Good tips, Party Music.

Here are a couple I have posted before. If a recipe calls for a tablespoon or two of tomato paste, I measure out tablespoon-sized blobs of the remainder of the can and freeze them on a flat metal pan. After they're frozen solid, I pop then into a ziplock freezer bag. The next time a recipe requires a tablespoon of tomato paste, I'm ready.

I also have two containers in my freezer - one for apple peelings and one for orange and clementine peels. On winter days, I'll put a handful of either in a small saucepan with water to cover and a couple of whole cloves and allspice. Let it simmer on the back burner to give your house a nice fragrance.

Great tips! Thanks for sharing.

Recycle is not the best solution, as far as the environment is concerned. It is better than not recycling. Materials can only be recycled a few times then they will still pollute the environment.

Reuse is the best strategy. Here is one of mine:

Kitchen sink scrubbers become scrubby after awhile. Take a rubber band and wrap around the bristles.

Cook the scrubber in a pressure cooker with a little dishwasher detergent for about 10 minutes and let the pressure cooker cool to room temperature by itself.

The high heat will reset the bristles’ molecules and the detergent will clean the muck out. If the yellowish color of the bristles bothers you, soak the scrubber in bleach overnight.

The rejuvenated heat treated scrubber will actually last longer than when it was brand new.

Dcarch

Yesterday I made Gazpacho (the perfect garden delight this time of the year, using fresh produce from our garden). I removed the skins from the tomatoes using the boiling water method, dipped them into acidified water to help prevent bacteria growth (as I do with everything I dehydrate), and dried them on a separate dehydrator tray until they were crispy dry while I was dehydrating almonds.

I stuff the crispy tomato skins into a jar with a tight-fitting lid. As needed, I mill them into powder with my coffee/spice mill. You won't want to make a lot of powder ahead of time because there isn't an anti-caking ingredient.

For tomato paste blend a ratio of 1:1 powder and water. For tomato sauce blend a ratio of 1:2 powder and water (or any thickness you like).

I've been a big fan of tomato powder for home food storage, and this is all but free. It's not as concentrated as commercial tomato powder, but will still work well.

BTW, with a little adjustment to the ingredients, I'll use leftover Gazpacho for salsa with chips. We also like to use it over a baked potato.

-Grainlady

This post was edited by grainlady on Wed, Jul 31, 13 at 8:47

Hmm... guess I'll save those tomato skins when I make salsa later this month.

How would I dehydrate them in the oven?

momj47-

Using an oven really isn't an energy efficient method for drying food compared to a thermostatically controlled dehydrator.

Not all foods dry properly at the same temperature, and most ovens don't go low enough for dehydrating, although some models now have a dehydrating feature. Often times it requires leaving the door cracked open or the oven gets too hot - a real energy waster. This is especially true when some foods may take 24-48-hours to dry properly. Not to mention all the space you are heating with nothing in it. I can dehydrate one tray, or as many as 12.

I dehydrate tomato skins between 125-135 degrees F. and they dry fairly quickly. Equally as important for proper drying is the air flow. It would be better to increase the air flow to dissipate moisture rather than increasing the temperature.

Increased temperature (anything over 150-degrees) can actually cook the food. Depending on the thickness, a high temperature can dry the outside of the food first, leaving the inside moist. The moisture trapped inside will be unable to migrate through that "hard case" (the surface). This can lead to spoilage or mold growth during storage when foods are improperly dried. (Although this probably wouldn't be an issue with something as thin as tomato skins.)

So what else can you do with a dehydrator?

I use my dehydrator once or twice a week - more during gardening season. As soon as apple season is here it will be going non-stop until I have enough dried apples to last for a year. Apples (free-for-the-picking) are great for my food budget :-). I use dried apple slices for snacks, making applesauce, pies/cobbler, added to baked goods and cooked cereal...... In fact, any and all free food is very welcome. The neighbor gave me a large bag of zucchini and I dehydrated them. We use (seasoned) dried zucchini chips like other people eat potato chips. You can't believe how many dehydrated tomatoes you can stuff into a quart jar, so it's also a space saver.

Instead of watching produce die of loneliness in the crisper drawer, I'll dehydrate it. I found a great bargain on frozen veggies recently and I dehydrated them because I don't have freezer room for them (I only have the freezer on my refrigerator). I got a bunch of packages of mushrooms half-price this morning and they are in the dehydrator right now.

Ripe fruit (often found discounted at the store) is made into fruit roll-ups (which are used for snacks, fruit sauce, or to add another flavor to applesauce). Veggies are made into vegetable roll-ups. I cook, mash and dry sweet potatoes (on fruit roll-up sheets), until it is crispy dry. Then I pulverize it into a powder to make "instant" mashed sweet potatoes when I add hot water. After I make almond milk (or other nut milks) I dehydrate the almond pulp and use it in recipes calling for almond flour.

My dehydrator is my favorite method for home food preservation, as well as being the least expensive method. As a certified instructor, I teach classes on the subject several times a year.

