There are so many cooking ingredients that we regularly buy from a store, assuming that they would be too challenging, require specialty equipment, or take too much time to consider making on our own. And for some items, this is true. For safety or quality reasons, some foods need to go through a special process that is difficult or expensive for us to recreate at home. However, there are a number of ingredients that we can easily and successfully make at home.
I actually don't like spending time in the kitchen, but I appreciate saving money and the ability to customize foods to make them healthier. Some things are worth the time in the kitchen, and some aren't. Here are some ingredients I find beneficial to make at home rather than purchasing from the store.
Cashew Butter - Wow! I'm not a huge fan of peanut butter but cashew butter, yes! So creamy and delicious! It's easy to make and can be used in place of any nut butter in recipes or served with apple or banana slices for a healthy, hearty snack. Organic cashew butter from the store can cost $10 to $15 - crazy! I buy cashews in bulk when they're on sale since I use them in tons of recipes. I haven't done the math, but I'd imagine my cashew butter costs about half.
Oat Milk - I actually prefer homemade oat milk to almond milk, which is what I was using before I made the switch. Unfortunately homemade oat milk will thicken when heated, so it isn't best for hot chocolate, but it's perfect for cereals, especially my homemade granola, or for popsicles. And it's significantly less expensive and doesn't have any preservatives. Speaking of cost, oats are another item I buy in bulk since I use so much. I used to get them for $0.99 per pound, though the price has recently gone up. That's a major savings over store-bought plant-based milks, and I appreciate being able to control the ingredients.
Pizza Dough - I got lucky and scored a fantastic bread maker for only $10 from someone in my community who didn't use it anymore. I rarely use it for bread actually, but it makes the best pizza dough! Bonus, in lieu of water, you can use whey leftover from making feta or yogurt (see below).
Place ingredients into the bread machine in this order: 1 cup lukewarm water or whey, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 2 and 3/4 cup bread flour or all purpose flour, 2 and 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast. Set the bread machine to the dough setting. Mine takes 90 minutes. When ready, spread onto a pizza pan (I used cast iron) and top with ingredients; cook at 425 degree oven (preheated) for 15 to 20 minutes. Can be made ahead and frozen or refrigerated; just set out to reach room temperature.
Dry Beans - While you can grow your own dry beans, I imagine most people typically turn to cans for their beans. However, did you know that you can purchase dry beans for a fraction of the cost and cook them yourself? I'm not going to lie, it does take time to cook dry beans, especially chickpeas, but that time is not active. In fact, I typically cook my beans overnight. When cooked, just store in containers in the freezer. You can also cook dry beans using a crock pot, but I haven't tried it yet. Additionally, you can preserve dry beans by pressure canning them (NOT water bath canning), but I haven't gotten into canning yet. Here's how I cook and store my dry beans.
Feta Cheese - We go through a LOT of feta. Seriously, we put in on nachos, eggs, sweet potatoes, salads... But feta is incredibly expensive! While it does take a few days to make (mostly hands-off), it's completely worth the effort to save so much money. I make a large batch and freeze individual chunks in silicone bags. Credit: Lee Traister, Lady Lee's Home
Ketchup - I ran out of ketchup once and thought to look up a recipe. Turns out it's pretty easy to make, and you likely have the ingredients already on hand. Store-bought ketchup is notorious for having unhealthy ingredients, but the recipe I use is relatively healthy, and you can customize it as you wish. I never buy ketchup anymore!
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan on medium heat; whisk until smooth. When it comes to a boil, reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 20 minutes, stirring often. Cool and then place in glass jars and store in the fridge. Ingredients: 6 ounces tomato paste, 1/4 cup honey, 1/2 cup white vinegar, 1/4 cup water, 1 teaspoon sugar, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder.
Yogurt - One of my favorite afternoon snacks is yogurt, maple syrup and fresh fruit or yogurt topped with granola. For a special treat, I love yogurt atop homemade pound cake (made with leftover whey) and served with caramel sauce (also made from whey) and fresh strawberries from the garden! Yogurt is another one of those items where cost adds up quickly. I purchased a Euro Cuisine yogurt maker years ago and have never been disappointed in this small investment (now about $40). I also have the Expansion Tray (about $10), which allows me to make a double batch. I follow the Euro Cuisine guidelines, available in the video on their webpage and in the manual provided with the machine. Because I like my yogurt super thick, I strain it in a nut milk bag or muslin cloth once it comes out of the yogurt maker. This extra step is not necessary, but I think it takes the yogurt to the next level.
Salad Dressing - Most of the salads we eat are ones that have dressings as part of the recipe, like the Falafel Salad or Quinoa Tabbouleh you can find on my Summer Salads post. But there is one dressing I like to keep on hand to add to a mix of greens and other veggies or even to top baked salmon, and it's Ginger Salad Dressing. Just combine the ingredients in a jar and keep in the fridge.
Hummus - Given the cost of hummus, I rarely buy it from the store. Instead, it's fairly easy to make at home and only uses a few ingredients. I eat a lot of hummus in the summer - in salads, as a sandwich spread or as a quick snack with fresh veggies. As we get into cooler weather, I like hummus atop roasted sweet potatoes and served with tomatoes, red onion, parsley and feta. Sounds like a strange combination, but it's delicious!
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