy base and then store some in these jars in the fridge and freeze a load down.

Do you save the little bits of food and rehash them.  if so how do you store them and what do you actually re-hash them into.  Does anyone actually do this in this day an age or am I the oddity.

Look forward to hearing from you.

Take care.

Pattypan

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