Making Your Own?

[Trini]

I made my chocolate treats! I looked up a recipe online just because it was the first time I was trying something like this. They are yummy and crunchy! Next time I will put more nuts and less rice. Also could use a better cookie scoop.

[ariel]

3 hours ago, Trini said:

I made my chocolate treats! I looked up a recipe online just because it was the first time I was trying something like this. They are yummy and crunchy! Next time I will put more nuts and less rice. Also could use a better cookie scoop.

That looks so good.  I love chocolate & cherries.

[mansonlamps]

I love those short videos on Facebook showing someone whipping up a recipe and making it look so simple.  I think it's gotten a lot of young people cooking.  I tried the mini pretzel dogs for fun and they were really simple and good, though not in a "good FOR you" sort of way.

[Trini]

Update on my second batch of chocolate treats:
Okay, the first time I had "splurged" and bought the pricier, highest cocoa content chocolate chips that my store sold, which was Guittard's Extra Dark (63%). This time I used Ghirardelli's 60% chips that I found on sale, and was not so pleased with the results. The problem is that it melts too easily to the touch, making it it slightly messier to wrap and eat each nugget. The other chocolate held up better.

I know the weather this past week has been warmer than normal for this time of year, but I really think it's a difference in brands.

[ethalfrida]

Is anyone into homebrewing? Wine? Beer?

[larapu2000]

I finished a batch of fresh strawberry jam last week and will be starting on the peaches probably in 5-7 days (just got a bushel of peaches, but they're not quite there yet...).  

I usually make an apricot habanero jam for my cheese trays, but I can never find non-grocery apricots and I think the peaches would be a perfect substitute.  Not quite as sharp as the apricots, but I think some lemon juice might help perk it up a bit.

[Trini]

Yummy homemade popsicle combo: mango + orange + carrot juices. Mine was mostly mango, with the carrot juice having the smallest ratio.

[JTMacc99]

I made ketchup today with about seven pounds of tomatoes from my garden. First time I ever did this and it turned out great. 

[biakbiak]

9 minutes ago, JTMacc99 said:

I made ketchup today with about seven pounds of tomatoes from my garden. First time I ever did this and it turned out great. 

I love making my own ketchup and mustards! Maybe I will make a vat next week.

Dry farmed early girl tomatoes are dirt cheap at the farmers market so I canned 30 lbs.

[JTMacc99]

I have a new friend who suggested it. The second I had my (Penzey's) spices cooking down in it, and my house smelling amazing, I knew it was a good idea. 

[JTMacc99]

Because my tomatoes are indeterminate and show up over 5 or so weeks, I've taken to cutting them up and cooking them down 5-7 pounds at a time. I run them through the food mill to make purée.

Today I figured I had enough to can about 7pints of pizza sauce, so that was the plan. I ended up with 6 pints and a quart. 

So now I've got ketchup and pizza sauce. Not sure what I will make next. 

Edited September 4, 2017 by JTMacc99

[ethalfrida]

One of the best groups on Facebook for Foodies is the Fermented Hot Sauce Society. It is far less complicated than it appears.

Once you taste your own you will not care for the commercial brands at all.

In any sized jar, layer carrots, onions, tomatoes, garlic, peppers. Add a few slices of limes or lemons.

Mix a brine of 3.5 per cent sea salt to water ratio and fill the jar. Always keep the vegetables below the liquid. You can do that easily by filling a ziplock bag with brine and stuffing it on top of the vegs inside the jar.

If you don't have an airlock, just unscrew the top everyday and burp the ferment.

The hot sauce will be ready after three weeks even though you can brine for years.

After fermentation, drain the liquid and set aside. Grind the vegs finely in food processor or blender. At this point you decide if you want a thick hot sauce or a thing one by adding some brine or vinegar to it. 

This method allows you keep your hot sauce on the counter, in the cabinet or fridge for years as it is fermented and will not spoil.

[Giselle]

I love cooking & I'm fortunate to have the time free to do it. I'm also fortunate to have spent the  time with my family learning their cooking.

