The all new using what you have from your Freezer, Cupboard or Shed (Barn) 4 January 2022 at 12:40PM in Old style MoneySaving 633 replies 47.1K views

carinjo

It is probably time to have a new thread for this. 
What do you have in your freezer? In your cupboard/shed? Do you have a veg patch or allotment? What did you manage to store, preserve or freeze?
I, myself, like to cook following a recipe, but love to add veg from my allotment! 

Wraithlady

I got a Christmas fruit box with the veg box, and have spent a couple of sessions canning the fruit which was starting to get past-it.

Got to decide what to do with the red cabbage I got as well - the celariac is at least small, and destined for a gratin later this week. The squash, fortunately, will last for months

C_J

I had an enormous red cabbage in the veg box before Christmas - I cooked half of it as cabbage with balsamic and cranberries, some of which we had with the turkey on Christmas Day, and some of which got portioned up and frozen. It was lovely! The other half got shredded and pickled.

thriftwizard

We've just eaten a delicious bowl of leek, parsnip, potato & carrot (& nettle) soup, all home-grown, either here or at the allotment. The spuds - small ones left over from this summer's harvest - were in a sack in the conservatory, behind DD2's much-loved & cosseted lemon tree, which is indoors until spring. The carrots are in a deep window box in the garden, the nettles were picked from the field edge of my allotment last spring & dehydrated, then crumbled to be used as a herb, and the leeks & parsnips came back from the 'Lottie this morning; they store just fine in the ground as long as I get to them before the slugs do!

There are at least 6 servings & the only non-HG ingredients were a pinch of freshly-ground pepper, two teaspoons of vegetable bouillon powder & the water - which does come from the river that flows 200 yds from our house, but via the waterworks!

In the freezer, there are still corn-cobs, runner beans, roasted squash & pumpkin to add to soups, and lots of raspberries, blackberries & stewed apple & quince. I've made lots of jams & chutneys, some with market bargains but most with HG or locally-foraged stuff like crab apples & blackberries. I'm experimenting with sauerkraut, with bought cabbages, but I have a few coming along at the 'Lottie for when I get it right; we also make kimchi.

We haven't bought chilli flakes for several years; they're one of the easiest things to grow & I can just dry them on top of our elderly boiler, then smash them up. I should also mention that I found a top-quality ice-cream maker in a CS a couple of years ago, and ice-cream/sorbet/frozen yogurts are a splendid way of using excess fruit up!

So - lots to use up, here!

-taff

Used up a jar of massaman paste along with a tin of coconut milk, the last of last years potatoes and the last of the ones bought at Christmas, and the leftover beef from Christmas.

Frugalista

carinjo said:

It is probably time to have a new thread for this. 
What do you have in your freezer? In your cupboard/shed? Do you have a veg patch or allotment? What did you manage to store, preserve or freeze?
I, myself, like to cook following a recipe, but love to add veg from my allotment! 

Thanks for starting this thread. 
I have binge read the old threads and have gleaned no end of ideas and recipes - here's hoping this new incarnation will be just as fruitful!

I have to freezers that are absolutely rammed to the gills (one is a tall larder unit, the other an under counter freezer).  I also have a huge stock of tinned & jarred foods.  We live in a very rural area, so I like to think I am prepared for most eventualities with my stocks.

There is only me and DH (and 5 large hairy dogs &1 elderly cat).  We are both coming up 64 and have around 2 years left on our mortgage.  Unfortunately, we have both lost our jobs due to the economic effects of Covid and are now finding things to be really tight.  This is where my stores will prove their worth!  I am hoping to eat out of the freezer/storecupboards until such time as one of us finds a job (and probably beyond).

I will confess now to being more of a lurker than a poster, but will try harder and contribute more.  Really hoping this thread takes off!

-taff

Used up a very OOD pannettone and half of another one to make Jamie Olivers recipe, verdict, nice but next time I won't bother with the chocolate lumps, the marmalade was nice enough. I used the marmalade I made in the summer with the tangerines that came from a Lidl 1.50 box, it was lovely and I do happen to have some Christmas clementines left over so they may go the same way...

cornishchick

the last week of every month is my go through the freezer and cupboards to eat up strategy. ( waiting for payday) except for the last week of December, that's when I cash in on reductions from Christmas. It always amazes me is that some sausage meat can.t be sold in January cos it has some Christmas designs, plus visiting my partner's Mums home where she wastes so much  I had to speak up and ask to take it home. then in January I try and eat just out of the freezer and buy as little as possible. 

thriftwizard

Just took a tub of rhubarb out of the freezer to defrost; rhubarb crumble for pudding tomorrow! Plus I've steadily been eating up frozen raspberries, in greek yogurt with a spot of honey. I usually use locally-produced honey, but bought two huge jars in L!dls just before the start of lockdown; high time to use those up now! 5kg+ of raspberries came home from the allotment last summer; it's good to have started making a dent in those.

carinjo

Welcome to everyone, still working my way through the new posts. Just finished a week of night shifts, so time to play catchup.

Out: half beef roasting joint, went into slow cooker tuesday morning for dinner and left overs next couple of days. Brown rice, gravy granules. Yesterday, 1 large chicken, marinated, spatchcock lunch today. HM spiced butternut soup, hm beef and dumpling stew. From cupboard tin green lentils, spices, flatbread for curry.
Ms C made a lovely traditional.portuguese dish with salted cod (bacalhau) and potatoes from the shed. Used the last of the sweet tomato jam from 2020 allotment harvest. Took out the last bottled pears from 2020 harvest for dessert today.
Edit: flour, yeast for a massive no knead loaf in cast iron pot. Jars of pesto and pasta sauce.

In: herbs and spices including cardamon, tarragon. Carton juice. 

On another note: got gifted 3 food/recipe books for christmas. So many ideas! 

Wraithlady

I have used up half the red cabbage, cooked with apples, onions and red wine in the slow-cooker - it's only a small slow-cooker - but smells good and portioned it up to freeze. This is when OH declared he doesn't like red cabbage and won't eat it (not a court in the land would convict me...)

So, IN: 4 portions of red cabbage
Out: Pork belly for dinner tonight