The Frugal Gourmet: how to use, re-use, recycle and recondition your ktchen staples...

iamkeri1 · 01-01-2011, 02:05 AM

Regarding honey ... I had to look up what a "bain-marie - hot water bath" is, but I have discovered that you can return honey to it's liquid state by
microwaving it for 15 seconds at a time, then stirring and repeating till it liquifies. Usually only takes three rounds of 15 seconds - you can do it in the original container if it's glass - no mess no fuss.

I envy all you folks who have home grown herbs. my "green thumb" does not include this particular skill.
Smooches,
Keri

Chancie · 01-01-2011, 06:24 AM

I am my father's daughter, apparently, so

I want to remind everyone not to use homemade vinegar to can because

You can not be sure of its acidity.

girl_dee · 01-01-2011, 08:19 AM

Honey can also be brought back to life by dropping the bottle in hot water.. (I don't do microwaves so this has always been my method)

Miss Scarlett · 01-01-2011, 09:08 AM

My doctor has me on a low glycemic index diet so I eat a lot of rotisserie chicken (I swear I'm gonna grow pin feathers any day now...) mostly for work lunches. I save everything - bones, etc. - and stick it in the freezer. When I have a few I will use them to make chicken stock or soup. Hint - if there is any liquid in the container let it gel and collect that with the bones. Lots of flavour in that stuff.

JustJo · 01-01-2011, 09:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Miss Scarlett

My doctor has me on a low glycemic index diet so I eat a lot of rotisserie chicken (I swear I'm gonna grow pin feathers any day now...) mostly for work lunches. I save everything - bones, etc. - and stick it in the freezer. When I have a few I will use them to make chicken stock or soup. Hint - if there is any liquid in the container let it gel and collect that with the bones. Lots of flavour in that stuff.

I'm so glad you posted this! I always make stock from leftover chicken or turkey carcasses, but have periodically had to throw them out when I've been extra busy. Why did it never occur to me to freeze them?

Miss Scarlett · 01-01-2011, 09:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JustJo

I'm so glad you posted this! I always make stock from leftover chicken or turkey carcasses, but have periodically had to throw them out when I've been extra busy. Why did it never occur to me to freeze them?

I learned that from my Mom who used to freeze turkey carcasses. Left over hambones too; I've got one in my freezer now for either beans or some type of soup - pea, bean or lentil.

femmennoir · 01-01-2011, 10:07 AM

Even though I live in a NYC apartment with a small kitchen, and a small fridge, I always freeze chicken bones (since I live alone I usually only get chicken breast with bones in) and occasionally a ham or leg of lamb bone, or a whole duck or chicken carcass, as well as vegetable trimmings, to make broth. When it looks like there is enough, I make broth and after de-fattening it, freeze the broth in small plastic containers, so I can grab one whenever I need broth in a recipe. I never buy broth! I usually add carrots, celeri, garlic and leeks when I make the broth, as well as herbs, unless I have enough vegetable trimmings.
What are vegetable trimmings, might you ask? Well, mushroom stems and peelings, potato and carrot peelings, carrot tops (I buy the organic carrots with tops on whenever possible), the very dark green part of leeks, which are tough, the stems of artichokes, also any vegetable I know I won't use before it spoils (I go crazy at the farmer's market and forget I usually cook only for one), and of course the stems of fresh herbs or if I have too much parsley or basil at hand, I freeze them and use some in broths.
There is for me something very satisfying in making broth and stashing it away in the freezer!
When (so rarely) I don't have any broth on hand, I use tea in place of broth. Different teas will give different flavour to what I am preparing: if I need a smoky flavour I use Lapsang Souchong tea, if I want a floral note I use either a flower tea (lavender, chamomile) or a flavoured tea (apricot, rose, ginger/peach)....These really add a depth of flavour to any recipe!
Elle*

