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How to Make Groceries Last Longer

If you are feeling like many, you are probably trying to find ways to go to the grocery store as little as possible. With a little extra planning and creative cooking, you can make your groceries go the extra mile for you. Handler Homes is here to offer you a few insightful tips so that you can make that happen.

Meal Prep

One of the best ways to make sure you use all your groceries mindfully is by prepping meals for the entire week. Make a few key things in bulk, like rice and veggies or items you can easily mix up into different meals like, shredded chicken. By creating and cooking meals for the week beforehand, you will be making sure that nothing goes to waste and as a bonus you may be surprised by how much more time you have in the evenings.

Make Stock

Do not throw away those food scraps just yet! Squeeze all you can out of your groceries by taking veggie and meat leftovers and making flavorful stocks. There are tons of different recipes that you can use, YouTube is a great source for them, but it basically comes down to boiling scraps in water for at least one hour. The longer you let the flavors simmer, the better your stock will be.

Shop at Home

Before you make the journey to the store, do not forget to raid your own pantry first. Especially when it comes to canned goods, we may not even know what we have. Try searching for recipes online that call for the ingredients you find. Finally, time for those garbanzo beans to shine.

Can It

In ye olden days, canning, fermenting, and pickling foods was used widely in preserving groceries for later. Unlike chemical preservatives, these processes were natural ways to seal in nutrients and extend shelf lives on foods. If you did not grow up bonding with your grandma while canning goods, there are easy and free sources that can teach you how to do so.

Freeze It

Much like canning and pickling, freezing is another natural way to keep more food on hand without it going bad. Most foods can be frozen, including milk and eggs. To prevent forgotten and freezer burnt items, label your foods with the date they were frozen and what they are before sticking them in your freezer.

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Cooking is a beautiful way to show your love for yourself and your family. By making less trips to the grocery store, you can make the best use of your time and leave yourself with more opportunities to make lasting memories.

By Handler Homes 5-14-2020