What "home made" staples do you keep your fridge/freezer?

Advertise with us
Find deals on amazon
Shop Knives and stones on ebay
Kitchen Knife Forums

Help Support Kitchen Knife Forums:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
MontezumaBoy

MontezumaBoy

KKF Supporting Member
Joined
Nov 6, 2013
Messages
1,489
Reaction score
1,178
Location
Sequim, WA
I was making stock over the weekend and noticed I was running low on soffritto and garlic confit - two items (along with stocks) I can't live without so wondered what others might "absolutely have to have" that they use quite a bit ... I would add (not in any particular order) roasted eggplant and various peppers (pasilla, sweet, etc. (I grill a lot so am always trying to use the "grill" after primary cooking for some future stuff).

I also use preserved meyer lemons ... freezer method - vac sealed ... yummy & bright bright yellow.

TjA
 
Three home-made items that ALWAYS need to be on hand and restocked Hopefully before running out are:

- Vinaigrette salad dressing (the family is addicted to it; the secret is in mixing different oils)

- Poultry seasonings (actually makes chicken taste like chicken, but our daughter uses it on everything. I sprinkle it lightly on cod.)

- Taco seasoning

I cook a bunch of other stuff, but those three are the items that seem to be the most "can't live without" ha!
 
greaves in the fridge - btw do you people use this. I never saw this being used except in eastern Europe, Germany and Austria. There are some dishes that you just cannot cook without them.
stock and bullion (in freezer)
smoked ham ready to be cooked for some thick soups/stews (in freezer)
Coriander / cilantro (in freezer) sometimes I have an urge for Indian lentil soup that you cannot make without coriander and the shop is not always open.
 
@krx927: yes, I have my freezer packed with different kinds of stocks/bullions.

I'm curious to what Indian lentil soup 🍜 one could crave in the middle of the night that creates anxiety over the stores being closed??!
 
home grown pepper (black, chilli, several varieties of Indian and chinese), spinach (in season) carrots (in season), lettuce (in season) string beans, daikon, passion-fruit, figs, grapes, mint, ginger root, chick peas, watermellon, onion, parsley, oranges, lemons, and olives. of course anything that can be pickled - is pickled. And anything that can be turned into Jam is done that way for preservation. We make fish stocks and meat stocks and freeze them as well.
 
Last edited:
Sillywizard said:
@krx927: yes, I have my freezer packed with different kinds of stocks/bullions.

I'm curious to what Indian lentil soup 🍜 one could crave in the middle of the night that creates anxiety over the stores being closed??!
Click to expand...

Actually is is more the fact that I never finish the bundle of coriader when I buy it...
 
Stock, and usually a bit of marcella hazan simple tomato sauce + bolognese. All in big ziplocks. Oh, and cubes from a "home portioned" lobe of foie....
 
Kimchi, my wife needs a weekly dose of Kimchi-jjigae (Kimchi stew). We make batches of three napa cabbages at a time and that last us a while.
 
valgard said:
Kimchi, my wife needs a weekly dose of Kimchi-jjigae (Kimchi stew). We make batches of three napa cabbages at a time and that last us a while.
Click to expand...

Now that sounds tantalizing!
My wife hates kimchi, or at least the smell of it, but the rest of us in the family like it. I would love to taste a kimchi-jigae!
 
Sillywizard said:
Now that sounds tantalizing!
My wife hates kimchi, or at least the smell of it, but the rest of us in the family like it. I would love to taste a kimchi-jigae!
Click to expand...

