CH Runners
Not Running => Food => Topic started by: picote on January 10, 2020, 10:52:17 AM
-
One of my major goals for the year is to overhaul our food budget and cut back on processed foods. I made mayo for the first time yesterday and can’t believe how easy it was. I can hardly wait to start experimenting with flavored mayos!
I know many here make yogurt in the instant pot. That’s on my list. Wondering what other basics are worth making from scratch, either because of improved taste/quality, fewer preservatives or lower cost.
The ones on my list to try so far:
Salad dressing (first recipe I tried was just ok, but still better than store bought glop)
Mayo
Yogurt/Greek yogurt
Bread (found a great Jewish rye recipe, but it only seems to be good for a few days. Need to convert to making it in the bread maker I think)
Broth/stock
What else am I missing?
[edited to add that I’ve been thinking about getting a deli slicer as well. We go through a TON of deli sliced turkey.]
-
that's a good list... I find that although I love making bread, it's one of the first things I stop doing if I'm busy because it's a long process... but also, I don't have a bread maker
re: salad dressing - I rarely make up salad dressing, certainly not in quantity... just dress the salad before serving, usually with some really good olive oil and either vinegar or lemon juice... sometimes I'll make a small quantity of something more sophisticated (oil, lemon, garlic OR oil, mustard, honey, balsamic OR sesame oil, tamari, maple syrup) but still only enough for the salad we're eating... most recipes are 2:1 oil:acid, I prefer 2:1 acid:oil or even 3:1 acid:oil
homemade yogurt costs me about the same as store bought, but way less plastic waste since I buy milk in cartons... the taste is similar, so the advantage for me is all in waste reduction
if you can make yogurt, you can make sour cream (you need to buy a starter), and I do find that homemade sour cream has much better flavour than commercial (artificially soured) sour cream
I would also add for consideration:
hummus
pasta/noodles (you will not save money here, but the taste is worthwhile)
apple sauce
mustard
Not exactly basics, but worth doing from scratch:
gravlax (if you are fan of cured salmon, it is super-easy to do yourself)
quick pickles (easy way to add some brightness to meal)
chutneys, relishes
-
Ahh, hummus! I used to do that all the time and got out of the habit. I was wondering about pasta as well—can you make and freeze it and still have the flavor and texture hold up?
Re bread, I’m hoping to find a recipe that’s good enough I can pre-measure ingredients and make it easy with the bread maker.
And I had no idea you could make mustard. DH has been on a quest for good Dijon. Our condiment rack in the fridge probably has 6 different bottles of mustard, none of which meet his standards. Will definitely add that to the list.
Pickles is a good one. We go through a ton of them.
These are great suggestions! Do you have any recipes/instructions on gravlax? We get this as a special treat, but I’ve been looking for an excuse to buy the Costco salmon and not have a chunk go to waste. So much cheaper than our supermarket!
-
And I had no idea you could easily make sour cream! Will have to look into that!
-
I don't know quite how regularly I do it, but if we are having soup I almost always make it from scratch -- I can't remember the last time I bought canned soup.
-
I don't know quite how regularly I do it, but if we are having soup I almost always make it from scratch -- I can't remember the last time I bought canned soup.
Oh, that’s a good one. I need to figure out what freezes well. We almost always have soup (and chili) as a convenience food or when we’re not feeling great, so would be nice to have a good homemade alternative.
-
I do freeze fresh pasta sometimes... make sure it is well floured and not sticky when it goes in the freezer, and cook straight from frozen (don't thaw)...
re: gravlax - there are a lot of recipes out there, but essentially you need salt, sugar, whatever spices tickle your fancy, and vodka... about 1 tbsp of each part per pound of fish... for spices, dill and white peppercorn is pretty traditional with or without coriander seed with or without orange zest, but you can really do pretty much anything... we sometimes use fennel seed and onion seed, or juniper berries and orange zest... cut your fish into two similar sized pieces and lay them over plastic wrap, spread the salt/sugar/spice mix over the fish, pour vodka over one piece, press the spiced side of the other on top, wrap up tight, and let it cure under weight (like a brick on top) for a few days, turning once a day... we did a blog post a few years ago with a recipe using spruce and juniper, but the technique works for any flavouring http://moosecurrry.blogspot.com/2014/06/spruce-juniper-gravlax-recipe.html
-
I make my own dressing almost always. I think there is even a dressing thread here.
