Ways to save in kitchen

1 STRETCH THE BASICS

A recipe like pantry casserole (at bestrecipes.com.au) is a great way to stretch pantry staples. It’s easy to substitute any of the ingredients for what you have available.

2

Growing your own veggies is a great way to save money. If you have a bumper crop, try making a big batch of stew or minestrone soup that you can save for later.

GROW YOUR OWN 3 STORE BEANS

Beans are the basis of a lot of hearty meals. Use them in place of meat, add them to casseroles to add bulk or make a delicious dip. This bean hotpot (above) is a delicious way to help you and your family fill up.

4 STOCK UP ON FLOUR

A bag of flour does wonders in any kitchen. From basic pancakes to Nan’s bread pudding, flour is a staple you can use to create new dishes or reinvent leftovers.

5 LOTS OF SEASONINGS Keeping spices on hand ensures we don’t serve up dishes without flavour. Anything from salt and pepper to turmeric and cumin will help. Choose your favourite spices and use them to take your meals to the next level.

6 LEARN HOME PRESERVATION

Pickling, drying, canning and salting would have been de rigueur back in the day. Today we can add freezing to the list of preservation techniques to ensure we can keep what is not in use.

7 STOCK UP ON FAT

Sources of fat were highly prized during the Depression. Nan would even repurpose bacon or beef dripping to add depth and flavour to other dishes. Check with your butcher if you can purchase lard, or stock up on oils.

8 VALUE WHAT YOU ALREADY HAVE

Take time to learn about the process food goes through to reach our tables. It’ll help us cultivate a gratitude mindset of appreciating what we have and reduce food waste in the process.