Bought a new chest freezer - Give me good ways to fill it!

LoneRifle

The BBC ran the programme Economy Gastronomy quite some time ago, which had some emphasis on stretching the budget through cooking in bulk and making something out of very little in the kitchen. There is also a book available. Not sure if it's easily available to you, check local libraries?

anniemf2508

You say its more econmoical for you to buy frozen mash....but if you made a big batch of home made mash and then portioned it off and froze it, surely that would be as cheap?

mandy2901

chalkysoil wrote: »

I top up our chest freezer with slabs of polysterene, the stuff comes around new white goods etc, the freezer itself had loads! We just heave it out when a new batch of bargains come along. I've bought some net bags ( reduced to 14p each in Sainsburys) really they are "toys in the bath storage bags" but it helps to haul out stuff from the bottom and make sure it gets rotated. Rice is a handy thing to cook then freeze.

I freeze some milk in vitalite marge containers - for the cat, he can drink straight from them when it's thawed.

Sorry but rice should NEVER be reheated whether frozen or not, the rice you buy in shops frozen in specially treated but reheat normal rice contains MANY bacteria and should never be used. some people say its safe if stir fried and although "safer" due to the heat of the oil it is not recommended.

pelirocco

mandy2901 wrote: »

Sorry but rice should NEVER be reheated whether frozen or not, the rice you buy in shops frozen in specially treated but reheat normal rice contains MANY bacteria and should never be used. some people say its safe if stir fried and although "safer" due to the heat of the oil it is not recommended.

Not entirely correct
http://www.eatwell.gov.uk/asksam/keepingfoodsafe/asksamcooking/

Kimitatsu

anniemf2508 wrote: »

You say its more econmoical for you to buy frozen mash....but if you made a big batch of home made mash and then portioned it off and froze it, surely that would be as cheap?

Sorry not sure if this one is for me ) I do tend to make it up and freeze it, I buy 56lb bags of potatoes for £4.50 from the local feed merchant and then cook some and keep some.

mcallister1

If you have a co-op near you then check out when they reduce their meat as they have an ethical policy of reducing their meat right down, whereas other supermarkets won't reduce too low. Also they have ongoing 2 for £5 offers etc on the meat which still go onmeven when it is reduced. So you quite often can get chicken and prawns, for instance, almost free, then cook it and freeze in portions.
I love my freezer too! I also freeze ham when its reduced and it seems to be fine.

boydE

shop online and go for the offers, my last weekly shop was £180, had it for £110.

we eat alot of ready meals in our house as we dont like the same things, its quicker as we are busy and some of the ready meals are nice, lots of deals 5 for £4 etc..

invisiblecabbage

depending on the freezer size my husband should just about fit

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

teacherandmum

i freeze butter and bread, cheap pizza bases, tortillas (currently have 7 bags which were 15p each at co-op), anchoivies packed into 1 or 2 fillets as we never use a whole can in one go, you can freeze sponges and fruit cake and jam tarts, frozen rosemary, mint and parsley, stewed apple forozen in portions to be eaten with custard or made into a quick crumble or quick apple tart with some frozen pastry, cauliflower cheese is a good one from freezing too,
i love the whoopsies too and buy what i can fit in the freezer - usually sausages, burgers, chicken, bacon, ready meals like lasagne etc

oh just thought, i put 10 or 15 potatoes in the oven to bake and then cool them and freeze them. proper jacket potatoes with crispy skins in minutes!!

victory

I always buy the whoopsie turkey slices and freeze them, fish ,salmon, meat, Asda are very good for that and ready made curries down to pennies, morrisons are also supposed to be good for their reductions but never really had much luck there, Asda definetely you end up with a whole freezer full for a fraction of the price.