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Tomatoes, onions and green/red/yellow peppers

MaggieD

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I just found a couple of really neat tricks.

I'm often wasting tomatoes because they go soft before I use them. Now, I quarter them and put them in a small ziplock bag and freeze. I use them when I make spaghetti sauce, chili, soups or stews . No waste!!

I cut up green/red/yellow peppers (they're often selling them at a discount at the supermarket because they're slightly past their prime), layer them on a cookie sheet and put them in the freezer for a couple of hours. Then I dump them into a large Ziplock bag for future use. They've been frozen individually, so I can grab just what I need. No waste!!

I do the same with onions. I chop a whole mess of them, freeze them individually, then can grab just what I need for whatever. I always have a few on hand for fresh onion slices, but for cooking? Works like a charm.

So convenient!

Got any tips?
 
I just found a couple of really neat tricks.

I'm often wasting tomatoes because they go soft before I use them. Now, I quarter them and put them in a small ziplock bag and freeze. I use them when I make spaghetti sauce, chili, soups or stews . No waste!!

I cut up green/red/yellow peppers (they're often selling them at a discount at the supermarket because they're slightly past their prime), layer them on a cookie sheet and put them in the freezer for a couple of hours. Then I dump them into a large Ziplock bag for future use. They've been frozen individually, so I can grab just what I need. No waste!!

I do the same with onions. I chop a whole mess of them, freeze them individually, then can grab just what I need for whatever. I always have a few on hand for fresh onion slices, but for cooking? Works like a charm.

So convenient!

Got any tips?


I prep and cut crudités (celery, red peppers and carrots), wash and drain them (they seem crispier), put in Ziploc bags and keep them in the fridge. These are handy for snacks....and also for sautéing, or to add to salads, or for steaming (since they're already prepped).
 
I just found a couple of really neat tricks.

I'm often wasting tomatoes because they go soft before I use them. Now, I quarter them and put them in a small ziplock bag and freeze. I use them when I make spaghetti sauce, chili, soups or stews . No waste!!

I cut up green/red/yellow peppers (they're often selling them at a discount at the supermarket because they're slightly past their prime), layer them on a cookie sheet and put them in the freezer for a couple of hours. Then I dump them into a large Ziplock bag for future use. They've been frozen individually, so I can grab just what I need. No waste!!

I do the same with onions. I chop a whole mess of them, freeze them individually, then can grab just what I need for whatever. I always have a few on hand for fresh onion slices, but for cooking? Works like a charm.

So convenient!

Got any tips?

If you're really lazy, you can cook the tomatoes with the peppers and onions and freeze the whole thing. Makes a great sauce

My secret for not wasting food is to eat everything in sight
 
I've not been brave enough to try this yet (also because I don't have any ice trays) but I heard that you can crack eggs into an ice tray that has been sprayed with cooking spray, and freeze them. Once they freeze, you can take them and put them in a Ziploc bag, and use them for baking, etc.

I also have not tried this, but was told if you open a gallon of milk and pour out a cup, you can freeze the milk.
 
I just found a couple of really neat tricks.

I'm often wasting tomatoes because they go soft before I use them. Now, I quarter them and put them in a small ziplock bag and freeze. I use them when I make spaghetti sauce, chili, soups or stews . No waste!!
Um, how about buying less tomatoes then? ;)
 
When my 5 daughters were still living with me I always had a bunch of sliced veggies in the fridge. And they would constantly disappear like magic. But I really couldn't complain about that because they would work in the garden with me.

Although sometimes I did get upset with them. What the F did you girls do? Sneak out of school on lunch break and raid my F'ing refrigerator? Where's all my veggies? Where's all my beer? Where's all my dope?

Dammit!

I didn't want them to be smoking my dope and drinking my beer anyways. They were never ever even supposed to be allowed to touch that! As if they would care. The second I left the house when they were teenagers they were probably drinking all my alcohol, smoking all my dope, scratching all my Led Zep albums and having sex on my bed with their latest boy-toy or girl-toy of the week.