I make quite a bit of stuff in my kitchen from scratch. All desserts, pickles, giardinera, steak sauce, ketchup, picklelilli, sweet chili sauce, yogurt, pasta, jams & such, limoncello, preserved lemons, cordials, baked goods. I used to make bread 3-4x a week, now it's at least once a week. I prefer biscuits, tortillas, pita from scratch. 

My sister in law will be teaching me to make Issan style sausage to put up this spring. 

On 1/1/2017 at 8:26 PM, Trini said:

That reminds me that I haven't made cheese crackers in a while! I've made them with pepper jack cheese because we like spicy at our house. (Can you tell I like substitutions?)

I make my great grandmother's cheese straws recipe for others but I don't care for the baked chedder cheese flavor, I prefer my bleu cheese Walnut. 

I'll have to try making  the pepper jack for my husband.

[biakbiak]

A friend of mine got me easy fermenting lids and some weights as a thank you gift so I went to the farmers market and I have started the fermentation on dill pickles, asparagus, garlic in apple cider vinegar and for good measure also started a batch of preserved lemons!

[Athena]

As we approach harvest, what is everyone making?

I've been doing more lacto-fermentation of vegetables. I made my own dill garlic pickles for the first time which are better than store bought. I started doing kimchi last autumn and will do 1-2 batches hopefully. Finally, it's been a couple years since I've done sauerkraut but I want to do a couple kinds.

[biakbiak]

16 minutes ago, Athena said:

As we approach harvest, what is everyone making?

I have just gotten into fermentation and checked this book out of the library but loved it so much I bought it. 

Beets because I could live on pickled beets. I also just fermented my first batch of cherry tomatoes and they are delightful and like adult pop rocks!

i have also ventured into vinegars and drinks like kvass and tepache.

Edited August 20, 2019 by biakbiak

[JTMacc99]

Lots of pickles here, all of the refrigerator type. First batch was with dill, second batch was more of a bread and butter pickle. They both came out kind of great, so I'm pretty happy.  

Next up will be some tomatoes for canning. 

[ethalfrida]

On 8/20/2019 at 4:33 AM, biakbiak said:

I have just gotten into fermentation and checked this book out of the library but loved it so much I bought it. 

Beets because I could live on pickled beets. I also just fermented my first batch of cherry tomatoes and they are delightful and like adult pop rocks!

i have also ventured into vinegars and drinks like kvass and tepache.

You will love vinegars. And I agree with you about the tomatoes, addictive and delicious!

On 5/19/2019 at 11:03 PM, biakbiak said:

A friend of mine got me easy fermenting lids and some weights as a thank you gift so I went to the farmers market and I have started the fermentation on dill pickles, asparagus, garlic in apple cider vinegar and for good measure also started a batch of preserved lemons!

Awesome. I just did a lemon ferment from Meyer lemons. They really require the right recipe, I find. But they are so pretty in the jar. Members of my FB group suggest leaving them for a year and they will mellow out. 

I am interested in how your ferments turn out.

[peacheslatour]

I don't know where else to post this. What is brisket? I have wanted to make it for years but I never see anything in the stores called "brisket" so I'm assuming it goes by some other name. Please help.

[biakbiak]

20 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

I don't know where else to post this. What is brisket? I have wanted to make it for years but I never see anything in the stores called "brisket" so I'm assuming it goes by some other name. Please help.

You should ask because I have rarely seen it called anything other than brisket though sometimes I have seen it called a flat cut, it’s a cut from the breast/lower chest depending on the size.

[chessiegal]

47 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

I don't know where else to post this. What is brisket? I have wanted to make it for years but I never see anything in the stores called "brisket" so I'm assuming it goes by some other name. Please help.

Omaha Steaks sells them.

[peacheslatour]

19 minutes ago, chessiegal said:

Omaha Steaks sells them.

Wow! 2lbs. $55.00.

