homemade v store bought

klew356

Shop bought mayo and tommy k all the way, i don’t have time or the want to make that kind of stuff from scratch.
I don’t like shop bought quiche so i would make my own – with shop bought pastry! Its not expensive and im a time saver
I buy oven chips but no other frozen potato product, and they are only a treat once a week. Usually have baked or boiled potatoes, occasionally home made roast as again the shop bought don’t taste right but i have been known to buy mash from morrisons from the fresh section – one pot can do me three meals easy – its a no brainer
I would use a curry sauce from the supermarket, if it was on offer, i also use a curry paste, i wouldn’t go out and buy all the spices and do it from scratch. Sometimes homemade is more expensive to get the basic ingredients in if you don’t already have them

I am believer in looking at what i have left in the cupboards, freezer, fridge, going on the Google and getting inspiration of what to make with the contents so less waste.

Floss

We have branded mayo & TommyK, but DH has made mayo for an ingredient sensitive relative before now.

Spuds we grow on our allotment - if we need to buy then they are recipe-appropriate, never frozen.

Pastry generally bought but DH has made on occasion.

Pasta some bought some home-made. Never buy pasta sauces, never buy curry sauces, hardly ever buy y/s pizza as don't often eat them.

Veg is grown & eaten fresh or frozen for winter, except peas & yellow peas (sweetcorn). Fruit eaten when picked, frozen for winter, made into jams or wine.

I do make jams & chutneys - some for gifts & some for us. DH makes wines with allotment fruit.

Bread is generally Lidl low GI, bought from around the corner while still warm

purpleybat

i love making jams (tho I don't eat it), chutneys, pickles and relishes. I generally make them for my family, they tell me what they're running short of and I make it when I see the veg etc cheap. my blapple jam (blackberry and apple) I get the fruit for free and I give it to my workpal who's kids love it it made me REALLY happy a month ago when her daughter made me a card to say thankyou.
I generally never buy ready-made potato products but do like potato waffles occasionally, maybe once a year.
as I like cooking and find it relaxing after a stressy day I don't tend to use ready-made sauces. I do however have thai green curry paste on tonight's morries order, i'm not a huge fan but cooking for my dad and sister who both love it.
ketchup and brown sauce I have made in the past and would again if I had a sudden glut of tomatoes but usually they're made into pasta sauce which I then freeze. mayo I just buy jars of lidls own brand, same with salad cream.
I have a bread maker I rarely use and buy biscuits for dad, i'm just not a good baker.

halogen

Life is too short to make mashed potato- instant powdered stuff all the way and I also buy potato salad and frozen pizza, not because I can't make them but because shop bought is nicer and cheaper.
I don't do any other potato product really though

ketchup- nah can't be bothered with all that sterilising jars stuff- lidl cheapo brand.
mayo- don't eat it really but have made my own before if needed.
pastry- I have hot hands so homemade pastry is horrid.
I do make chutney and jam but more as a way of getting rid of garden gluts than cause I actually eat them (although I also buy jam occasionally but only in options I can't make)
Don't do ready made sauces and the like though and I do have a large selection of spices and herbs that don't often get used.
Keeping a basil plant alive on a windowsill? you must be a miracle worker :-) Supermarket or grown from seed, never managed this trick myself.

As some one said you pick your battles:-)

LameWolf

Jojo_the_Tightfisted wrote: »

Jam - can you be bothered? Do you have blackberry bushes taking over the back garden? Would your family eat jam every single day and never, ever stick a buttery knife into the jar? If not, don't bother. Same goes for lemon curd - unless you are guaranteed to demolish it within a few days, stick to the stuff from the supermarket.

We have cherry plum trees along where I walk dogs, as well as blackberries. Otherwise I get the huge £1 bowls of fruit from the market, or we visit the PYO.

Mr LW does indeed eat jam most days (he likes a dollop on his morning bran flakes - go figure...) and no, he would never dream of sticking a buttery knife in the jar, he gets a clean teaspoon to dispense jam.

Jam making is actually a task we do together, and have a really enjoyable time (although generally speaking I loathe cooking); and Mr LW insists that our efforts are much superior in taste to supermarket offerings, so for us it is a worthwhile venture.

Oh, and we have Mr LW's Gran's gi-normous jam cauldron, as well as a much smaller one that I brought with me when I came to live with him back in 2002.

tiredwithtwins

hiya
some interesting replies!
my twins are older teens now, and eat like horses!! with a 20 year old who struggles to work due to mental health issues, my salary has to stretch a long way.
im not trying to tick any boxes or comply, im trying to save money and cook from scratch whilst balancing my budget lol ..
ive followed the old style thread for many years now and picked up so many helpful tips - I was just interested in finding out what everyone had success/failed in switching from branded store bought to old style cook from scratch
love hm jam!! we forage for blackberries, freezing lots and make jam when we need it (altho it tends to be only me that eats it)
we love making pizzas from scratch .. as well as pasta sauces. I made ketchup from a glut of toms I grew (it was very nice so if I ever get my hands on a few kg of them again for next to nothing I will make it again lol)


thanks again, interesting to see what everyone thinks

JIL

I enjoyed reading this thread, it was interesting to see what different people do. It is easy to do what you always do, sometimes it's good to ask the question and see if there's a different way. I have picked up some useful ideas and tips to try over the next few weeks.

shanks77

Poppy1984 wrote: »

Thank you but does the Greek style natural yoghurt work for the pizza bases or only the fage? I shop in Aldi

I used Aldi/Lidl Greek yoghurt and it turned out fine best part ex couldn't tell that there was yogurt in it and devoured it happily :j:j:j

tiredwithtwins

splishsplash wrote: »

I make two-ingredient pizza base/garlic bread dough which takes seconds and is really nice. I buy dried pasta though.

we make lots of hm pizzas, so im going to try this tomorrow! I got a bag of grated mozzarella cheese for £3 from an outlet shop today, so portioning it up into 250g bags to freeze and saving one bag for pizzas tomorrow

purpleivy

HM jam is superior but only worth doing if you can get cheap or free fruit.
Lemon curd. A frequent thing here. Would never buy!
Marmalade...definitely....seville orange, lime.
Make lots of things the OPs have mentioned but although I can make mayo I don't!
Own soups. Far superior!
I make my own pizzas, always HM bread, cakes.
I make my own yogurt in my INstant Pot. It's fabulous either strained or as is.