Do you have a secret trick?

bouicca21

Not so much a secret but I do buy very very cheap red wine, then portion it into bags and freeze it to use in stews.  No point in wasting the good stuff.

YoungBlueEyes

I warm my scones in the microwave - cut them in half, a few drops of water on the cut side and blast em for a few seconds. I'll try the toaster next time @Green_hopeful

I like your wine idea @bouicca21. I use marks' red wine stock pots but prolly a bottle would be cheaper

I made stew the other day with a bag of frozen leftover gravy as a base. I'd forgotten it was from when himself made the dinner and it was bladdy salty. A quick duckduck told me to add a teaspoon of vinegar, and that worked

Longwalker

bouicca21 said:

Not so much a secret but I do buy very very cheap red wine, then portion it into bags and freeze it to use in stews.  No point in wasting the good stuff.

I kind of do the same, but only I fill an ice cube tray from a bottle just opened - of drinking stuff 

I read once that if you wouldn't drink it, dont cook with it and its stuck with me and if I dont do it when the bottles first opened, I tend to have the bottle drunk before I remember  

Brambling

i keep both dry vermouth (something like Noilly Prat or whatever is on offer) and port in the house both will last for months once opened and where the recipe calls for or would benefit from either white or red wine and I don't want to open any i add a dash of either, you don't need to add as much as you would wine.  

GaleSF63

Not secret as I first read it on MSE but I think it's worth repeating occasionally for anyone who doesn't do it - when apparently at the end of a tube of for example tomato puree, toothpaste, germolene or anything similar, cut the tube near the top and it's surprising how much more you can fish out before needing to start a new tube. I'm sure I've saved a bit of money this way over the last few years and of course, less waste. 

Rosa_Damascena

bouicca21 said:

Not so much a secret but I do buy very very cheap red wine, then portion it into bags and freeze it to use in stews.  No point in wasting the good stuff.

I bought a load of gin yesterday evening, Morrisons had good offers on several brands so several different bottles went into my basket. I couldn't imagine wasting a drop of it in cooking! My tip for getting the most "botanical" flavour out of it is to serve with a slice of frozen orange rather than lemon.

I noticed the young lad at the till didn't bother to ask me for proof of age

bouicca21

Actually I think it’s almost criminal to use a good wine for a stew. If it’s drinkable I drink it.  But I’d do keep a cheapish but drinkable manzanilla for splashing into stir fries and risotto. Because they are cooked so quickly the flavour matters, whereas in a stew you are more after the tenderising effect and after its mixed with the meat juices for a few hours you really can’t tell the difference.

JIL

I put red wine into my quorn mince bolognese, it definitely adds to the taste, definitely not needed for  tenderising. I use white wine in my risotto. I use the small bottles from aldi, good value and a decent taste. 

joedenise

I just use red or white stock pots when I want the flavour for stew (red) or risotto (white); also saves on calories!

JIL

joedenise said:

I just use red or white stock pots when I want the flavour for stew (red) or risotto (white); also saves on calories!

But you cant secretly drink the leftovers with stockpots 🙂. 

I do have some stock pots as well and they are very good.