What do/should you make from scratch?


 
S

Scott Smith

TVWBB Pro
Almost everything these days is available to different degrees in pre-packaged. However, with the power of the internet, you can also pretty much Google how to make anything yourself. My question is what are the first items that an aspiring cook such as myself should learn to make at home? I don't mean meals. We buy lots of prepared mustard, BBQ sauce, ketchup, mayo, whipped cream, salad dressing, butter, bread, pasta, tomato sauce, cake mix, horseradish, pepper, ice cream, orange juice, etc. and obviously a lot of other people and restaurants do as well. What are the #1 items where it is cheaper/easier/tastier to make it yourself, either ahead of time, or as needed? I don't mind cooking, but I'm also not afraid of good pre-packaged products - just trying to be smart about it.
 
Scott, you have been around here long enough to know how I feel on that subject. ;) FIRST THING!!!! I like to make our own SPICE BLENDS!!!!!
And of the things you have mentioned, BBQ sauce and salad dressings and when in the mood, our own cakes.
 
We haven’t bought prepared tomato sauce in 20 years. Learn to make a few different red sauces to start. And then branch out to other sauces (garlic infused olive oil with red pepper flakes as an example).

I grind all my own meats. You can start with a simple but high quality ragu or meatballs and sauce.

I’m not fully sure what you’re asking in your question though.

A diverse and capable home cook can surpass any restaurant meal at home and with better and healthier ingredients.

We avoid most prepared foods made by corporations. Often, their ingredients list leaves a lot to be desired and mostly avoided.

I’d recommend drawing up a list of what you like to cook and want to learn to cook and then break down the ingredients and processes.

See how much of a scratch cook you can be by avoiding prepared foods if that’s your goal(s).

And for fun, draft a list of all the foods you can make from scratch today. And then see where you want to add to your repertoire.
 
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I would say that the my number one thing to make that's cheaper and better than store bought is spaghetti/pasta sauce. Some of the store brands are ridiculously expensive and none of them are as good as homemade. Pizza sauce, same thing.
 
Almost everything you can make at home is healthier and better for you.
First you know what is going into it, and you can adjust anything to your taste.....second.....go shopping and everything pre made in let's say a jar, read the ingredients. Some things really are just normal food names you can pronounce and you know what they are........many items you find you cannot pronounce the ingredients and you don't know what it is......
I take wieners for example.......the most advertised most popular brand is full of crap I have no idea what the ingredients I am reading are......but I can find a brand that seems pretty good in comparison, basically the only ingredient I don't know what is would be an ingredient that keeps it from clumping or keeps it fresh longer or something like that. That product may not have the same shelf life or best before dates but it is better for you.
We used to make all our own mayo, ranch, stock, buffalo sauce all the time.
We do still make some of these things but it comes down to time. If you have 2 workers in the household then you have considerably less time......if you have children then you have even less time.
If I didn't have to put in 10 hour days and work weekends here and there I would be making a lot more items. I make what I can but usually just for specific meals.
 
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Most stuff, but I'll go on record that I quit making basil pesto after "discovering" the Kirkland brand at Costco. It's very good and I'll no longer bother with the trouble, or expense, (those damn pine nuts are costly), anymore.
 
I make as many things from scratch as I can for different reasons.
1 - First and foremost is because I love to cook and have scratch cooked for 50 plus years (Thanks and love you mom!)
2 - I am in control of what’s in it. (Yes, I do read labels). Oh, and more often than not, it’s cheaper.
3 - There is two of us and many times, the store bought quantity is too much. I can make just what we need.
4 - And lastly, it just tastes a lot better and avoids all the additives.
‘There may be more, but these are the top reasons for me.
 
Rick P said:
Most stuff, but I'll go on record that I quit making basil pesto after "discovering" the Kirkland brand at Costco. It's very good and I'll no longer bother with the trouble, or expense, (those damn pine nuts are costly), anymore.
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Toasted slivered almonds. Tastes nearly the same and 20% of the cost.
 
