FOOD Stock up advice

thompson

Certa Bonum Certamen
You can also get tomatoes in the same type of cartons - brand name is Colvita, available on Amazon. Probably won't burst like tomatoes in a can.
I've had very good luck with the Colavita crushed tomatoes in the cartons. I used to get the big cans of crushed tomatoes at Sam's, but they've stopped carrying them.
 

jward

passin' thru
I've found I can tolerate any canned meat either amended, breaded and fried, salmon croquet style, or added to a bone broth and winter veggie soup. If things ever get truly hard, I figure sweet and savory Ebelskiver will handle whatever bits and bobs I have to put into them.
 

thompson

Certa Bonum Certamen
The really bad tastes really good if you're hungry enough and even the absolutely horrible can suddenly become edible.

Best
Doc
Funny how that works, huh?!

I've also never understood people who turn up their nose and flat-out refuse to eat leftovers. Some Grandma Wisdom™ I'm trying to impart to our young'un is "Never get involved with someone who is a picky eater / refuses to eat leftovers." Her response was "Why would I want to get involved with a dumb-O?" Love that young lady!
BukYbGF.gif
She's turning out to be a good scratch cook herself! :)
 

psychgirl

Has No Life - Lives on TB
Don’t immediately write these off because they’re scarce in another area. I just checked multiple HEB’s in my area and they all had it in stock.

Also, Dollar Tree carries it. If they don’t have any locally, you can order a case of 8 for $8.
View attachment 296282
Cool! Thanks!!
And I’ve also never seen tomatoes in cartons! I use TONS of tomatoes!
 
Last edited:

Rabbit

Has No Life - Lives on TB
I see a lot of comments about canned food being aweful but if you've got nothing else it's going to taste very good!
Yes and you can always throw some of that canned yuck into the soup pot if the times warrant it.

I make sure I have plenty of canned chicken stock and recently have added pork broth to my supply. A nice rich soup or stew is a good way to stretch out meals, but who knows what's coming.

I hope I don't have to say grace over one can of English peas because that is what's for dinner.

I always keep a jar of bacon grease in the fridge too mainly to season beans, but also with the thought of, if I'm really hungry would this help make something taste better?
 
Last edited:

Rabbit

Has No Life - Lives on TB
I see a lot of comments about canned food being aweful but if you've got nothing else it's going to taste very good!
That is true but one way I greatly improve the taste of canned tuna (which I don't actually eat anymore) and canned chicken when I'm using it for sandwiches is after rinsing it well mix in about a half teaspoon or less of confectioners sugar. It gets rid of the canned taste.
 

Rabbit

Has No Life - Lives on TB
All my veggies are frozen, probably 50 bags in the freezer.
With the exception of frozen broccoli and cauliflower, which you can dehydrate but I don't like, frozen mixed vegetables or separate carrots, corn, beans, etc. are excellent dehydrated.

In a soup or stew they fluff up like fresh vegetables and you can't tell the difference. Plus a four-pound bag of frozen mixed vegetables will fit in a quart jar and store nicely on a shelf.
 

night driver

ESFP adrift in INTJ sea
That is true but one way I greatly improve the taste of canned tuna (which I don't actually eat anymore) and canned chicken when I'm using it for sandwiches is after rinsing it well mix in about a half teaspoon or less of confectioners sugar. It gets rid of the canned taste.
AAAAAK!! SUGAR!! NEIN!!!
Diabetic wife, hypoglycemic husband.
Use some dried celery greens instead.
 

SouthernBreeze

Has No Life - Lives on TB
If it's the stuff I'm thinking of, I tried it last winter. They aren't "patties" though they show patties on the label.
The meat is about the consistency of medium grade mud, it's closest cousin to finely ground SPAM with extra water, and when cooked up, tastes like it.

I was able to get patties made ('cuz I'm stubborn and love a challenge) but you have to drain/spoon off the water/liquid fat that settles to the top of the can, mix the remaining meat-mud with flour enough to make something that will hold a semblance of a ball-shape, then fry the loose ball in butter so it immediately makes a crunchy crust. Then you can turn your "patties". (Mush-balls). I'd much rather deal with good old SPAM..a lot less hassle and better result.

Here: It was this...or same, but different brand name -

856b66ba-9dc7-440a-9637-858fec2c13c9_1.c74323a9261ce109f4f8343b829f713e.jpeg

Yea. I'm pretty sure that was the brand. Thanks for the info about the product. I still think I'll buy a can to see if it's edible to us. If not, one can wasted isn't going to hurt. I've got tons of Spam, but was looking for more variety for the pantry.
 

