Are jars always a bad option?

suki1964

I used to use jars all the time, lack of time and motivation really. Now I scratch cook and I couldn't go back to a jar. The amount of salt and sugar in them just kills me ( well not literally, just makes me very thirsty and upset tum)

Shocking to see the market leader tomato sauce has 6 and a half teaspoons of sugar in each jar:eek:

Redmel, use the cheats carbonara We do it in work so there's no chance of poisoning anyone with raw egg. Just use cream and parmesan. Boil the cream till it thickens, add the cheese and stir through the pasta

catkins

Having watched the programme with Greg Wallace last night and seeing how much sugar there is in most pasta sauces I am glad I don't use them.


I don't use ready made sauces because:


They contain too much salt
They contain too much sugar
I don't like the taste - have tried cheap ones, middle range ones and top of the range ones


I was interested to see what some of you say about curry sauces. I make my own but because it is a bit of a faff I have tried a few ready made ones but have never liked them. Even Patak's I wasn't keen on and the last one of those I used OH took one mouthful and said "you didn't make this it's not very nice"

Ben84

I tend to find jars a bit expensive and somewhat flavourless. I also have a handful in the cupboard at any moment in time as you never know when you're going to feel sick and not want to cook. It actually happened this week. The nice thing about modern conveniences is you can use them if and however you want.

Mojisola

N9eav wrote: »

When we lived in the USA, 'Canning' was the norm. Make up a huge batch of say spaghetti sauce with all those cheap tomatoes and put it in Mason/Kilner/Ball jars and 'jar' it for later use.

Here those jars are expensive and we do little of it. It's a shame really that it costs so much to do here and most people have not much storage either.

"Canning" isn't the same as just putting stuff in a Kilner jar - without the proper canning equipment, you stand a good chance of making people seriously ill.

xJOJOx_2

I make my own sauces for pretty much everything, as someone said above its the sugar content. They add so much. But that's all processed foods, even things marketed as low fat etc still contain a lot of sugar. In saying that I have one jar of curry and I pasta source in my cupboard just incase...in moderation there ok but wouldn't recommend daily x

Mojisola

xJOJOx wrote: »

But that's all processed foods, even things marketed as low fat etc still contain a lot of sugar.

"Low fat" versions usually have more sugar in them.

suki1964

Tbh I find a curry sauce about the easiest to make, and I roast and hand grind my spices. But an hour of making the basic sauce means I have the basis of four future meals ready to go with just a few tweaks

I've never made a tomato sauce that has tasted the same as last time lol. I think that's cos it's always a case of chuck in whatever is there, capers Anchovies , peppers blah blah where as the basic curry sauce is the same all the time, till its flavoured for the curry in mind

Yes i do add sugar and salt to my sauces but very little. If I'm making sauce with tinned toms I do use a good teaspoon. But then I use value toms. I do think when you use the cheapest ingredients you do need to add a tad more in flavoring

rufydoofyM

I generally cook from scratch, but organically as much as possible. I find myself reading lables so much more these days and often pick stuff up only to return it to the shelf after reading the ingredients. We like curry and that is the only sauce I buy as a rule. We buy seeds of change when on offer as at least the ingredients list is clear and there are no dubious things in it. I have tried using spices, but as yet not mastered the art of true hm curry. At least a jar makes curry an easy and quick treat every so often.
As for other jars and sauces I cringe at some of the ingredients and sugar levels especially knowing I can make a far better and healthier sauce from scratch that costs far less with left overs to freeze and save on effort another day.
However I appreciate that not everyone has the time, know how or inclination to cook from scratch and jars have a place in their life and kitchen. Each to their own.

peachyprice

redmel1621 wrote: »

I am fully capable of making from scratch pretty much every sauce, with the exception of carbonara, .

Carbonara is the easiet, quickest of them all,

2 eggs
Cup of grated parmesan
Good dose of ground pepper
Mix it all together in a bowl

Lardons fried with two cloves of garlic and some herbs.

Freshly cooked pasta

Throw the lardons & garlic in the cooked pasta
The throw the egg/parm mixture and toss until all the pasta is covered.

10 min meal, so easy and delicious and absolutely NOTHING like anything you will get in a jar.

LameWolf

It wouldn't actually occur to me to buy a jar of sauce.

I dislike very strong flavours, (absolutely hate curry in any form) and by making my own sauces, I can tweak the recipe so that it suits Mr LW and myself; plus, I can make the exact amount I need, rather than having a bit left over at the bottom of a jar, or having to open a second one because one isn't quite enough.

Just as an aside, why is it so much stuff these days contains chilli? Vile stuff!:eek: