Alternatives for when the supermarkets sell out....

betterlife

Hi,

I know a lot of people are worried at the moment because they are unable to get what they need from the supermarkets. It would seem that more and more products are becoming unavailable, with either no stock or just expensive brands left. I thought it would be good to start a thread where we could help each other by making suggestions of alternatives whether it be bought or homemade that could help us get by until things hopefully get back to normal.

It would be great if your suggestion is homemade if you could also give the recipe/directions.

I'll start...If you are unable to get fresh milk, longlife or dairyfree, you could use evaporated milk by making 1 part evaporated milk to 2 parts water, you could also make oat milk by soaking porridge oats in water overnight then straining through a muslin cloth.

I also noticed today in 2 supermarkets that self raising flour had sold out, but plain was still available, but by adding baking powder to plain flour it will turn it into self raising flour.

Any tip big or small will be helpful I'm sure to someone I'm sure.

thriftwizard

Our local W8rose has been out of loo roll, pasta, noodles & rice for the best part of a week now; I assume they're being delivered, but sold as soon as the stuff hits the shelves. But there's still plenty of bulgur wheat, cous-cous & pearl barley... and oat groats, usually available from health food shops, work really well as an alternative to rice; cook the same way as wholegrain rice with just over twice as much (boiling) water as grain by volume, for about 30 minutes. Bulgur wheat cooks faster, in 10-15 minutes depending on the size of the grains, and is extra good for you. Cous-cous, of course, is really fast, at 4-5 minutes to rehydrate, with twice as much water & a knob of butter for deliciousness.
So you shouldn't need to worry too much about carbs!

I've also found that whatever's been missing in our supermarket, I've been able to find in the small local shops or at our street market, and often much cheaper too; I got 12 lemons for £1 at the market today and 2 lovely ripe pineapples for £1.50 yesterday. My girls have just been up to the corner shop for crisps & tonic water, & reported that they have plenty of loo roll, too - but we had plenty in anyway & don't need any more yet. 

betterlife

thriftwizard said:

Our local W8rose has been out of loo roll, pasta, noodles & rice for the best part of a week now; I assume they're being delivered, but sold as soon as the stuff hits the shelves. But there's still plenty of bulgur wheat, cous-cous & pearl barley... and oat groats, usually available from health food shops, work really well as an alternative to rice. So you shouldn't need to worry too much about carbs.
I've also found that whatever's been missing in our supermarket, I've been able to find in the small local shops or at our street market, and often much cheaper too; I got 12 lemons for £1 at the market today and 2 lovely ripe pineapples for £1.50 yesterday. My girls have just been up to the corner shop for crisps & tonic water, & reported that they have plenty of loo roll, too - but we had plenty in anyway & don't need any more yet. 

Yes I agree with you re smaller shops, I went to Ald! and sainsbug today and both completely out of eggs! but my small corner coop had plenty and toilet roll, although they have not had pasta all week. I am lucky to have a big selection of supermarkets near me, although I'd rather not have to visit them all, and to be honest the ones I've been too lately are all sold out of the same items and more. I'm grateful I can cook and stretch food, especially as im cooking for 6.

anniecave

Off topic, but the theory is that within a few days things should start to get back to normal, as long as lots of people don't come down sick to the extent that it affects production, deliveries, or shop staffing, or nothing else catastrophic happens.

Lots of people have been panic buying staples, so everyone else hasn't been able to get what they need easily. Everyone else then has to buy more (as they need to make up for what they couldn't buy when they do find some in stock) or people are tempted to buy more as they're not sure if they'll be able to get what they want next time they shop.   Some people are probably going repeat times or going at different times of the day to usual to try to get what they want or need.  

Once the panic buyers stop, they'll no longer need to buy their staples for the next year, and everyone else should be able to buy what's on the shelves as normal. The manufacturers are still producing, deliveries are still arriving, shops are still open. 

betterlife

anniecave said:

Off topic, but the theory is that within a few days things should start to get back to normal, as long as lots of people don't come down sick to the extent that it affects production, deliveries, or shop staffing, or nothing else catastrophic happens.

Lots of people have been panic buying staples, so everyone else hasn't been able to get what they need easily. Everyone else then has to buy more (as they need to make up for what they couldn't buy when they do find some in stock) or people are tempted to buy more as they're not sure if they'll be able to get what they want next time they shop.   Some people are probably going repeat times or going at different times of the day to usual to try to get what they want or need.  

Once the panic buyers stop, they'll no longer need to buy their staples for the next year, and everyone else should be able to buy what's on the shelves as normal. The manufacturers are still producing, deliveries are still arriving, shops are still open. 

Yes I do agree with you, but I am also seeing a lot of people/friends on social media on low incomes that are having trouble buying there usual weekly grocery shop as the shelves have been bare for over a week. I just thought this might be helpful for those who could'nt get bread for instance but need to make packed lunches for the children on monday (just an example)

Rosa_Damascena

For foodstuffs, I really think I would just do without.

Essential toiletries (toilet roll, toothpaste) I have no idea but I know it would drive me to distraction.

boultdj

Rosa_Damascena said:

For foodstuffs, I really think I would just do without.

Essential toiletries (toilet roll, toothpaste) I have no idea but I know it would drive me to distraction.

Coconut oil can be used as tooth paste, just need put a little bit on the brush and rinse your mouth well after wards.

FlickyFoot

Hair conditioner can be used for shaving foam. Or maybe even coconut oil as mentioned above. In fact coconut oil is great for so many things; lip balm, make up removal (doesn't always work though), body moisturiser, hair condtioner.

Oat milk is so easy to make if you have any kind of blender, and either a nut milk bag, some muslin or a clean old tshirt. It might take a bit of perfecting as sometimes mine comes out slimy. Lots of youtube videos on that one. I've been watering down my soya milk for cereal, but I do that anyway.

Slinky

I've been to my local garden centre and bought salad seeds and some cauliflower plants. Have already bought onion sets and planted 3 apple trees and a cherry tree earlier in the year. I'm about to order some raspberry canes.  Our rhubarb is growing nicely and our strawberry plants will give us a good crop later in the year. We won't be living like Tom & Barbara Good, but a little bit of home grown may help, if there's too many things ripe at the same time we can share them with the neighbours.

scottishminnie

Slinky said:

I've been to my local garden centre and bought salad seeds and some cauliflower plants. Have already bought onion sets and planted 3 apple trees and a cherry tree earlier in the year. I'm about to order some raspberry canes.  Our rhubarb is growing nicely and our strawberry plants will give us a good crop later in the year. We won't be living like Tom & Barbara Good, but a little bit of home grown may help, if there's too many things ripe at the same time we can share them with the neighbours.

Hubby and I were discussing over the weekend that we think we will start off things earlier this year - tomatoes, beetroot, onions and such like. We are fortunate to have a greenhouse and although it may require some heating, which we don’t normally do, we think it will be sensible. For those without greenhouses even the odd pot on a windowsill may start things off a bit earlier than usual.

for those struggling to find eggs in supermarkets it’s an ideal time to find out who sells free range eggs locally. 

A drive out into the countryside and you may well see signs for free range eggs, honey and more. Notwithstanding advice around limiting social contact supporting small producers in these difficult times would be most welcome I’m sure.

thriftwizard

I popped into a large supermarket earlier to pick some tins up for my elderly mother, and was utterly baffled by the shoppers barging their trolleys down the almost-empty pasta aisle, yelling, "OMG! There isn't any pasta!" 
There was a full shelf of 55p macaroni... do people not see macaroni as pasta?