WalknTrot

Veteran Member
I

I have a ton of dried split peas - would you be willing to share your recipe?
Hi Barry,

I've never used a recipe for pea soup..if you need the water-to-peas ratio, it should be on the back of the bag.

But learning from my mom (of course!) the best pea soup has plentiful ham dices and uses stock for some of the cooking water. If you don't have ham stock, chicken stock is a good substitute. Then of course, onion, garlic, salt (depending on how salty your stock is) & black pepper.

When the peas are about half cooked down, add sliced carrots and diced potatoes if you have them.

The crock pot is perfect for making pea soup.
 
Last edited:

SouthernBreeze

Has No Life - Lives on TB
You can order them online. I just received two shipped to house from Sam's.

PANIC EARLY - PANIC OFTEN


Sure can. I've been doing online orders from Sam's for awhile now. I was just in the store, yesterday, because we were already in town. I've ordered the hashbrowns from them often. I've lost count of how many gallons I have stored. I don't leave them in the cartons, but empty them into large plastic jugs with a tight fitting screw down lid, and date them.

I'm finding that if the store is out of stock on something you want, it can usually be found online from Sam's. It may take a while to receive your orders, because my orders were delayed by the fact that they had to ship from all across the country to get me what I ordered. My last, one large order came in 3 different shipments. Each shipment came from a different location, even as far away as Washingtom state. I'm in Mississippi.
 
Last edited:
Sam's Club used to carry the individual little boxes but quit carrying them a while back. They still carry the big cardboard container (think like cardboard milk cartons) which are fine and keep well. Just make sure to use a binder clip on the 'spout' when you open them to keep them fresh, or do like I've done many times and use a stapler to seal it up! :)
Saw them at Costco, not recently.
 

anna43

Veteran Member
I mentioned in an earlier post that I don't like canned soups because they are too salty. One way I've found to make them more palatable is to put plain cooked unsalted rice in the bottom of the bowl before adding the soup. Also makes a can of soup stretch for two meals or two people.
 

Dozdoats

On TB every waking moment
When I was dry pack canning in 98/99, I got hash browns from the restaurant supply store in town in half gallon cartons and transferred them to #10 cans with nitrogen and O2 absorbers. Should probably open a can and check them... :D

I first saw them in a little diner where a friend took me for breakfast on occasion in the 1980s, found out where the owner got them and bought some too.
 

Martinhouse

Deceased
Anna43, my mom told me that cooking potatoes in something that's too salty will help because the potatoes will take up some of the salt.

If I had soup that I really liked, I think I'd strain the solids out of it and then cook a cut-up potato or two in the broth. Maybe thin the broth and then let it cook back down while the potatoes cook. Then if you don't want to use the potatoes when you put your soup back together, fry the potatoes for breakfast the next morning. Or put them aside for the next meal. One or two boiled potatoes with one or two boiled eggs would be a good start for a small bowl of potato salad.
 

Imrik

Veteran Member
Ok so you all up my doom meeter.

Wife's not around on Sunday so I'm going to make a restaurant Depot run. Then slip it in before she gets home.

Probably one of my biggest issues is we buy almost no canned anything. Nothing really premade either.
I do tomatoes, apple sauce, pickles etc.
All my veggies are frozen, probably 50 bags in the freezer. Is there something I'm missing that I could add that's not corn, carrot, or bean.
Although I've contemplating canning corn and myself.

Another thing people always talk about are dried beans. That's something I never eat. Maybe some little white beans for a Portuguese soup I make. And I can't remember the variety.
What do you non been eaters like to store?

I'm definitely going to pick up a couple hundred pounds more flour.
More rice
Instant potatoes
Sugar
Salt
More pasta
Maybe more vinegar, I think I have 10 gallons of white and apple cider.
Some spices.
Definitely meat, that will get vac packed and frozen.

I have plenty of canning supplies so anything can be canned quickly if need be.
Don’t forget for spices you can get some Lazare’s Seasoning
www.lazaresseasoning.com
:D
 

psychgirl

Has No Life - Lives on TB
Remind me tonight. I’m working a 12hr shift won’t be home until 6:30pm :)
It’s my own so I’ll just improvise an official recipe for you :)
Here’s how make my pea soup:

In a hard bottomed stew pot sauté onions, minced garlic and your diced ham. I have added parsley and a small amount thyme leaves as well. If I have fresh celery, dice that up in small pieces and in it goes, too!