And still carrying 4.0 GPA.

But the way to stop them is to boobytrap a beer can by installing a big electrical capacitor inside the can. As soon as they even come close to touching that can.....their ass is on the floor. They won't even know WTF just happened.
 
When my 5 daughters were still living with me I always had a bunch of sliced veggies in the fridge. And they would constantly disappear like magic. But I really couldn't complain about that because they would work in the garden with me.

Although sometimes I did get upset with them. What the F did you girls do? Sneak out of school on lunch break and raid my F'ing refrigerator? Where's all my veggies? Where's all my beer? Where's all my dope?

Dammit!

I didn't want them to be smoking my dope and drinking my beer anyways. They were never ever even supposed to be allowed to touch that! As if they would care. The second I left the house when they were teenagers they were probably drinking all my alcohol, smoking all my dope, scratching all my Led Zep albums and having sex on my bed with their latest boy-toy or girl-toy of the week.

And still carrying 4.0 GPA.

But the way to stop them is to boobytrap a beer can by installing a big electrical capacitor inside the can. As soon as they even come close to touching that can.....their ass is on the floor. They won't even know WTF just happened.

:lol: :lol: :lol:
 
Herbs. Wash them and dry them thoroughly, freeze them in ice cube trays, then store them in Ziploc bags. Use either a mixture to your liking, or herb of choice. Parsley and cilantro freeze better than chives, but when mixed, it makes little difference.
Or make herb butter, roll it into logs, slice the logs into portion sizes. Lay the portions out on a tray freeze until solid, store in Ziploc bags

What's with all the free ads for Ziploc?
 
Herbs. Wash them and dry them thoroughly, freeze them in ice cube trays, then store them in Ziploc bags. Use either a mixture to your liking, or herb of choice. Parsley and cilantro freeze better than chives, but when mixed, it makes little difference.
Or make herb butter, roll it into logs, slice the logs into portion sizes. Lay the portions out on a tray freeze until solid, store in Ziploc bags

What's with all the free ads for Ziploc?

Love the butter idea!!

Oh, Ziploc's are my new BFFs. Ha!
 
I was actually going to mention butter too, and even typed it (to put herbs into the butter and into ice cube trays to freeze) but I couldn't remember if you could freeze butter, so I erased it. :lol: Would have hated to have told you wrong.

Now I know, too!
 
My family ate tomatoes in every way possible because the recipes are easy.
Grab one and stand over the sink and eat like an apple.
Dip in flour and egg and fry (red or green).
Slice with onions cover with vinegar and a little pepper then chill and eat.
Chop and mix with mac N cheese, throw on any meat and bake, slice and mix with cheese and throw in a pie crust for tomato pie, add to salsa, tomato omelette, toss is veggie soup, etc.
In Texas tomatoes are nothing compared to those I grew up eating in Illinois and if you have not eaten them grown in the north you are missing out. The reason Texas and southern states tomatoes are not as good is the temperatures never get cold enough in the soils.
 
My family ate tomatoes in every way possible because the recipes are easy.
Grab one and stand over the sink and eat like an apple.
Dip in flour and egg and fry (red or green).
Slice with onions cover with vinegar and a little pepper then chill and eat.
Chop and mix with mac N cheese, throw on any meat and bake, slice and mix with cheese and throw in a pie crust for tomato pie, add to salsa, tomato omelette, toss is veggie soup, etc.
In Texas tomatoes are nothing compared to those I grew up eating in Illinois and if you have not eaten them grown in the north you are missing out. The reason Texas and southern states tomatoes are not as good is the temperatures never get cold enough in the soils.

I've wondered why tomatoes didn't taste as sweet anymore.
 
I don't know the reason but I hear often thawing food should be done in the refrigerator as opposed to just setting the food out on the counter.
 
I don't know the reason but I hear often thawing food should be done in the refrigerator as opposed to just setting the food out on the counter.

Certainly that's true for ground beef, as an example. The outside thaws while the inside is still frozen. The outside of the meat temp rises well above the 38 degrees required to keep food safe. And, most surely, ground beef is probably the most fragile meat there is.
 