-Grainlady

Thanks.

Unless I can find one at Goodwill, I'll have to figure out how to do it in the oven. Once a year just isn't worth the expense or shelf space.

"----Unless I can find one at Goodwill, I'll have to figure out how to do it in the oven. Once a year just isn't worth the expense or shelf space.--"

A convection oven will work much better.

(Don't try this unless you really know what you are doing!")
If your oven can keep a low temperature, below 150F, you can put a small electric fan inside. Most electric motors will not get burnt at that temperature.

dcarch

Mom47, check Aldi's. They have one on special this week.

Once you have one, you will find other uses for it. Mushrooms, herbs, fruits, veggies.......

The only thing I can think of is that I add water to the integrated soap dispenser at my sink. The liquid soap lasts at least twice as long.

I cut dishwasher tabs in half with a strong knife. No etching on glassware and the dishes are still clean. I keep the cut tabs in a foldover baggie in my sink tip-out tray.

Put mouthwash in a spray bottle to spray in your mouth.

your mouthwash will last ten times longer!!!

More convenient too. No more uncapping / capping .

dcarch

This post was edited by dcarch on Thu, Aug 1, 13 at 7:10

Use drain cleaner (Liquid Plumber type) instead of "Easy-Off" Much cheaper.

(Read the instructions for use)

dcarch

I reuse parchment paper (except greasy, sugar melted, or scorched sheets) when baking. I also wash and reuse plastic zip bags - except those that have had meat juices inside.

The reCap Mason Jar Lids are great for storing bulk items like rice, bulgur, dried beans, honey, etc. in glass canning jars. You can see what is in the jar and the pour spout lets you pour out just what you need. I like that I helped Kickstarter get this product on the market!

I try to make kitchen gadgets be multi-taskers. I use my pizza cutter to cut out square biscuits and rolls, noodles and dumplings, and fingers or squares of shortbread. I reserve the use of foil for cooking things like BBQ chicken that would require more time in clean-up of the pan if I didn't line the pan with foil. Saving my valuable time is also frugal I think.

Teresa

Here is a link that might be useful: reCap Mason Jar Lids

I LOVE reCap lids. I only have a few, but they get a lot of use, especially for liquid things in the refrigerator.

-- Something else I reuse are the plastic lids from (dry) grated cheese products. These fit regular-size canning jars and the flip-up lid can be used with a measuring spoon, and the side with holes works for sprinkling. I have one for a pint jar of baking soda (I purchase baking soda in bulk amounts) and another on a pint jar of ground flax/chia seed mixture I keep in the freezer. I add it by-the-spoonful to our morning smoothie, baked goods, cooked cereal, etc.

-- I have purloined a few plastic water/soda bottles with the caps to use for several things like funnels and drip catchers that hang on the spigot of water/beverage coolers, but they also work to turn a plastic bag into a pourable and reclosable storage container (bag of macaroni, popcorn, lentils, etc.).

How to: Cut the bottle portion off 1-2 inches under the cap and use the top portion of the bottle only. Take the cap off the top, poke the plastic bag top through the hole on the top of the bottle, screw the bottle top back on over the plastic bag.

-- I store dry goods in canning jars and an assortment of recycled jars that use canning jar lids. In order to identify the contents, I spray painted canning lids with chalk board paint and write on the lids of the jar with chalk or liquid chalk markers. I also used some chalk board style Con-Tact paper (self-adhesive) I got at a thrift store on some canisters.

-- You can cut a gallon plastic jug into a scoop (I use my vinegar bottles). I have several of them and I use them for outdoor purposes (potting soil, transferring compost, etc.), as well as some for food use (powdered milk, grains/seeds/beans I purchase in buckets and transfer user-friendly amounts to other containers). If the jug has pry-off lid instead of a screw-on lid, you may want to permanently attach it to the top with glue.

-Grainlady

I use the plastic cereal liners to pound chicken breasts in. They are very heavy and durable.

I also cut cereal boxes in the shape of a magazine holder and use them to store magazines.

Wrapping celery in aluminum foil keeps it much longer. Don't wash before wrapping though, it must be dry.

I keep some garlic in the freezer, wrapped in aluminum foil. They don't sprout and can be used like fresh garlic.

I always grate frozen butter on a box grater when making biscuits, pastry etc.

A pastry blender works good for chopping boiled eggs when making egg salad.

If you don't have an anti-slip mat, use a damp paper towel under your cutting/pastry board to keep it from moving.

Just the other day I was looking at a sheet of deli meat "paper" that was actually thin plastic - not as thin as plastic wrap nor as thick as the sheet of plastic that comes in a package of bacon. I was wondering how that thin plastic could be used in cooking? I don't often pound chicken breasts, but that is one use. It could be used to separate chicken pieces or burger patties when freezing, I guess.

Anyone else with an idea of how to reuse this thin plastic, after it is washed well, of course?

