The Great 'Cheap cooking substitutes' Hunt

Mr_Bun

I always use supermarket budget range plain and self-raising flours,there is no difference in the finished items compared to using expensive branded flours,and I do a lot of baking,hence the name:D

slbhill

I make a fair number of cakes and suchlike, home made almost always tastes better and a lot of cakes sre very easy to make. I use Stork in place of butter, value flour, granulated sugar (never caster). Never had any complaints from my willing tasters.

For sauces I generally use stock instead of wine. It's not quite as nice (and I guess is higher salt) but good enough for me. Wine isn't something I drink so would have to open a bottle just for a glug.

Panetta = bacon for most purposes :-)

Glosjools_2

I always use supermarket 'value' flour - absolutely no difference to the branded flours. Used Stork for cooking/baking over Christmas, but it really is NO different to the 2kg tubs of Soft Spread (perfect for baking) offered at my nearest 'orange' shop for £3.

Tabbit

When a recipe calls for buttermilk, I put a tablespoon of white vinegar into my 1 cup measure, then fill to the top with milk, leave it for 10 minutes = buttermilk. Hurrah!

ScroogeJnr

- Grow your own, plenty of tutorials out there even for flat dwellers.
- Those individual spice jars you get in major supermarkets are outrageously expensive per unit of spice. Why not spend more earlier and buy good quality racks of spices which work out a lot cheaper
- Ask yourself whether the ingredient is necessary, most of the time especially for spices you can skip one of them and it won't affect the taste, don't forget that some chefs even tailor their recipes in conjunction with the supermarkets that sponsor them...
- Shop in those small stores catering for ethnic communities, they'll most probably have a bigger range of the fooditem you're after, different sizes, etc. Also keep an eye on all the products they have, you might discover better substitutes, a dry version, pickled version, just Google it!
- Revise proportions, reduce the amount of meat in the recipe you're using, reduce the amount of butter they recommend, etc.

SJ_Jones

Cheshire cheese is a cheaper alternative to Feta - it ha a similar taste and crumbles in the same way. AND it's British!

Love the buttermilk tip!

But have to say, although I love turmeric (for it's taste as well as it's health properties), it's not a substitute for saffron! If you can't tell the difference, then there was something wrong with your saffron!

CAS_2

If you haven't got an egg use a tablespoon of vinegar in a cake. I have tried it and it really works!

newlands23

I often bulk out casseroles, curries etc with veg to make a little meat seem to go a long way. Whatever veg is cheap/in season will do. Several different vegetables all add to the flavour.
Bottles of cooking sauce are a total rip off! To make a nice thick sauce for your casserole, add a couple of tablespoons of plain flour to the meat while browning it. Then add a stock cube plus water, or a tin of cheap chopped tomatoes including juice. Add a few herbs or some garlic or cinnamon or curry powder. Much, much cheaper than bottled sauces.
Try out a bread maker - borrow one to see if you get on with it. I can recommend Panasonic although at the moment you have to use Canadian strong flour (British "strong" flour being as weak as water due to bad harvests). Wholemeal loaf costs about half of an Allinsons one and tastes better!

Any

Tabbit wrote: »

When a recipe calls for buttermilk, I put a tablespoon of white vinegar into my 1 cup measure, then fill to the top with milk, leave it for 10 minutes = buttermilk. Hurrah!

I use squeezedlemon juice.. exactly the same effect
Never bought buttermilk since. It is never sold in the exact amount I need (obviously) and we always have a milk at home-no waste!

Any

newlands23 wrote: »

I often bulk out casseroles, curries etc with veg to make a little meat seem to go a long way. Whatever veg is cheap/in season will do. Several different vegetables all add to the flavour.
Bottles of cooking sauce are a total rip off! To make a nice thick sauce for your casserole, add a couple of tablespoons of plain flour to the meat while browning it. Then add a stock cube plus water, or a tin of cheap chopped tomatoes including juice. Add a few herbs or some garlic or cinnamon or curry powder. Much, much cheaper than bottled sauces.

Bought sauce for casseroles?? I've heard it all now.
What you are describing is called actual "cooking":)

Though I do think there is a space for convenient food-better then £10 take away I suppose. But never knew anyone buying sauce for casseroles.. occassional pasta sauce perhaps (and as you say it is a rip off!!)