I was making our bread a lot of the time but fell out of the habit when we moved out of our house this summer.
I make soup a lot. And pasta sauce.
I prefer to make stock but storage is a problem so I just use better than bouillon and make up for it with lots of aromatics and herbs in my soups.
I have never been able to nail yogurt. But I keep trying periodically. I think I'm just picky!
-
Oh, and jam. I usually make freezer jam in the summer with farmers market fruit. SO delicious. But then we eat it. Again, storage.
Dressing I usually just make while I'm making the salad. It takes about 30 seconds. But we don't eat creamy dressings (which are also easy just a little less so).
Almost all soups freeze well in my experience.
Oh yeah, and if you eat beans at all....cooking from scratch is so much better and cheaper and they freeze super well, so you can do them in batches.
-
Oh, beans are a great idea for us! I would never have thought they froze well. DD loves them but we end up with a lot of waste because unless we give her beans every night no one else eats them. Do you just make plain beans and then add flavoring when you thaw or do you make a recipe and freeze?
DH goes through a LOT of dressing, so having it made ahead of time in a big batch just makes it easier. I made one batch thinking it would last the week and was shocked at how quickly it was gone. We will often just do oil and vinegar, but he likes the added herbs.
-
And this is in part driven by the fact that we got a garage fridge, so now have a fair amount of storage.
-
also, refried beans
I follow the Serious Eats method https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2014/04/perfect-refried-beans.html
they freeze well
-
I just realized that with my tenant moving out I have a full size freezer and fridge at my disposal! Yes!
Anyway, beans you can do whatever you like...spices, herbs, or plain. You will need to salt more than you think.
I usually cook my cannellini beans with a whole head of garlic (top chopped off), fresh sage, rosemary, bay, and an onion cut in half (skin on is fine if not moldy).
Chickpeas usually just salt.
Black beans usually salt, onion, garlic, & bay unless I have particular plans.
The instant pot is great for this. You can freeze in whatever portion you like although a can holds 1.5 cups of cooked beans. You can freeze them with or without the liquid but the liquid from beans you cook yourself is a great flavor boost for soups.
-
And if you buy beans in bulk in your own container and reuse your containers...this is a zero waste proposition.
Rice, pasta, and bread, also freeze well in their cooked/finished state.
-
bread
hummus
salad dressing
granola
harissa
soup/stock
red sauce
pickles
mayo
-
This is awesome!!! :D I have a feeling we’re going to have a lot of testing going on in next few weeks!
-
Also, things like tamales, Asian style dumplings, and filled pastas all freeze really well
-
I don't have time to look at all the previous posts right now (but will tonight! great thread!) but here is my favorite recipe for gravlax:
http://www.cookingforengineers.com/recipe/132/Gravlax
It turns out fantastic every time with this recipe. It's truly so easy. The most important things to remember are: use salmon that was commercially frozen, never fresh. And don't rush the process; it needs a couple days.
Also, hummus is SO delicious fresh that while i do buy good store bought hummus sometimes, I'm never disappointed by the effort to make my own. I like Ottolenghi's recipe; I'm sure it's on the web.
-
oh, and corn tortillas... quick, easy, cheap... can't recall the last time I bought tortillas. I have a tortilla press and just use the instructions on the back of the bag of masa flour.
thanks to diablita, I also make arepas on a fairly regular basis... similarly, just follow the instructions on the bag of flour
-
Thanks diablita! And yes, added tortillas and naan to my list after I posted. Also saag. That would at least cut out our weekly Indian fix if we had something easy to defrost. And might prevent the damn dog from eating an entire package of tortillas like she did last night! She is going to regret my not working anymore!
-
i make flour tortillas. when i've tried making corn, they aren't right.
thankfully, there is a mexican restaurant down the street where i can buy bags of them.
