Use it up! Don't throw it in the bin!

Chris25

Chris25 wrote: »

not really sure whether this should go on this thread but here goes.......
I was given a couple of large jars of freeze-dried coffee but we don't use a lot and when I buy a jar, I get the 100gm size so it doesn't get too stale.

Well one of the jars I gave to charity event and I thought to myself if you can freeze coffee beans, what about instant ? So the other, I divided into 5 bags and popped them in the freezer. It worked fine - I just refilled the jar with the contents from the bag and was really chuffed with myself.

just an update on this - It didn't actually work out as well as I first thought!! There's no doubt that freezing the coffee has kept it fresher for longer than if I'd kept it in the jar.

But I've tried one of the frozen packs and I can say that it doesn't keep it for as long as if you'd bought a smaller jar in the first place. You just don't get that lovely coffee smell that you get when you break that seal for the first time:(

OrkneyStar

nozza76 wrote: »

I've got 4 ripe tomatoes in the bottom of the fridge begging to be used up probably for tea tonight.
Anyone got any good recipes to make good use of them. Slightly past their past to be used in salad now.

:cool:

You could......Cook them up with some basil/garlic, some salt and pepper to taste, and a little sugar if you think they need sweetening. Serve on crusty bread drizzled with olive oil....
OR
.......Cook as above but for longer, puree up and serve with pasta, incorporate tuna or mince or any other meat/veg......

fizzel81

thank you

think i will go with the crumble idea, just need to remind myself the topping quantaties and check i have enough butter for this and bread making untill the end of the week

Chris25

wannabemoneysavingstar wrote: »

Ive got 6 very soft pears as well, any ideas would be great, any sort of cakey, bready thing that can be frozen?

Thanks

I love pears.

I sometimes put either sliced apples and mincemeat or pears and chocolate squares in the bottom of the tin before I put my cake mix in. lovely

I also heat pears in the oven (sometimes with a little dash of sherry) heating seems to concentrate the flavour. Great with ice-cream

joannasmum

I need to join in as well. My OS ways have slipped while I have had no kitchen. This morning I have made a large pan of lentil soup with the stock from the ham I boiled for our tea last night. I'm going to go through the cupboards while tea is cooking to see what else needs using up.

trying-very-trying

OrkneyStar wrote: »

Ok, here is a challenge. I have two snowballs- the cakey ones with jam in and coconut on the outside. BBE 20 May. DH refusing to eat them, are they safe ? Any ideas how to incorporate them into any sort of dish ?
I always understood BBE meant best before but ok afterward- just quality not guaranteed so much- is this correct ?

Basically this is just cake,eh? How about chopping them up a bit into chunky pieces, heat them up and have that with custard, the jammy bit in the middle might need a bit more jam. Or you could chop them up and use for trifle sponges.

foxybabe

I like pears just griddled with cream or creme freche on. Lovely.

Has anyone got any ideas what I can do with a jar fo instant coffee. I bought it from lidl last week to try and it is horrible. Seriously I cant drink it but I don't want to throw it away.

Thanks everyone.

wannabemoneysavingstar

So many ideas, shame I haven't got more pears.... thanks might go with the cake and chocolate squares, I am partial to a bit of chocolate with almost anything.

Primrose

I also turn surplus pears into a fruit compote with a little cinnamon and a few sultanas (and any wrinkly apples left in the fruit dish). This freezes well and can be used for crumbles, stirred into fruit jellies or eaten with porridge or yoghurt.

Primrose

foxybabe - if you've also got a jar of decent coffee you can try mixing them but experiment with a small quantity first in case it ruins the decent coffee as well and you have to throw both jars away. Alternatively, if you use caffetiere coffee, you could use less and add a little "horrible" coffee in the hope that the flavour will be disguised. Or, you could send it back to the supplier claiming that it is totally undrinkable and ask for a refund.