[chessiegal]

You might try asking at a store with a large meat section like Whole Foods. We have a stand alone butcher shop in town. Never tried getting one, so I'm not sure.

[biakbiak]

33 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

Wow! 2lbs. $55.00.

Costco sells them for a much cheaper per lb price but also tend to only sell the whole brisket which is typically 13-15 lbs so would still be expensive.

[larapu2000]

Sometimes groceries stores can do them if you order one.  Do you have a local butcher or specialty meat store?  I've found them at the grocery, but have noticed they're like skirt steak-get 'em early or they're gone before you even know what happened.

[caitmcg]

On 8/20/2019 at 4:26 AM, Athena said:

As we approach harvest, what is everyone making?

Canning has been happening in my kitchen. I have a prolific plum tree, so did my favorite plum jam, this roasted plum and lemon verbena. We also have a white wine-based plum liqueur going, and I'll probably make a plum shrub. (There have also been several plum cakes). Also applesauce and apple butter from Sonoma County Gravenstein apples, which make the best applesauce.

[HunterHunted]

On 9/5/2019 at 2:18 PM, peacheslatour said:

I don't know where else to post this. What is brisket? I have wanted to make it for years but I never see anything in the stores called "brisket" so I'm assuming it goes by some other name. Please help.

On 9/5/2019 at 2:41 PM, biakbiak said:

You should ask because I have rarely seen it called anything other than brisket though sometimes I have seen it called a flat cut, it’s a cut from the breast/lower chest depending on the size.

On 9/5/2019 at 3:06 PM, chessiegal said:

Omaha Steaks sells them.

On 9/5/2019 at 3:26 PM, peacheslatour said:

Wow! 2lbs. $55.00.

On 9/5/2019 at 4:02 PM, biakbiak said:

Costco sells them for a much cheaper per lb price but also tend to only sell the whole brisket which is typically 13-15 lbs so would still be expensive.

On 9/5/2019 at 3:53 PM, chessiegal said:

You might try asking at a store with a large meat section like Whole Foods. We have a stand alone butcher shop in town. Never tried getting one, so I'm not sure.

On 9/9/2019 at 1:25 PM, larapu2000 said:

Sometimes groceries stores can do them if you order one.  Do you have a local butcher or specialty meat store?  I've found them at the grocery, but have noticed they're like skirt steak-get 'em early or they're gone before you even know what happened.

Brisket is a cut of beef that's basically the breast meat on a cow. It's the pectoral muscles on a cow. Because it supports most of the cows weight, the cut is heavily striated with collagen and requires slow cooking to break down that collagen. A brisket is technically 2 different muscles: the point (sometimes called the deckle) and the flat. The point is the fattier part of the brisket. The flat is the leaner part.

@biakbiak is correct that it's rarely called anything else. Occasionally, they might be labeled as the point, deckle, or flat, but that's usually if they've broken the brisket down to sell the cuts individually.

You can usually ask for it at the butcher's counter. It might be a special order, but it will be cheaper than Omaha Steaks. If you have a stand alone butcher shop in your town, you can often find it at those places. You can also try a Jewish grocery store or a grocery store in or near a Jewish neighborhood or with a large kosher section. Brisket is often served for Jewish holidays. It's often served in Asian cuisine so an Asian grocery store would likely carry brisket too. Whole Foods would likely be able to get you one. In Texas, you can literally find cryovac brisket everywhere.

Brisket is sold trimmed and untrimmed. Trimmed means the fat cap was removed. For the first time making brisket, I recommend trimmed for a braised Jewish style brisket. You're much less likely to dry it out. I'd recommend untrimmed for a slow smoked barbecued brisket. It's going to be a lot of fat. I don't think I trimmed some of the fat off the first brisket I smoked. I have since then. Do not ignore the Texas crutch if you are smoking a brisket. Otherwise it will likely stall just under the temperature where the collagen fibers start to breakdown.

https://amazingribs.com/tested-recipes/beef-and-bison-recipes/smoked-brisket-texas-style

Edited September 14, 2019 by HunterHunted

[chessiegal]

I know a woman who is Jewish and talks about all the brisket she makes for her large family. Next time I see her I'll ask where she gets her brisket. I know another woman who works in the food biz. I'll ask her too.