-
Cannot recommend these enough for home-cooked curries:
https://www.karensspicekitchen.com/
(silly doggo; tortillas are delicious though)
-
Cannot recommend these enough for home-cooked curries:
https://www.karensspicekitchen.com/
(silly doggo; tortillas are delicious though)
I’ll check them out.
And would be a lot less irritated with the dog if she hadn’t randomly chosen to destroy every Xmas ornament within reach on Tuesday AM. FFS, the tree had been up for 6 weeks and was coming down the next day!! Grrr
-
I make my own vanilla extract. So easy and so much better than store bought. It takes a few months before you have extract ready for use, but the longer it sits in the cupboard, the better it gets. And I usually have 2 mason jars going at once so that I don't run out.
-
i make flour tortillas. when i've tried making corn, they aren't right.
thankfully, there is a mexican restaurant down the street where i can buy bags of them.
I tried making flour tortillas once, I was a bit clumsy with the execution but they tasted good.
This thread is making me want to get my cooking mojo back.
-
There are definitely so many things you can make from scratch the list is endless.
Like, if you guys use pancake mix-- alton brown has one you can pre make that is SO good.
Witchy is right about granola.
Hot sauce is easy.
Boozy infusions. (Pineapple chipotle tequila)
Making your own thai style curry pastes
Peanut sauce
Indian style curry (like if you buy simmer sauces you can make your own)
You can make chili paste to use anywhere you'd use chili powder, which is so much better.
-
Bonita, do you have a tortilla press and do the thing with the cut plastic bag? Makes it so much easier.
And would be a lot less irritated with the dog if she hadn’t randomly chosen to destroy every Xmas ornament within reach on Tuesday AM. FFS, the tree had been up for 6 weeks and was coming down the next day!! Grrr
Oh man!! Not helpful, doggo!
-
OK let's see:
arepas
challah
hamentashen (for Purim)
gravlax (obv)
ceviche
mayonnaise
hummus
matbucha
matzo balls
-
I’m loving these. Diablita, I don’t even recognize several of those but I bet DH would love them.
-
Bread, yogurt, stock and broth, soups, salsa, jam, chili sauce, apple sauce, pickles... chicken and beef if you count growing them as from scratch :D
We do a lot of scratch cooking.
Sent from my SM-G950W using Tapatalk
-
I bet he would. There's nothing quite like challah still warm from the oven...or in french toast the next day!
-
Bread, yogurt, stock and broth, soups, salsa, jam, chili sauce, apple sauce, pickles... chicken and beef if you count growing them as from scratch :D
We do a lot of scratch cooking.
Sent from my SM-G950W using Tapatalk
Ha! I thought about including growing from scratch, but I didn’t want to hijack the gardening thread! My seed trays came this week and hoping to get romaine and some more herbs started next week.
-
Ha! I thought about including growing from scratch, but I didn’t want to hijack the gardening thread! My seed trays came this week and hoping to get romaine and some more herbs started next week.
All the salsa and chili sauce and soups are usually from 100% home grown ingredients. Doesn't get more budget friendly then that!
Sent from my SM-G950W using Tapatalk
-
oh, yes. i make pancakes from scratch.
pancakes from a mix taste strange.
-
oh, yes. i make pancakes from scratch.
pancakes from a mix taste strange.
I’ve actually never made pancakes from a mix. From scratch is so easy I’m not sure why people use a mix. Maybe habit?
-
I use Kodiak Cake flapjack mix. I like the extra protein and it allows DD to easily make her own now.
-
Most of our food is from scratch. A lot of soups/stews/chili. I batch cook and store in quart mason jars in the freezer.
-
Soup, yogurt, beans, most of my meals.
Bulk oatmeal (no sugar loaded packages)
I've started to make my own dressings, too.
-
I remember eating at a boyfriend's house in my 20's (farm family, lived at home). They ate so much processed stuff. Lipton sidekicks, premade rice stuff, canned everything, fake cheese... it was the first time I really appreciated my moms cooking.
If I like it, I google how to make it homemade and try to incorporate a routine. I have jars and jars of tomatoes so ketchup is on my hit list. But I want to see if I can put it in the squeeze bottle to trick my kids :D
Sent from my SM-G950W using Tapatalk
-
I have the best pancake recipe from an ancient old cookbook. So good and fluffy.