I've not been brave enough to try this yet (also because I don't have any ice trays) but I heard that you can crack eggs into an ice tray that has been sprayed with cooking spray, and freeze them. Once they freeze, you can take them and put them in a Ziploc bag, and use them for baking, etc.

I also have not tried this, but was told if you open a gallon of milk and pour out a cup, you can freeze the milk.

The now-infamous John freezes milk. Claims it doesn't effect the taste.
 
I may try it. We go hot and cold on milk. I usually only do my main grocery shopping every two weeks, because I have to drive a half-hour to the commissary. For stuff in between like fresh fruit and veg, bread, etc, I have a market about a mile away. I usually buy 2 gallons of milk to last us that 2 weeks, and sometimes we go through both gallons, and sometimes we don't. I certainly hate to throw away milk, when it's $4.19 a gallon.
 
I may try it. We go hot and cold on milk. I usually only do my main grocery shopping every two weeks, because I have to drive a half-hour to the commissary. For stuff in between like fresh fruit and veg, bread, etc, I have a market about a mile away. I usually buy 2 gallons of milk to last us that 2 weeks, and sometimes we go through both gallons, and sometimes we don't. I certainly hate to throw away milk, when it's $4.19 a gallon.

I switched to almond/coconut milk just for the heck of. It is not cheap but you can store it in the closet.
 
I actually love plain soy milk, and my kids do, too. I'm just not sure if the health benefits outweigh the price. :lol:
 
What I do if I have leftover tomatoes and peppers is.. make gazpacho!
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Super easy, no need to cook- if you have a blender/processor or if not just chop real fine- chop the tomatoes, take the seeds out of the peppers and chop them too, add chopped cucumber (take the seeds out too) and add salt, pepper, extra virgin olive oil, vinegar, minced garlic, some water or tomato juice and blend them well then chill in the fridge for a few hours. You can put croutons on top as well as chives or chopped celery just before serving.
 
Certainly that's true for ground beef, as an example. The outside thaws while the inside is still frozen. The outside of the meat temp rises well above the 38 degrees required to keep food safe. And, most surely, ground beef is probably the most fragile meat there is.

thaw your ground beef in a sink of [cold] water, it will be fine.
 
I just found a couple of really neat tricks.

I'm often wasting tomatoes because they go soft before I use them. Now, I quarter them and put them in a small ziplock bag and freeze. I use them when I make spaghetti sauce, chili, soups or stews . No waste!!

I cut up green/red/yellow peppers (they're often selling them at a discount at the supermarket because they're slightly past their prime), layer them on a cookie sheet and put them in the freezer for a couple of hours. Then I dump them into a large Ziplock bag for future use. They've been frozen individually, so I can grab just what I need. No waste!!

I do the same with onions. I chop a whole mess of them, freeze them individually, then can grab just what I need for whatever. I always have a few on hand for fresh onion slices, but for cooking? Works like a charm.

So convenient!

Got any tips?

I go through onions too fast, jar my tomatoes, but I do freeze a whole mess of peppers...

I freeze strawberries too that are going soft, turn around and use them for Strawberry shortcake or strawberry syrup.

I did the same for whatever meat or chicken I brought home from the store. Portion it and bag it separate, then only need to pull out enough rather than always have leftovers.

Also, don't buy steaks, by a roast and cut your own steaks. Go to Costco and buy a huge pork loin, and do this you'll end up with 2 pork roasts and about 8-10 pork chops.

Stocks, soups, and sauces make a big ole' pot, and ladle into individual disposable containers and freeze. Pulling out enough portions for whatever

Veg Stock


1 lb bag Carrot
1 head Celery
2-3 yellow onions
salt
bouquet garni (fresh thyme, bay leaf, fresh parsley, and peppercorn wrapped in cheese cloth tied off with butcher twine and tied to pot for easy removal)

Rough chop the above, fill pot with water, add herb satchel. Bring to boil then simmer for 1hr. Use spoon or ladle to skim scum off top surface. Every 5-10 minutes. Carefully doing so.