Steve Hoch said:
I would say that the my number one thing to make that's cheaper and better than store bought is spaghetti/pasta sauce. Some of the store brands are ridiculously expensive and none of them are as good as homemade. Pizza sauce, same thing.
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I'm beginning to think that you are 1000% correct on this one. Tomatoes seem to vary more than other fruits/veggies, and I can only imagine the sorry state of the ones selected to be mysteriously cooked down into jarred sauces

There is a store by me where you can reserve cases of fresh Roma tomatoes in August for sauce. Very inexpensive per pound - we bought a case or two a couple of times. We didn't have proper equipment, so it was messy and a lot of work to get the skins off and the water out. Our sauce tended to be delicious, but usually watery and fresh tasting. We could freeze it in bags, but this turned into a pain to defrost. We also tried canning it. This worked like crazy but added a lot more work.

I have three little kids now, so too often dinner is grabbing hot dogs at a little league game.

I am looking into buying cases of canned tomato puree at the store when it goes on sale to see what kind of sauce I can make with that.
 
DanHoo said:
Brownies

Rubs

Vinaigrettes and salad dressing

Salsa and relish for seafood

Pancakes and waffles
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I want to learn the salad dressings. Much of it is just oil and vinegar, so it should be pennies per pint. The packaged thick dressings often taste fake.

My current take on the brownies is that the boxed mix stuff is as good as from scratch. Nothing better than a $0.99 box of brownie mix for a tasty treat for the family. The pricier stuff is better, but not four times as good.

Salsa is an interesting comment. We don't eat much seafood - wife is allergic.

My approach to rubs is rudimentary. I take the tops off some salt, pepper, and spices and mix them in a bowl haphazardly.

Pancakes and waffles at our house come from box mix.
 
timothy said:
First thing that comes to mind is a good stock or broth.
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I am on board with this, at least in the winter. Ends of veggies go into celery bags in the freezer to simmer with chicken bones when I get some. Small containers of stock stay in the freezer.
 
Brett-EDH said:
We haven’t bought prepared tomato sauce in 20 years. Learn to make a few different red sauces to start. And then branch out to other sauces (garlic infused olive oil with red pepper flakes as an example).

I grind all my own meats. You can start with a simple but high quality ragu or meatballs and sauce.

I’m not fully sure what you’re asking in your question though.

A diverse and capable home cook can surpass any restaurant meal at home and with better and healthier ingredients.

We avoid most prepared foods made by corporations. Often, their ingredients list leaves a lot to be desired and mostly avoided.

I’d recommend drawing up a list of what you like to cook and want to learn to cook and then break down the ingredients and processes.

See how much of a scratch cook you can be by avoiding prepared foods if that’s your goal(s).

And for fun, draft a list of all the foods you can make from scratch today. And then see where you want to add to your repertoire.
Click to expand...
Its not necessarily my goal to become a scratch cook. My question is admittedly kind of vague because I am essentially asking what are the most worthwhile things to make at home, and that doesn't provide clear boundaries. For example, I make gallons of iced coffee at home over the summer. Easy. Super affordable. Not too much work. Tastes exactly like anybody else's. But I think I am more interested in making at home vs. packaged goods. Not that you can't buy iced coffee packaged at the store, but I think most people relate to ordering it from a drive through.

My suspicion is that the meat grinder thing is mostly about taste and texture in burgers and such. I'm not sure I could tell fresh ground meat from cheap and frozen in a taco or chili or meat sauce.
 
Scott Smith said:
I'm beginning to think that you are 1000% correct on this one. Tomatoes seem to vary more than other fruits/veggies, and I can only imagine the sorry state of the ones selected to be mysteriously cooked down into jarred sauces

There is a store by me where you can reserve cases of fresh Roma tomatoes in August for sauce. Very inexpensive per pound - we bought a case or two a couple of times. We didn't have proper equipment, so it was messy and a lot of work to get the skins off and the water out. Our sauce tended to be delicious, but usually watery and fresh tasting. We could freeze it in bags, but this turned into a pain to defrost. We also tried canning it. This worked like crazy but added a lot more work.