Sent from my SM-G950W using Tapatalk
-
My mother set a good example about cooking from scratch, too.
-
My mother set a good example about cooking from scratch, too.
My mom made almost everything from scratch. She just about died when I invited her and dad to dinner at my first apartment, and I served rice-a-roni. :roll:
-
My mom made almost everything from scratch. She just about died when I invited her and dad to dinner at my first apartment, and I served rice-a-roni. :roll:
Funny!
I am so happy that my mother unconsciously taught me this kind of cooking.
-
Funny!
I am so happy that my mother unconsciously taught me this kind of cooking.
My mom didn’t really teach me to cook... she owned the kitchen in our house and nobody else (including dad) ever did more than pour a bowl of cereal. I had to learn it all on my own once I had my own kitchen. But she definitely taught me to *appreciate* home cooking.
-
Was that because she loved to cook or loved a clean kitchen?
-
Was that because she loved to cook or loved a clean kitchen?
I don’t think either, really.
It definitely wasn’t the latter. She does enjoy cooking, and is a really great and creative cook. It just didn’t seem to dawn on her that anyone else should ever cook, and nobody ever really disavowed her of that notion. At least, not until my brother and I were adults. She loves letting us cook now!
-
Lucky here too - both parents cooked and baked from scratch.
Salad dressings are a standard.
I don’t do anything like hamburger helper or rice a roni.
A well stocked pantry is essential.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
-
In my defense, I stopped making rice-a-roni once I could properly cook!
-
Meh. I cook from scratch all the time but Ramen is also part of my well stocked pantry!
-
So, I've made refried beans before but always kinda skipped the "refry" part thinking it seemed redundant and they've always just been meh.. mashed beans...ok but nothing special. Apparently that last step of putting them in the pan with oil and cooking liquid and reducing down is super important! So good!
-
These are great refried beans
http://makerealfood.com/2015/03/03/refried-beans-instant-pot-vegan-nachos/
Made this at least a dozen times.
-
So, I've made refried beans before but always kinda skipped the "refry" part thinking it seemed redundant and they've always just been meh.. mashed beans...ok but nothing special. Apparently that last step of putting them in the pan with oil and cooking liquid and reducing down is super important! So good!
if I have bacon fat or duck fat around I will use those in the refrying stage...
I also use duck fat for popping corn.
-
Bread, hummus, pasta sauce, pita, naan, soup, some salad dressings. We are playing around with pickling things like beets and extra food from our CSA box lately.
-
Soups, pasta sauces, gravy, salad dressings, stuffing.
I have a bread maker, but don't eat enough bread to justify the time and effort. It does make the house smell good though.
And recently....limoncello.
-
And recently....limoncello.
that reminds me that I make vanilla extract... I buy vanilla beans, then as I use them, I stick the pods in a bottle of vodka
the beans are super pricey, but so is real vanilla extract... I have not done the actual math on this, but it FEELS like getting relatively good bang for my buck
-
that reminds me that I make vanilla extract... I buy vanilla beans, then as I use them, I stick the pods in a bottle of vodka
the beans are super pricey, but so is real vanilla extract... I have not done the actual math on this, but it FEELS like getting relatively good bang for my buck
It makes a nice gift, too. Actually, a lot of this stuff does!
-
Soups, pasta sauces, gravy, salad dressings, stuffing.
I have a bread maker, but don't eat enough bread to justify the time and effort. It does make the house smell good though.
And recently....limoncello.
Ha! I *just* printed out how to make limoncello.
Cooks illustrated had a section on hummus this month, so we made that and homemade pita last night. Added Greek style grilled chicken over a Greek salad. Fantastic dinner. Everything I made is going in the rotation.
Caribou, it never occurred to me to make my own vanilla. I wonder how hard it is to grow.