01-01-2011, 10:07 AM	#7
femmennoir Member How Do You Identify?: femme, naturellement Preferred Pronoun?: Elle Relationship Status: single Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: new york Posts: 686 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 76 Thanked 1,223 Times in 478 Posts Rep Power: 5661332	Broth and substitutes... Even though I live in a NYC apartment with a small kitchen, and a small fridge, I always freeze chicken bones (since I live alone I usually only get chicken breast with bones in) and occasionally a ham or leg of lamb bone, or a whole duck or chicken carcass, as well as vegetable trimmings, to make broth. When it looks like there is enough, I make broth and after de-fattening it, freeze the broth in small plastic containers, so I can grab one whenever I need broth in a recipe. I never buy broth! I usually add carrots, celeri, garlic and leeks when I make the broth, as well as herbs, unless I have enough vegetable trimmings. What are vegetable trimmings, might you ask? Well, mushroom stems and peelings, potato and carrot peelings, carrot tops (I buy the organic carrots with tops on whenever possible), the very dark green part of leeks, which are tough, the stems of artichokes, also any vegetable I know I won't use before it spoils (I go crazy at the farmer's market and forget I usually cook only for one), and of course the stems of fresh herbs or if I have too much parsley or basil at hand, I freeze them and use some in broths. There is for me something very satisfying in making broth and stashing it away in the freezer! When (so rarely) I don't have any broth on hand, I use tea in place of broth. Different teas will give different flavour to what I am preparing: if I need a smoky flavour I use Lapsang Souchong tea, if I want a floral note I use either a flower tea (lavender, chamomile) or a flavoured tea (apricot, rose, ginger/peach)....These really add a depth of flavour to any recipe! Elle* __________________ You will hear thunder and remember me, And think: she wanted storms. The rim Of the sky will be the colour of hard crimson, And your heart, as it was then, will be on fire. Anna Akhmatova "White nights"

01-01-2011, 02:05 AM	#1
iamkeri1 Member How Do You Identify?: femme woman Preferred Pronoun?: she Relationship Status: solo Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Central Florida Posts: 905 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 302 Thanked 2,153 Times in 659 Posts Rep Power: 16642920	Regarding honey ... I had to look up what a "bain-marie - hot water bath" is, but I have discovered that you can return honey to it's liquid state by microwaving it for 15 seconds at a time, then stirring and repeating till it liquifies. Usually only takes three rounds of 15 seconds - you can do it in the original container if it's glass - no mess no fuss. I envy all you folks who have home grown herbs. my "green thumb" does not include this particular skill. Smooches, Keri

01-01-2011, 06:24 AM	#2
Chancie Senior Member How Do You Identify?: queer femme-inist Relationship Status: I'm lucky. Join Date: May 2010 Location: Western Mass Posts: 3,774 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 9,518 Thanked 14,540 Times in 2,744 Posts Rep Power: 21474855	I am my father's daughter, apparently, so I want to remind everyone not to use homemade vinegar to can because You can not be sure of its acidity.

01-01-2011, 08:19 AM	#3
girl_dee Practically Lives Here How Do You Identify?: Femme Preferred Pronoun?: dee Relationship Status: Hitched up Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Livin’ the Dream Posts: 24,079 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 30,560 Thanked 54,829 Times in 13,908 Posts Rep Power: 21474873	Honey can also be brought back to life by dropping the bottle in hot water.. (I don't do microwaves so this has always been my method)

01-01-2011, 09:08 AM	#4
Miss Scarlett Infamous Member How Do You Identify?: Femme Relationship Status: . Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: . Posts: 5,530 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 4,478 Thanked 12,947 Times in 3,419 Posts Rep Power: 21474857	My doctor has me on a low glycemic index diet so I eat a lot of rotisserie chicken (I swear I'm gonna grow pin feathers any day now...) mostly for work lunches. I save everything - bones, etc. - and stick it in the freezer. When I have a few I will use them to make chicken stock or soup. Hint - if there is any liquid in the container let it gel and collect that with the bones. Lots of flavour in that stuff.