I have three little kids now, so too often dinner is grabbing hot dogs at a little league game.

I am looking into buying cases of canned tomato puree at the store when it goes on sale to see what kind of sauce I can make with that.
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Scott, I make it with canned puree or crushed tomatoes most of the time and it's always good to delicious. I know what's going to go in it, but I'm not good at following a recipe on this endeavor so it varies a little from batch to batch. I make a lot at one time and freeze some for future use. The key to a good sauce is letting it simmer for several hours at low temp to really bring all the flavor together.
 
Scott Smith said:
My current take on the brownies is that the boxed mix stuff is as good as from scratch. Nothing better than a $0.99 box of brownie mix for a tasty treat for the family. The pricier stuff is better, but not four times as good.
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These aren't 99 cent brownies, but they are the best I've ever had.

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from here:

altonbrown.com

Cocoa Brownies: Reloaded Recipe | Alton Brown

Alton Brown's revamped cocoa brownies recipe from Good Eats: Reloaded are everything a chocolate lover could want: rich, fudgy, and decadent.
altonbrown.com altonbrown.com


Scott Smith said:
Pancakes and waffles at our house come from box mix.
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Easy, cheap better than box. Ingredients are always on hand. I have the 3x5 card tucked inside door of a cabinet above the flour. I've made it so many times I rarely look.

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edit: my tips for amazing scratch pancakes:
- eggs at room temp. I just leave them out on the counter the night before
- milk ( or buttermilk) at room temp. I measure it in a glass measuring cup and microwave for 30 secs so it isn't frigid cold.
- I use melted butter not oil

mix the wet ingredients very well

mix or sift dry ingredients separately and add wet over dry and barely mix them and then let them sit for 10 to 15 mins before cooking.
 
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I buy almost nothing that’s prepared except Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard and pickles (although I make a lot of pickles myself).

Make mayo. 2 minutes and far better than what you can buy.

Make salad dressings and vinaigrettes, also far better and without all the stabilizing agents.

Make ketchup. Easy.

Make tomato sauces. I never peel the tomatoes. With a Vitamix or another good blender there’s no need.

Stocks and broths. An Instant Pot is your friend.

I make my own bouillon. A little more involved but not by much.

Hot sauces, salsas - easy. Most authentic salsas are chile-based, not tomato-based (although you’d be forgiven for thinking otherwise with the Americanization of so much). And one mostly uses dried chilies.
Likewise for moles.

Personally I make all baked goods - breads, biscuits, English muffins, scones, quiche, cakes. They all freeze well (most of the above does) so if you get on a roll it’s fairly easy to keep a good roll going.
 
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Rub, Marinade, Brine, Mop & Sauce Recipes

Dry and wet rubs, basting and finishing sauces, glazes, mops, marinades, flavor brines, and injection solutions.
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Scott, just about everything you need in these categories, I'm sure you will find here.

As a matter of fact, I have posted "How to's" in almost all the categories.
 
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I made beef jerky.

In one attempt I made something better than can be bought in a bag at enormous prices. For about $10 including meat, salts, pepper, sugar, and propane, I made a jar full that would probably cost $30 if bought.

So to answer your question: beef jerky.




I love this thread. I feel like I've had a piece of fundamental education taken from me that my grandparents knew: how and where all sorts of different foods come from. I think this is an endemic problem of our times, and as a result the pre-packaged foods are increasingly skimped on for quality ingredients, good practices, etc. I want to rectify this for myself by makign as much from scratch as possible. +1 on the tomato sauces. The next time tomatoes come into season, I am going to buy 100+ lbs (I found a seller), and make epic batches of tomato sauce.
 
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