I use a lot of ham :)

Add a bag of peas, the usual standard size.

I add enough chicken broth to cover the split peas, adding maybe a little hot water.

Simmer, adding seasonings as you like such as salt , pepper, as well as the ham bone if you have one. Simmer until soft but not too mushy. I think it takes about 45 minutes total.

I also “have used” bacon in place of the ham but truly think ham is betterthis...***blasphemy lol, but true!

So really the way I make pea soup is not that “secret or special”, unless it’s using chicken broth instead of plain water to make the soup broth. It should be slightly thick but not overly thick.

It always turns out delicious and seems to be foolproof. I use the exact same method for lentil soup, too. For lentils it I’ve only used ham.

I’m guessing a crockpot would work too,, but the soup doesn’t take very long on the stove so I don’t bother with the cp.
 

psychgirl

Has No Life - Lives on TB
Hi Barry,

I've never used a recipe for pea soup..if you need the water-to-peas ratio, it should be on the back of the bag.

But learning from my mom (of course!) the best pea soup has plentiful ham dices and uses stock for some of the cooking water. If you don't have ham stock, chicken stock is a good substitute. Then of course, onion, garlic, salt (depending on how salty your stock is) & black pepper.

When the peas are about half cooked down, add sliced carrots and diced potatoes if you have them.

The crock pot is perfect for making pea soup.
Ohhh I’m adding a potato next time! Thank you! :geek:
 

bracketquant

Veteran Member
Here’s how make my pea soup:

In a hard bottomed stew pot sauté onions, minced garlic and your diced ham. I have added parsley and a small amount thyme leaves as well. If I have fresh celery, dice that up in small pieces and in it goes, too!

I use a lot of ham :)

Add a bag of peas, the usual standard size.

I add enough chicken broth to cover the split peas, adding maybe a little hot water.

Simmer, adding seasonings as you like such as salt , pepper, as well as the ham bone if you have one. Simmer until soft but not too mushy. I think it takes about 45 minutes total.

I also “have used” bacon in place of the ham but truly think ham is betterthis...***blasphemy lol, but true!

So really the way I make pea soup is not that “secret or special”, unless it’s using chicken broth instead of plain water to make the soup broth. It should be slightly thick but not overly thick.

It always turns out delicious and seems to be foolproof. I use the exact same method for lentil soup, too. For lentils it I’ve only used ham.

I’m guessing a crockpot would work too,, but the soup doesn’t take very long on the stove so I don’t bother with the cp.

My split pea soup is so thick, it turns to a solid when refrigerated. When making it, the pot must be stirred about every 10 minutes, or it will burn. And yes, I've burned soup.
 

pauldingbabe

The Great Cat
and in desperation you can grind them and use the ground beans to thicken soups.

God is good all the time

Judy


You can do this with so many things.

Dry spinach for flavoring and making tortilla wraps for whatever, lol. Same for excess tomatoes. That's where all the red and green pasta comes from. ;)

Dried and powdered watermelon, it's like sugar! Yummy!

And on and on...
 

etdeb

Veteran Member
I have stocked up on spices from The Spice & Tea Exchange and Pensky Spices.
In the past I have received gifts baskets contained products form each of these and I loved the products.
The Spice & Tea Exchange has one called Tail Gater and we make drunk chicken with it. It even makes squirrel taste good.
 

teedee

Veteran Member
View attachment 296237
I love these! They taste as good as frozen and are so convenient to have in the pantry. Boil some water and open the carton and fill up to the line. Close it back up and give it about 10 minutes to rehydrate, then Pan fry in some oil.

They are about the size of a pint carton of half & half. They’re next to the potato flakes and stuffing mix. They’re easy to miss in my store because they just have a single row of them.
I love golden grill hash browns from Sams. I have them almost every morning in a burrito.
 

psychgirl

Has No Life - Lives on TB
I looked for those dried hash browns online kroger tonight because I placed a delivery order- I’m not feeling well at all. Anyway, I don’t think our Kroger carries them.
Oh well. No biggie.
I just want to lay here and get my other order items. Then go to bed.
 

psychgirl

Has No Life - Lives on TB
Absolutely, do! We love our home canned beef stew, but there is a slightly different taste than before it's canned. I strongly advise people to try one of any new canned item before stocking up...

Summerthyme
Ok, I just got a small can of their beef, opened it and fished out a chunk straight from the can; it’s delicious! You all are right! No wonder it’s pricey!
 
Top