-
Caribou, it never occurred to me to make my own vanilla. I wonder how hard it is to grow.
it's an orchid, so probably not super difficult (maybe not super easy either though)... I never considered growing it because I assume it needs a lot more heat than I can provide, even indoors
-
occurred that i had forgotten while i was baking my weekly batch - shortbread (or, as called in my home 'emergency dessert'... because sometimes you need dessert now)
(annie's mac and cheese, by the by, is referred to as 'emergency dinner')
-
Picote, I've made this recipe a few times in place of pita and it's SO good and keeps well in the fridge or freezer.
https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/soft-wrap-bread-recipe
-
Picote, I've made this recipe a few times in place of pita and it's SO good and keeps well in the fridge or freezer.
https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/soft-wrap-bread-recipe
Oh, that looks great! The pita turned out ok, but a little dry. I feel like I need a cross between naan and pita!
-
Oh, that looks great! The pita turned out ok, but a little dry. I feel like I need a cross between naan and pita!
Def give that recipe a shot. It's so good. Really soft & pliable but holds up to fillings. More substantial than a tortilla but super easy as long as you have a couple of hours for the rising and resting required.
-
Def give that recipe a shot. It's so good. Really soft & pliable but holds up to fillings. More substantial than a tortilla but super easy as long as you have a couple of hours for the rising and resting required.
I will! Do you freeze the wrap itself, or can you refrigerate/freeze the dough?
-
I've made & frozen the finished wrap. Bread products are one of those things that actually freeze well. But, you could try freezing the dough.
I'd probably use the method described here (i.e. shape immediately and freeze vs allowing a bulk rise) and increase yeast by 20% if you plan to freeze for longer than 3 weeks. https://www.kingarthurflour.com/blog/2015/10/05/freeze-bake-rolls
That said, this recipe is so easy I'm not sure that would actually save you time.
-
speaking of easy bread, focaccia is something I would never buy... it is WAY better straight out of the oven than it is from even the fanciest of bakeries, and so simple (no knead, easy shaping)
I usually use this recipe: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/cracked-pepper-focaccia-with-truffle-oil but only half the salt it calls for
-
speaking of easy bread, focaccia is something I would never buy... it is WAY better straight out of the oven than it is from even the fanciest of bakeries, and so simple (no knead, easy shaping)
I usually use this recipe: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/cracked-pepper-focaccia-with-truffle-oil but only half the salt it calls for
Oh that looks amazing! I don’t eat bread much, so when I do, I want it to be really good.
-
speaking of easy bread, focaccia is something I would never buy... it is WAY better straight out of the oven than it is from even the fanciest of bakeries, and so simple (no knead, easy shaping)
I usually use this recipe: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/cracked-pepper-focaccia-with-truffle-oil but only half the salt it calls for
This is currently being devoured in our house. Super easy and delicious.
-
This is currently being devoured in our house. Super easy and delicious.
Yay!
-
Not already on the list, we make most of our nut and seed butters. Peanut butter is just as cheap to buy as to make. But other nut butters are so expensive in the store and if you buy in bulk (nuts.com is a great resource for nuts, beans, dried fruits, and other treats) homemade almond butter, sunflower seed butter, etc. is really worth it and so easy.
We also make our own tahini (sometimes it comes out better than others), nutella (still sugar filled but cuts out a lot of the crap in the jarred versions), and seasonally pestos. Dried herbs. Sundried tomatoes.
My husband smokes so we smoke fish and freeze too.
Nonetheless, we still buy way too much that we could make. I make a really good clam chowder but still buy progresso.
-
Yes, the focaccia was delicious and best of all, DD has been enjoying building lunches around it for school. This morning she packed an Italian lunch: leftover pasta, the bread (starch heavy but she's a grazer so it'll be spread out), salami and then she started pronouncing fruit with her idea of an Italian accent. :d
-
Guacamole (I tried to buy premade once because I didn't feel like making it. DH almost lit the house on fire. I don't like guacamole so I didn't get it)
Pancakes
Waffles
Brownies
Peanut Sauce
hummus
salad dressing
granola
soup/stock
-
I borrowed a tortilla press on buy nothing for a few weeks and found I didn't make as many tortillas as I thought I would. So, we've still been mostly buying them. (Just can't quite get them as good as a restaurant) That said, this is my fave flour tortilla recipe so far & they are great. Too much work for a week day, imo but good for a weekend. https://www.rickbayless.com/recipe/flour-tortillas/
Friday I made a different BA focaccia and it was good. I didn't realize it's a two day process, so I'll try again when I have a little more lead time.