[biakbiak]

On 9/5/2019 at 12:18 PM, peacheslatour said:

I don't know where else to post this. What is brisket? I have wanted to make it for years but I never see anything in the stores called "brisket" so I'm assuming it goes by some other name. Please help.

Just bringing this back to add that Rosh Hashanah starts on Sunday and brisket is a popular dish to serve so often grocery stores have it more readily available.

[Brattinella]

Brisket is sold everywhere in Oklahoma and Texas, its kind of a tradition.  There is a local BBQ place called Billy Sims that smokes their briskets (and all their other meat, too) and it is heaven!

I also use brisket for making traditional Irish Corned Beef Dinner.  It comes in a package (cryovac) with a small packet of seasonings (mostly pickling spice)  If you follow the directions on the package you can't go wrong.  I make mine with quartered heads of cabbage, boiled potatoes and carrots, cooked in the strained juice from the meat.  MMmmmm!

[biakbiak]

Trying my hand at Apple Cider Vinegar. Found A recipe that uses just the apple scraps, sugar and water and since I made a big batch of apple sauce this weekend I figured I might as well give it a whirl. 
My champagne vinegar that I “made” a bit ago is finished and lovely. 

[PRgal]

I've been baking more lately.  I bought mooncake moulds from Amazon last year and baked my own mooncakes for the Mid-Autumn Festival back in September.  It was my second year doing it.  I DO NOT like the stuff they sell at Asian bakeries (they use lard and I also HATE duck eggs) so I made ones using pumpkin purée and oat bran this year.  Much lower in calories and fat.

I've also made chickpea muffins using chickpea flour (based it on an almond flour bread recipe in a grain-free cookbook I have), breakfast brittle/bars/squares/muffins using mashed bananas and rolled oats (or pumpkin purée and rolled oats) plus other ingredients...yeah, I'm on a roll - LOL.  My husband hasn't had much of it (he's not much of a fan of this kind of baking) and my mom has criticized my baking and my eating habits, telling me it's way "too clean."  WHATEVER.

Edited October 28, 2019 by PRgal

[biakbiak]

Made some picketed green tomatoes, basically same recipe as dill pickles but with green tomatoes. So tasty and crunchy.

Edited October 31, 2019 by biakbiak

[Vixenstud]

Damn, ya'll be cooking up in here!

My recent obsession is making chipotle ranch dressing to go with my homemade chicken strips.

[biakbiak]

Guavas were supper cheap at the farmers so I made a batch of jam. So tasty and will make some guava and cheese pastries later in the week since I will have time to make my own puff pastry.

[chessiegal]

I made shrimp stock today from the shells of 2 pounds of large shrimp. I've been saving them in the freezer. I've officially entered waste not want not territory.

Giada has a shrimp piccata recipe I like that calls for bottled clam juice. I'll use my shrimp stock instead.

[Mondrianyone]

I made a batch of sourdough starter from scratch after one not-so-successful attempt and much wasted flour.  Then I found this guy on YouTube who has a method that doesn't require discarding most of the starter every time you feed it, which made me feel a lot better at a time when flour is hard to come by.  This batch is looking very bubbly and promising, so I think I'll be baking with it tomorrow.  I have a whole assortment of seeds to health it up with.  Fingers crossed.  🤞

[caitmcg]

2 hours ago, chessiegal said:

I made shrimp stock today from the shells of 2 pounds of large shrimp. I've been saving them in the freezer. I've officially entered waste not want not territory.

Giada has a shrimp piccata recipe I like that calls for bottled clam juice. I'll use my shrimp stock instead.

That reminds me, I have shrimp shells in the freezer, saved for that purpose. Shrimp stock is so quick and easy I should probably always be saving the shells. I’ll make some this week and probably use it for either fish soup or risotto.

