On the Kitchen Front

I am looking more and more to buying bulk items and using free P & P where available whether that be as a result of a subscription to something or buying above a certain figure.  Sadly you do not see many bulk buys in the supermarkets but I seem to find them online.  

Many years ago during my first marriage I used to go to a local Cash & Carry which did not require membership at the time.  A lot of warehouses seem predominantly focused towards businesses rather than the individual.  I used to buy all my baking ingredients in bulk bags which saved a lot of money and kept the Pantry well stocked for regular baking.  I have looked in other Cash & Carry providers but have not been able to source the baking ingredients in bulk like I used to.  Something that seems to be catered for in the USA, but not so readily here in the UK.  I also used to manage the Freezer in a similar way even then.

I already buy my potatoes by the sack, my eggs by large trays, my onions in a large net or a couple of nets.  My veggies which I try and eat fresh and I often prepare them and freeze them before they get past their best which in turn provides for the leanest part of the month which tends to be the last week before pay day.

Last month, I focused on sugar.  I bought four 5kg bags for £20 overall which will be decanted into one of my storage buckets.  Sugar will be on the list again this month as I intend to do a lot of preserving this year, including foraging from the Wild Larder.  I am therefore planning and plotting for making said items in due course.  I am being prepared as much as I can be.  I am interested on keeping the Pantry stocked for general everyday living moving forward whatever that might encompass.  

All of the items for me are prime items to be kept in the Pantry at all times. It enables me to preserve at any time of the year when I come across something that is at the right price but not necessarily in season.  I have also found that the items keep well from year to year as well.  I would just stress that it is not only preserving items I am looking at.  I am looking at everyday eating items as well; mostly dried staples but ones that appear in cooking on a regular basis.

For the past few days I have been researching for my stocking my Pantry but most notably for my preserving session later in the year i.e.:

Spiced Malt Vinegar for Pickles, Pickled Shallots, Pickled Onions, Pickled Beetroot

Malt Vinegar Mainly for Pickles, and Chutneys - I can also self-spice this myself.

White wine vinegar  A good all round cleaner and also very good for Pickled Eggs, Pickled Cucumber etc.

Apple Cider Vinegar for cooking, homemade medicinal items and for use in Marinades and sauces.

Sea Salt (without any caking agent  - that bit is most important) Needed for Charcuterie and meat curing and I used it a lot in cooking and making Herb salts.

Fine Salt (without any caking agent - yet again very important) Needed for general cooking, and because it has no caking agent it can potentially be used for meat preserving as well.  I prefer natural things and I remember growing up with my Nan keeping her salt pot free flowing by adding a couple of dried peas to the container.  It worked and the peas were replaced every so often.

I have also been looking at:

Ground Rice for adding to baking ingredients to pad things out a bit and also for puddings.  See link here for using Ground Rice as a substitution/addition for Ground Almonds. Ground Almonds for Ground Rice  Basically you use the Ground Rice to replace Ground Almonds on a 1:1 ratio.

Fine Semolina for Pasta and Semolina Pudding.  Semolina pudding is a milk pudding and it was often served with a big dollop of jam in it which used to be swirled throughout the mixture.

Desiccated Coconut for Baking, Snacks, Granola

Pudding Rice for homemade Rice Puddings

I am also looking at Bicarbonate of Soda in large quantities as well.  I want to have a go at making some bath bombs and soap in due course.  Generally though Bicarbonate of Soda is used in general cooking , baking and in sweet making such as Cinder Toffee.  It is also useful to keep a small pot in the fridge to remove any odours.  Also used in cleaning.

I have already bought in a 5kg bag of Basmati Rice last month.  I may add another of this size as I cannot wrangle the full sized sack to my home on my own.

Please note these will not be all bought in one month but over a couple of months (or longer) buying in the priority that they are needed.  I am already starting to add to the shopping every month small items that will be used in cake decorating, flavourings and baking ingredients for use moving forward although I am predominantly keeping a percentage or items back for Christmas baking. I want to ensure that I manage to get the items I am looking for in advance rather than not being able to obtain them at all.  

I am also looking specifically to make a lot of items for my Christmas baking ingredients as well.  Items such as Stem Ginger, Mixed Peel, homemade Rumtopf, homemade different jams, Lemon and Orange curds, Herb jellies, different flavoured Mustards, Maraschino cherries, different jellies, chutneys and relishes, Mincemeat, Homemade Liqueurs, Cordials etc.  The homemade preserves often serve double duty for use moving forward, but always a percentage held back specifically for Christmas and also for gifting at Christmas.

There is therefore an element of plotting and planning going on here.  One of the reasons I focus mostly on particular items per month or over a couple of months is that I like to be stocked up for all eventualities.  I have not really had to buy much meat for the last three months or so that having been dealt with earlier in the year.  There is still lots of meat to deal with.  I have found that we tend to use a lot of sausages, mince and chicken, but even so have only had to top up on the sausages.  Therefore for the past couple of months my food budget has not included meat which in turn has enabled me to be able to focus on other elements of my Pantry food storage.  I like to have at least two lots of everything in, mostly three items or more.  The meat I am lucky enough to be able to buy in big trays at reasonable prices which is why I stock  up as I do.  Equally I do the same with cleaning products.  Last top up was about three months ago and I am just coming to the end on consumables such as toilet paper tissue and soap powder and fabric conditioner.  this will therefore feature either this month or next month.  I will also add a few more tins and obviously some of the items I have discussed above.

One of the weak points in the month is always the last week of the calendar month when pennies tend to be a bit more restricted.  There is always some cash in hand, but we always during this period if we run out of items, just buy the item needed as we are reasonably well padded with other items.  This is a way of feeling our way through one day at a time.  However butter, tea, bread and milk tend to be the items most affected.  When it comes to the tea I have taken to keeping a medium sized freezer bag full of tea bags as an emergency supply as we tend to go through these quite quickly as well.  Saying that though it has been a good two months since I bought the last lot so I am stretching things out a bit where I can.  I always tend to do that and it seems to have held us in good stead so far.  I tend to mix meals up a lot and we have simple food alongside dearer items.

I was having a discussion with G yesterday about some of the foods I grew up with, some of which he will not touch with a barge pole.  Meals such as Tomatoes and Sausages with some bread and butter featured heavily during my childhood.  So did Sardines or Pilchards in Tomato sauce on toast.  That is still a favourite of mine today.  I also love Herring Roe which has been floured and fried in a little butter to soften them up served on good hot buttered toast as well.  Smoked Haddock with a poached egg on top and Kippers with butter and bread and butter for mopping u p.  The Sardines or Pilchards and the Herring Roe seem not to be G's taste, neither is the smoked fish.  They were good nutritious meals though.  My Mum was a good Pastry maker and we used to have Minced Beef Pies, Steak Pies, Chicken Pies etc., homemade Cornish style pasties etc.  G did not grow up with that and he is not keen on Pastry!  Would not do if we were all the same.

What meals did you grow up with that were absolute favourites of yours!  My absolute "No, No" is Tripe!  Once was enough.

Catch you soon.

Pattypan

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