I have been making a batch of these beans every other week and they are super good. I usually add some chipotle in Adobo to kick up the heat & smokiness. Mmm. https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2014/04/perfect-refried-beans.html
-
I've tried Rick Bayless's flour tortillas as well, and I can't get the heat right on the skillets. And I neeeeeed to learn to make tortillas. Life isn't worth living without some Mexican food once in a while.
-
I’ll have to try the tortillas. Does a press make a huge difference?
And on the subject of making from scratch, is fresh pasta worth the effort to make from scratch? We rarely have pasta, but when we do we like to make it count. We had a brand of tagliatelle we loved and haven’t been able to find it since we moved.
I’ve been having good success with salad dressing and fresh mayo. Lots of other basics got put on the back burner while I was sick. Finally starting to feel better, so hope to get back to some of the suggestions. We have incorporated a new item in the meal rotation—Greek salad with chicken. Made homemade pita and hummus to accompany it the first time, which was amazing, but just the salad alone was simple and good enough to be added as a regular.
-
now that temps are rising, i'll be making chicken paillard at least weekly. i typically dredge it in egg and then breadcrumbs mixed with grated parm or pecorino. served with salad.
-
Reviving this thread to see if anyone has a good white wine based mustard. These seem to be the biggest hits but I’ve struck out twice now.
-
Maybe this is already covered in the thread, too lazy to check. But mustard is really easy to make. It's just crushed up mustard seeds and salt plus something acidic. Usually vinegar, but a white wine would work, either by itself or as an additional ingredient.
-
Maybe this is already covered in the thread, too lazy to check. But mustard is really easy to make. It's just crushed up mustard seeds and salt plus something acidic. Usually vinegar, but a white wine would work, either by itself or as an additional ingredient.
I tried something that looked pretty straight forward, but the flavor is just really off. DH likes the deli style mustard—not the super fancy stuff, but not the yellow stuff either. The ingredients on what he likes are super straight forward, so I thought it would be easier to replicate than it has been so far!
-
I tried something that looked pretty straight forward, but the flavor is just really off. DH likes the deli style mustard—not the super fancy stuff, but not the yellow stuff either. The ingredients on what he likes are super straight forward, so I thought it would be easier to replicate than it has been so far!
Probably ought to work with small batches until you find (or create) a recipe you like. That way you won't feel bad about flushing the failed experiments down the disposal!
-
I tried something that looked pretty straight forward, but the flavor is just really off. DH likes the deli style mustard—not the super fancy stuff, but not the yellow stuff either. The ingredients on what he likes are super straight forward, so I thought it would be easier to replicate than it has been so far!
this is a great video from bon appetit : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ktONdU_wXU (almost all of their videos are great)
i would start with brad's method and experiment.
-
this is a great video from bon appetit : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ktONdU_wXU (almost all of their videos are great)
i would start with brad's method and experiment.
Brad is fancier than me with his non-alcoholic juice of grapes, but that's the general idea for mustard with a little texture.
-
Haven’t tried the mustard yet, but we’ve been having great luck with our own deli meat.
DH bought a covid kegerator and after realizing how much we love it, next on tap is trying to homebrew beer!
-
My mum used to make her own Baileys. Tasted really nice and way cheaper than shop bought. With which she also made ice cream.
Recipes on line.
-
My mum used to make her own Baileys. Tasted really nice and way cheaper than shop bought. With which she also made ice cream.
Recipes on line.
My brother makes it too, every Xmas.
-
Ohhh, that sounds good! I love baileys!
Our deli meat experiment, in combination with a food saver, has been a huge success. The Costco ham is great for slicing, cheap and already prepared. We’ve had great luck smoking chicken and turkey breast too. The only thing I haven’t nailed yet it a good roast beef. We’ve been making a tritip, which is amazing, but we never have enough left over to slice it. The top round roasts I’ve tried are ok, but nothing special.