Yea, the smell when we open the sealed box with the sealed plastic bag isn't pleasant. Especially because we let it outside for 36-48 hours and then age it at the very least 15 days before we start using it. However, the smell and flavour changes drastically when cooked. A Kimchi-jjigae with home-made, well aged sour kimchi and fresh pork belly is something else.
And you can't stop salivating even half an hour after you are done :O. Damn! now I want some and the current batch still needs about 10 days before it's ready.
 
valgard said:
Yea, the smell when we open the sealed box with the sealed plastic bag isn't pleasant. Especially because we let it outside for 36-48 hours and then age it at the very least 15 days before we start using it. However, the smell and flavour changes drastically when cooked. A Kimchi-jjigae with home-made, well aged sour kimchi and fresh pork belly is something else.
And you can't stop salivating even half an hour after you are done :O. Damn! now I want some and the current batch still needs about 10 days before it's ready.
Click to expand...

I have this problem too. My daughters hate the smell. I have an airtight container but I might try the plastic bag trick next time.
 
I have some sauerkraut and some "kimchi" (I use a kimchi recipee but ferment in a crock like sauerkraut, which I understand is not authentic- stull turns out nicely though).

I keep a ragu and a vegetable based pasta sauce in the freezer, as well as a few braises (often osso bucco, wagyu cheeks or lamb shanks) for quick meals or for when I'm not at home to cook.
 
freezer:
1.stocks/jus in the freezer chicken, veal, lamb.
fridge:
2.Sourdough
3.Tahini sesame paste
4.Szchoog- Yamani hot sauce
5. Harissa
 
garlic butter, hummus, vine ripe tomato's. And Kim Chee buy the good stuff from Korea market, great in a bowl of noodles.
 
Kosho.. i put this **** on everything when im lazy.
any citrus zest 60%
any chili pepper 40% (you decide your own heat!!)
10% of that total weight salt.. done.. hangs in the fridge forever goes great in all sorts of stuff from topping grilled meats, to crudos to salad dressings
 
Wdestate said:
Kosho.. i put this **** on everything when im lazy.
any citrus zest 60%
any chili pepper 40% (you decide your own heat!!)
10% of that total weight salt.. done.. hangs in the fridge forever goes great in all sorts of stuff from topping grilled meats, to crudos to salad dressings
Click to expand...
I'm gonna have to try this, thanks for the ratios
I've keep stock, pancetta, air cured smoked ham (our version of Black Forest) and I'd love some of Valgard's kim chee.
 
Various types of stock, clarified butter (this is a big one), sometimes compound butters, BBQ sauce(s), salad dressing(s), sambal oelek and other pepper-based ingredients, tomato sauces, still working on the sauerkraut (next batch pops up in about another week), mushroom soaking liquid, bread crumbs, rib rub and other spice mixtures (garam masala, five spice, etc.)

Chef got some black garlic; the only recipes I have seen so far are something like 140 degrees for a month. Apparently his source has a "special machine" that makes it in 8 days. I want some -- does anyone here make it?
 
Here is the recipe that got me started making kimchi in case anyone is interested http://seonkyounglongest.com/korean-napa-cabbage-kimchi/.
I like the results and you can start tweaking it after a couple of batches. Keep in mind I am not Korean so take what I think FWIW, but I asked a couple Koreans and they approved (and more importantly, I like it :D).
 
Thanks @Valgard, but I'm actually interested in the STEW you make with it.

I've recently started making my own version of Berlizien habanero sauce - good stuff! - so that is the newest staple always on hand.
 
Sillywizard said:
Thanks @Valgard, but I'm actually interested in the STEW you make with it.

I've recently started making my own version of Berlizien habanero sauce - good stuff! - so that is the newest staple always on hand.
Click to expand...

Haha, do you want the recipe or the stew itself? [emoji23]
 
I think all of us want that recipe actually!

Forgot to add (since it isn't in the freezer) keep dried vac sealed cascabel chillies (as a min) plus various dry rubs (aka seasoning mixes) all vac sealed and happy. FWIW - My first real seasoning mix "tweak" was probably based on one of Paul (Gene) Prudhomme's mixes (RIP) so you do the math.

Currently have at least 6 stocks in my freezer (not including clarified vs 'normal) just absolutely a necessity IMO (cube form yes but only for chicken).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top