[MargeGunderson]

On 10/22/2019 at 8:11 PM, biakbiak said:

Trying my hand at Apple Cider Vinegar. Found A recipe that uses just the apple scraps, sugar and water and since I made a big batch of apple sauce this weekend I figured I might as well give it a whirl. 
My champagne vinegar that I “made” a bit ago is finished and lovely. 

Oh, how did you make the champagne vinegar? That sounds delicious, and my bottle is nearly empty.

[MargeGunderson]

2 hours ago, Mondrianyone said:

I made a batch of sourdough starter from scratch after one not-so-successful attempt and much wasted flour.  Then I found this guy on YouTube who has a method that doesn't require discarding most of the starter every time you feed it, which made me feel a lot better at a time when flour is hard to come by.  This batch is looking very bubbly and promising, so I think I'll be baking with it tomorrow.  I have a whole assortment of seeds to health it up with.  Fingers crossed.  🤞

I just read this post about using a smaller sourdough starter (from King Arthur Flour). I’m going to give it a try. Let us know how yours turns out! 
 

 

[caitmcg]

In recent days, I’ve seen good things said about several of KAF’s sourdough discard recipes, including the pancakes, crackers, and crumpets, for when you have to remove some to feed your starter.

[biakbiak]

29 minutes ago, MargeGunderson said:

Oh, how did you make the champagne vinegar? That sounds delicious, and my bottle is nearly empty.

It’s incredibly difficult!! You take some champagne, pour it into a mason jar, cover with cheesecloth and put it in a cool dark place for several weeks or months!

[MargeGunderson]

13 minutes ago, biakbiak said:

It’s incredibly difficult!! You take some champagne, pour it into a mason jar, cover with cheesecloth and put it in a cool dark place for several weeks or months!

Thanks! Good thing I have all this extra time on my hands to tackle such a difficult recipe 😉

[Mondrianyone]

I just got off the phone with my good friend who's a genius sourdough baker, and I was telling her about the no-discard method I'd tried.  I couldn't remember whether she did the discarding, and she said that no, she hated all the waste, so she's always done it the way I'm doing it now.

But I happened to be looking for something earlier today on the King Arthur site and I saw that article, too, @caitmcg.  Now I have to go back and actually read it, as I still have a container of the discard starter.  Thanks!

[biakbiak]

13 minutes ago, MargeGunderson said:

Thanks! Good thing I have all this extra time on my hands to tackle such a difficult recipe 😉

The most difficult part for me is having “extra” champagne so I just buy it with vinegar in mind!

[BW Manilowe]

I’m not quite sure this is the right place for this. If it isn’t, Mod(s) please move it.

From CNN: How to Make IKEA’s Meatballs

[BW Manilowe]

From Chip & Company: Make Your Own Mickey Beignets From Disney World’s Port Orleans Resort

If you don’t have Mickey head-shaped cookie cutters, you might have to leave them square.

[Athena]

On 4/20/2020 at 7:10 PM, caitmcg said:

In recent days, I’ve seen good things said about several of KAF’s sourdough discard recipes, including the pancakes, crackers, and crumpets, for when you have to remove some to feed your starter.

I've been making sourdough for years and I've made their Sourdough Crackers recipe with my discard every few weeks. I am still absolutely addicted to them.

[SheriGoddart33]

I recently tried making apple chips and it turns out much cheaper than in the store, but I have to spend a lot of time on it

[Mondrianyone]

I don't really know where to post this, but . . .

I've had a jar of tomato powder in my fridge for years--I mostly use it to make as-needed tomato paste (just add water!)--but it has lots of other uses. My jar is running low, so I bought some more, but I was curious to see how much it was going for on Amazon. I looked at the customer photos while I was on one page, and I found this:

I think I'm going to pass on the vag soup! All the jokes I can think of are too vulgar (vulvar?) to post.

Edited April 26, 2020 by Mondrianyone
the inevitable typo