17 Foods to Make from Scratch

Did you know that some of the staple condiments and sauces can be made right from your kitchen?

While we often buy our supplies straight off the supermarket shelves, a little effort to make these at home is guaranteed to taste better and cost less.

It also prevents food waste as you can prepare the necessary amount only when needed. Alternatively, you can make a big batch and choose to freeze them to use later.

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17 Foods to Make from Scratch

Salad dressing

Homemade salad dressings avoid the need to use store-bought ones with preservatives.

You can either make a simple and basic salad dressing with lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Otherwise, take it a step further and create these rich and creamy caesar salad dressing or Italian salad dressings.

 

Butter (1-ingredient butter recipe)

I was so surprised to learn how easy it is to make butter.

All you need is one ingredient – double cream!

Most of us use double cream for making cake frosting. But if you were to overwhip your cake frosting (without the sugar of course!) you get butter. 

Yes!

Just keep whisking double cream past the frosting stage till it becomes butter. Add a bit of salt while whipping the double cream if you prefer salted butter. Shape and squeeze out excess whey by lightly running it in cold water. Store your butter in a mason jar.

 

Yoghurt (only 2 ingredients!)

Yoghurt is easy to make in summer when the weather is warm. During the cold winter days you can use the oven to help with the fermentation process. Turn on the oven and create a warm environment for the yoghurt to form. 

Add 2 tablespoons of store-bought yoghurt to 4 cups of warm milk and give it a quick whish for about a minute. Cover the pot and leave it overnight in a pre-warmed oven that’s turned off.

If it’s summer, you can leave it in the warmest part of the house. I usually leave it on the kitchen counter close to where I cook. The heat in the kitchen helps fasten the fermentation process.

 

Ghee (Clarified butter)

Ghee is used in a lot of Indian recipes. It’s now considered a superfood and goes well with meat and lentils. It also gives you a nutty flavour when used in warm desserts.

If you enjoy using ghee, here is how you can make it at home.

Place butter in a pot on low heat and allow it to melt. You will notice a white foamy layer form as a top layer and white solids starts settling at the bottom.

After about 5-10 minutes of the foam disappearing the butter gets a deep yellow colour and the ghee is formed. Use a muslin cloth to strain off the solid bits and store the butter.

Tip: Make sure to use unsalted butter for making ghee.

Store ghee at room temperature for 2-3 months in an air-tight container.

 

Granola

Granola bars are great for breakfast or as a healthy snack to have in your handbag when you are on the go. Made with energy-boosting ingredients like dried fruits and nuts, it works out healthier when you make these at home.

Here is a simple 5 ingredient granola recipe.

 

Jam

Whether it’s on bread, bagels or yoghurt, jams make a great combination. Jams from the supermarket can contain cheap ingredients. Making your own jams or curds at home will give your more fruit rather than the store packs that might only contain 40% fruit.

With just strawberries, lemon and sugar you can make this homemade jam you will never buy jams from the supermarket again!

 

Almond Milk

If you are looking for a whole milk alternative, almond milk and oat milk are good options. Almond milk at the shops is never a 100% pure – not that I know of. So why not make these at home instead. 

 

Apple cider vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is a universal product that can be used for a ton of things. From cooking, cleaning to beauty treatments this might be your go-to product.

Use this recipe to create your own apple cider vinegar at home.

 

Alfredo sauce from scratch

Alfredo pasta is one of our favourite last-minute dinner ideas. This super cheap sauce can be made in less than 5 minutes at home. That’s right – 5 minutes!

Add about a teaspoon of chopped garlic in a pan of melted butter and mix in low flame for a few seconds. Next, add a tablespoon of plain flour and give it a quick mix for 10 seconds. Immediately stir in a cup of milk and whisk till it thickens. 

Add some salt and pepper and mix in your pasta. 

 

Pesto

If you prefer pesto to a white sauce, try this instead. A lovely homemade pesto sauce made of fresh basil, garlic and pine nuts.

 

Pizza sauce

While we all love homemade pizza, the only thing that’s usually not homemade is the sauce. We might end up buying the pizza sauce instead. Surprisingly, it’s fairly simple to make your own pizza sauce in less than 5 minutes. Here is a pizza sauce recipe you can follow.

 

Hummus

Hummus is one of the most preferred dips for pita or veggies sticks. Rather than opting for readymade tips, try this homemade hummus with a few variations. Dips are sauces are better made at home as they are fresh without preservatives. You can also make the required amount that needs preventing food waste.

 

Related post:

Reduce food waste with 10 freezer hacks

 

Chicken Stock

Homemade chicken stock usually has a more rich and deep flavour and the capacity to intensify the dish. And that’s not the only problem, store-bought ones usually tend to have more sodium (salt content), unless you find a low salt option.

Making homemade chicken stock is simple. Once made you can store it in the fridge for up to a week or freeze them for a couple of months. 

Here’s how you make it: If you have leftover chicken bits or chicken wings (that amounts to a kg), you can make homemade chicken stock by adding a carrot, an onion, a celery stick, one clove of garlic and some fresh herbs to a pot of water. Allow it to simmer for an hour or so till you get a beautiful broth. 

 

Salsa

If you love Mexican food, you are sure to have salsa on your shopping list as a regular item.

Salsa is a great accompaniment to chips or a breakfast tortilla. Making your own at home allows you to control the level of heat and spices used. Just blitz together your salsa ingredients following this salsa recipe and you will be done in 10 minutes. 

Try this and you will never buy supermarket salsa again!

 

Homemade bread

While homemade bread involves a bit of work, a quicker alternative is soda bread. The difference is normal bread uses yeast, while soda bread uses baking soda – hence the name “soda” bread.

Mix together flour, baking soda, buttermilk and salt. There is no need to knead this bread, just roll it into a ball and bake it in the oven. Here is the full recipe.

Used the above butter recipe on this soda bread and you’ll have a homemade breakfast treat!

 

Mayonnaise

If there is a condiment that takes less than 10 minutes of your time, why not make it at home. Mayonnaise is one such recipe that is quick to make and tastes creamier that stores ones.

While mayonnaise can be a little tricky to get right, here is a failproof homemade mayonnaise you can follow.

 

Popsicles

There’s nothing like enjoying a homemade popsicle in summer. With store-bought popsicles having a high sugar content, homemade popsicles are the best way to go. 

You can either use just fruits for a juicy popsicle or opt for a creamier version by adding yoghurt or coconut milk.

 

There you go!

17 foods to make from scratch to save money and eat healthy at home. Give them a try and tell us which ones are your favourite!