The last little bits?

[ORChick]

I imagine that everybody here knows to make soup from leftover bones, or a chicken carcase (though I'm always a little surprised that there are a lot of people who don't). And leftover/stale bread makes bread cubes or breadcrumbs. But what else do you do with the last little bits of something? Do you use up something that most people throw away?

I always save, and dehydrate, the off cuts from mushrooms - the end of the stem that is hard to clean properly, and other bits that I might cut off before cooking, the whole stem from shiitake mushrooms as they are tough. I save these bits and pieces, and use them when I need a mushroom broth - Just cover with hot water, and let them steep for 20 minutes or so, and strain out the mushroom bits (compost or worm bin), and pour carefully in case of any dirt left behind. This is very useful if I have only a few *good* mushrooms, but want more mushroom flavor.

And another one - if I have used a vanilla bean (for instance, to flavor the milk in a pudding), I will rinse the bean if necessary, dry it, and put it in a jar with sugar (I have a dedicated jar that I continue to add to, and subtract from). There is still lots of flavor there, and it will migrate into the sugar over time. If I am making something with vanilla sugar, and the color isn't so important, I'll whirl some of it in the spice mill along with a couple of the pieces of vanilla bean, and this makes a stronger flavored (though darker colored) sugar.

What do you do with the last little bits?

 

[hennypenny9]

Okay, I haven't tried this, but I want to! When you use all your pickles up, slice up onions so they're long and skinny. Put them in the jar with the pickle juice for a couple days, and poof! A yummy topping for hotdogs!

Also one that my grandma did all the time. When you use all the spicy mustard, add a bit of vinegar and olive oil and shake. You have a vinaigrette(sp?) for salads! She also added other stuff like garlic sometimes.

I found both of these in Cook's Illustrated, although my grandma did the second one. It's the only magazine I get. I split the cost with my mom, and I make copies of any recipe I like, then give her the issue. Also, they do not allow advertising. It's is pretty useful.

 

[OkieAnnie]

We save little bits of left overs from dinner and freeze them for a lunch later, that is a rarity as I have 1 teen boy and another nearly there, but we add water to empty ketchup, shake it up to get the rest all mixed in, refridgerate it and add it to our next batch of chilli, soup or pasta sauce. We add vinegar to the mayo, ranch or any other dressing, shake it up and make different vinigarette . .my husband does this. They always turn out right. He adds to them, ofcourse, and they always turn out right. I can't think of any other things we do with last little bits, but I am excited to hear what everyone else does.


Good thread

 

[freemotion]

OK, I can be pretty hardcore at times.....if I am low on broth, I have been known to make dh put his bones from his dinner plate into a bag in the freezer for broth making. His are pretty picked clean, but I leave more on mine.....we are the opposite with fruits and veggies, though.

I save almost every bit of fat and use it. Tonight, I made my strawberry/rhubarb crisp with chicken fat in the crumb topping. Herbed chicken fat is wonderful to toss veggies in for roasting, no comparison in flavor to olive oil. Tallow from beef broth is great for saute'ing or frying in, it is very stable when heated. When it builds up in the freezer, it will become soap since I started up with that again, or go straight to the chickens, who need a lot of fat to make all those yolks!

 

[SKR8PN]

I sure am learning some great ideas out of this thread!! Keep it up!!!

 

[VT-Chicklit]

I save things like the small center stalks and leaves from celery in baggie in the freezer. I use them in soups, especially chicken stew or chicken & dumplings.

Another item that I save is the various fats that are created when cooking some meats. The chicken fat that is on the surface of homemade chicken broth is chilled and then removed and frozen to be used for frying potatoes and cabbage. Baccon and saucage fat are poured into a yoghert container and frozen to be used in soups (pea or bean), or to saute green beans in instead of seaming or boiling them.

 

[freemotion]

Another item that I save is the various fats that are created when cooking some meats. The chicken fat that is on the surface of homemade chicken broth is chilled and then removed and frozen to be used for frying potatoes and cabbage. Baccon and saucage fat are poured into a yoghert container and frozen to be used in soups (pea or bean), or to saute green beans in instead of seaming or boiling them.

Mmmmm, green beans with pork fat! Anything we steam or simmer gets a big dose of butter on it, but I bet chicken fat would be yummy, too. You won't get all the vitamins from your veggies without some fat, preferrably saturated, with them.

 

[Lovechooks]

eeekkkk!! Your not supposed to re-heat fat!

We don't use animal fat to cook with, only olive oil.

 

[freemotion]

Ok, sounds like it's time for a fat lesson thread!!! In a few days when I have time!!! Saturated fats are very stable and can be re-heated. Veg oils are not and become free radicals that are very harmful to your health. Don't be afraid of animal fat! It is what we are made of and our bodies recognize as food.

Science to come on another thread.....

 

[noobiechickenlady]

I do most of the typical things, saving bread ends & stale bread to make bread crumbs, saving the fat off of cuts of meat to add to broth baggie, saving stale cornbread for dressing. I also keep leftover veggies in a big bag in the freezer to make soup. I think the most notable event was when we had small amounts of all these different jams & jellies, blackberry, plum, grape, strawberry, I took them and mixed them all into the half jar of apple jelly and we had mixed fruit jam. It was super tasty.
Oh and we pickle baby carrots in our leftover vinegar from the chili peppers. Hot, sweet, crunchy & tasty!!

Lovechooks, why do you say not to reheat fat? From Great Grand-grammy on down, we've a long tradition of saving fat & reusing it. A little bacon grease on bread is actually quite tasty, and its great in grean beans too. I put it in the freezer in ice cube trays, so I can get out only what I need.
ETA: Ahh, thanks Free!