-
Apparently, it's going to be pimiento cheese. I was buying the Palmetto brand with jalapenos, but apparently they are terrible racist people. I tried the Publix brand (no jalapenos), and although the reviews were decent and it's definitely real cheese in there, I don't like it. (I think it's just too mayonnaise-y; I'm a bad Southerner). So I bought all the stuff to make my own and I guess I'll be doing it on the regular. I hope one can freeze it, because a batch is about twice as large as it needs to be, but it fits the size bags that cheese comes in and jars/cans that pimientos and green chilis come in.
-
I had no idea you could make your own pimento cheese! And this is probably where I should confess that I never knew like to was a cheese. I always thought of it as a pepper.
I tried another incarnation of mustard this morning. And another inedible batch. I’m trying to make a homemade version of boars head deli mustard, so I’ve been looking for recipes with horseradish. I think the horseradish I have may be super strong or off. There’s just no way what I’m making is edible. I made up half a batch and then added another half batch, minus the called for horseradish, but while not as bad, it’s still :vomit:
I might add another half batch and see if that makes it better.
-
I had no idea you could make your own pimento cheese! And this is probably where I should confess that I never knew like to was a cheese. I always thought of it as a pepper.
I tried another incarnation of mustard this morning. And another inedible batch. I’m trying to make a homemade version of boars head deli mustard, so I’ve been looking for recipes with horseradish. I think the horseradish I have may be super strong or off. There’s just no way what I’m making is edible. I made up half a batch and then added another half batch, minus the called for horseradish, but while not as bad, it’s still :vomit:
I might add another half batch and see if that makes it better.
are you using fresh horseradish or preserved horseradish?
-
are you using fresh horseradish or preserved horseradish?
It’s ‘prepared‘ horseradish, which is what the recipes seem to call for. I also have a cream of horseradish, which now I’m wondering if I should try that instead. The most recent recipe seemed to have potential if not for the way too sharp bite, so I thought diluting out the horseradish would help, but while it’s a little better, it’s definitely still off. I may try it again, but leave out the horseradish and taste before adding. Then at least I could add in small bits.
FWIW, I love spicy, so if this is inedible, it’s way off. While it’s wasabi nose clearing spicy, it also has a really sharp off taste.
-
It’s ‘prepared‘ horseradish, which is what the recipes seem to call for. I also have a cream of horseradish, which now I’m wondering if I should try that instead. The most recent recipe seemed to have potential if not for the way too sharp bite, so I thought diluting out the horseradish would help, but while it’s a little better, it’s definitely still off. I may try it again, but leave out the horseradish and taste before adding. Then at least I could add in small bits.
FWIW, I love spicy, so if this is inedible, it’s way off. While it’s wasabi nose clearing spicy, it also has a really sharp off taste.
Does it have enough sugar? That's usually what mellows the acidic off taste I've found.
Sent from my SM-G950W using Tapatalk
-
Does it have enough sugar? That's usually what mellows the acidic off taste I've found.
Sent from my SM-G950W using Tapatalk
It has honey in it, but that’s a good point. When I smelled the premade mustard it definitely has a sweeter smell. Will try adding more honey.
-
In just going by my experience with tomatoes. It takes a surprising amount of sugar to make the soup/sauce etc taste good. I go with it because it's definitely less sugar than store bought and obviously better overall since it's home grown
Sent from my SM-G950W using Tapatalk
-
I’m happy to report that with a night to mellow, it’s looking much more promising! DH was even willing to risk it on a sandwich, which is a first. Unfortunately the sandwich was so full of pepperocinis (see my business Costco discovery in the garden thread) that he couldn’t fully evaluate the Mustard, but it was definitely on the acceptable scale. Still a bit pungent, but I think it’s a good start.
-
Bumping this thread to say that the book Make the bread, Buy the butter is on sale for $1.99 on kindle and I’m probably 10 years behind, but I feel like I found my person! And in reading her stories about her mom, I think we may have been raised by the same mother too! I keep making my DH read excerpts and he finally told me he’s getting ptsd every time he reads it. :roll: The egg/chicken chapter is especially poignant.