Teresa

Teresa, I had never seen those reCap lids. I just ordered a bunch of them - some for me and the rest I'll add to the top of my jars of jam at Xmas as a little "bonus". Thanks for posting those. I can't wait to get them; I love storing things in glass and it will be so much easier to pour, esp. liquids in the fridge or to carry liquids in the ice cooler.

I now buy lemons on sale by the dozen or more. Then peel or grate off the yellow zest and freeze it. The peelings are scattered on a cookie sheet and the grated zest is arranged in small (usually 1 Tsp) piles on the same sheet, slid into the freezer and left to freeze, then stored in separate zip lock freezer bags.

The frozen peeling can be used the same way fresh peeling would be.

Then I juice the "naked" lemons. I am SO pleased with the Breville juicer for this. The Breville leaves almost no juice unsqueezed out (a bit ungrammatical, that)--I tried squeezing a handful of the pulpy leavings by hand and got only a few drips! The juicer has earned a permanent spot on my counter.

The juice is poured into ice cube trays, frozen, and then the cubes stored in ziplock freezer bags. A dozen lemons makes one tray full of juice cubes.

One big cube, a glass of water, a teaspoon of sugar, a quick whir with the stick blender and I have wonderful lemonade anytime I want it in this hot weather.

If anyone is interested, Woot still has reconditioned Breville citrus juicers for about half regular price. They are pricey even so, but for me, a great bargain.

This post was edited by Bellsmom on Fri, Aug 2, 13 at 12:19

I make limoncello and a friend recently asked me if I save the vodka-soaked lemon peels.... she saves hers in the freezer and then chops/minces some to add to her baked goods, etc. I've never thought of that!

Love the idea of recycling lemon twists! Thanks, party music50.

deleted duplicate post

This post was edited by Bellsmom on Sat, Aug 3, 13 at 12:13

I substitute fruit liqueur for vanilla extract in cakes, especially cheese cakes.

Here in Israel McCormick's pure vanilla extract - the smallest tiniest bottle - 1 oz - sells for the equivalent of close to $7. The cheapest Amaretto (700 ml = 23.6 oz) - sells for the equivalent of $13.5.

When I make a cheese cake I put the cheese in a tea towel to get rid of excess liquid & then I splash a nice quantity of liqueur - 3-4 Tbs, or is it 5? I always wing cheese cakes. Comes out wonderful, and one can use different liqueur every time. I like Amaretto and Pear liqueur the best.

Another lemon tip. Was getting ready to make a big jug of lemonade for a day at the beach. Was thinking about all that ZEST that I had no immediate use for. SIL gave me one of those apple peeler/slicer/corer thingies... was an extra from her Pampered Chef demo days. I moved the slicer/corer part out of the way, stuck lemons on and got MILES if lemon zest ribbons. I let them air dry till crispy, then ran thru spice grinder for a messa ground lemon zest. Made lemon-pepper basically for nuthin' that first ingredient was NOT salt like stuff ya pay big buck for in supermarket.

Frugal does not mean limiting your enjoyment. It can mean you need to be a little more opportunistic when you shop.

Meats have been on sale recently. Rib eye steak $5.99 a lb, shell steak $4.99, porter house $3.99, chicken leg quarters $0.77, salmon $3.99 ------- My freezer is packed!

To prevent freezer burn, you need to vacuum seal everything. "Foodsaver" bags are not cheap. Reusing and washing those bags is a pain.

I have posted this method of free vacuum bags before. Works so well for me.

dcarch

Here is a link that might be useful: Bag of tricks

Dcarch
I missed that post before. Indeed vacuum bags are NOT cheap and rewashing them IS a pain.

Brilliant idea. Thanks!! Great way to save food and $$$$$.

Be aware of upcoming holidays for all religions and cultures. People entertain more for them and supermarkets will use some ingredients that would be part of a typical holiday meal as loss leaders to entice shoppers to go there and purchase the fixings for the entire meal.

Most pumpkin pie recipes use evaporated milk so about two weeks before Thanksgiving, some store will feature it at the lowest price of the year. I'll buy two cases to last until the next year. Same with sauerkraut at New Year's time, ketchup, mustard and other condiments the week before Memorial Day and brown sugar and vanilla extract during the first week of December.

After holidays, grocery stores usually drastically reduce items they've brought in or overstocked for the holiday. Some are food, like extra flavors of Fox's U-Bet syrups for Passover or ribbon candy for Christmas but the non-food items can be great bargains.

Examples of items purchased at 75% off or more currently in our household: zip lock sandwich bags with black cats or pumpkins on them, red and green disposable plastic lidded containers sold at Christmastime, yellow plastic wrap from Easter, at least a dozen two-packs of heart shaped foil pans with plastic lids from Valentines Day and used for bake sales throughout the year, flag motif cupcake pan liners from 4th of July.

It's a quick process after holidays though. The grocery stores around here usually go straight to half price the day after the holiday and 75% off on whatever's left late on the 2nd day or early on the 3rd.