Fill sink halfway with cold water, and ice. Gently Remove veggies and herbs. Take pot and sit in sink to "shock" it. Rapidly cooling the temp. Use chinois, or colander or strainer with cheese cloth and pour stock through into another pot. Stock should be crystal, ladle into individual containers and freeze, good for 4-6 months.

Can be used for anything a chicken stock is called for. Use it instead of water for your rice dishes too.

You can freeze any non cream based soup or sauce as well. If you do a cream soup/sauce you have to add a waxy maize. Otherwise liquid will separate from MFS's and you'll have icky poo all over the place.
 
I go through onions too fast, jar my tomatoes, but I do freeze a whole mess of peppers...

I freeze strawberries too that are going soft, turn around and use them for Strawberry shortcake or strawberry syrup.

I did the same for whatever meat or chicken I brought home from the store. Portion it and bag it separate, then only need to pull out enough rather than always have leftovers.

Also, don't buy steaks, by a roast and cut your own steaks. Go to Costco and buy a huge pork loin, and do this you'll end up with 2 pork roasts and about 8-10 pork chops.

Stocks, soups, and sauces make a big ole' pot, and ladle into individual disposable containers and freeze. Pulling out enough portions for whatever

Veg Stock


1 lb bag Carrot
1 head Celery
2-3 yellow onions
salt
bouquet garni (fresh thyme, bay leaf, fresh parsley, and peppercorn wrapped in cheese cloth tied off with butcher twine and tied to pot for easy removal)

Rough chop the above, fill pot with water, add herb satchel. Bring to boil then simmer for 1hr. Use spoon or ladle to skim scum off top surface. Every 5-10 minutes. Carefully doing so.

Fill sink halfway with cold water, and ice. Gently Remove veggies and herbs. Take pot and sit in sink to "shock" it. Rapidly cooling the temp. Use chinois, or colander or strainer with cheese cloth and pour stock through into another pot. Stock should be crystal, ladle into individual containers and freeze, good for 4-6 months.

Can be used for anything a chicken stock is called for. Use it instead of water for your rice dishes too.

You can freeze any non cream based soup or sauce as well. If you do a cream soup/sauce you have to add a waxy maize. Otherwise liquid will separate from MFS's and you'll have icky poo all over the place.

I am big on stocks. Having a good stock on hand can really "up" your game.

The only thing I'd add is that after a half hour or so, you don't have to be so diligent in skimming the scum because by that time most of the scum has already been extracted. Just make sure the stock is uncovered and doesn't come to a rolling boil or else the scum that does rise will get broken up an re-incorporated into the stock making it cloudy.

on edit: I leave out the green herbs because they might not be appropriate for the sauce I'm making with the stock, and you can always add them to the sauce when you make it. However, that's a personal preference
 
I am big on stocks. Having a good stock on hand can really "up" your game.

The only thing I'd add is that after a half hour or so, you don't have to be so diligent in skimming the scum because by that time most of the scum has already been extracted. Just make sure the stock is uncovered and doesn't come to a rolling boil or else the scum that does rise will get broken up an re-incorporated into the stock making it cloudy.

on edit: I leave out the green herbs because they might not be appropriate for the sauce I'm making with the stock, and you can always add them to the sauce when you make it. However, that's a personal preference

Yeah, it ends up turning into an as needed type endeavor, but for the uninitiate (or not knowing their status) I try to just keep it simple. You're correct in the consequence of bringing it to a boil. Also another trick is to off center the pot on the burner. This causes the scum to congregate to one specific area on the side. Making it easier to skim without worry.

Well, depending on what your cooking you can change the herb combo up, but this is a great, basic, all purpose combination. If you do a lot of red sauces (Italian)you might substitute the thyme with basil. For mole, suiza, and the like maybe a cilantro and toss a guajillo pepper in there to spice it up.

I'm classically French trained so obviously, I'm gonna have my prejudices, but hey, you know -- variety is the spice of life...
 
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