Home food practices

[Texzilla588 769]

What a weird thread. This is probably a generational question, but do y'all freeze your meat as soon as you buy it? My FIL lives on a ranch/farm near Midland and freezes everything except for milk, eggs, fruits and vegetables. 
 
My folks do the same. I usually stick meat in the fridge so I have to cook it within a few days. Otherwise, I’d be eating take out for lunch and dinner with a freezer full of meat. 
 
 

I have a vac sealer. It’s just two of us. I will buy meat on sale and vac it and freeze it. So if Tom Thumb has chuck roast for $2.47 lb or pork tenderloins for 99 cents I’ll buy several and vac and freeze at home. I’ll then thaw and grind up a roast for burger. I also repack my kids venison as I don’t like how they package it at his processor. If I make a big pot of chili or spaghetti sauce I will vac pack and freeze.

Vac sealing really prevents freezer burn. But you do have to keep track of inventory and defrost it in time for a meal.

If I just buy meat for a regular groceries I don’t freeze it unless I forgot it and need to . Unless it turned and I toss it.

[miguelito 11220]

My syrup says "refrigeration not required," but that's probably because it's mostly hfcs and chemicals. 

I've had honey crystallize before. I don't know what causes that.

[Gil Bang 25901]

1 hour ago, miguelito said:

My syrup says "refrigeration not required," but that's probably because it's mostly hfcs and chemicals. 

I've had honey crystallize before. I don't know what causes that.

We've got a bottle of real maple syrup that says refrigerate after opening, and a bottle of cheap Aunt Jemima shit that says refrigeration not required. 

[mooseoutfront 3642]

16 hours ago, Gil Bang said:

how come your shitter isn't log walls?  And that's a serious question from an ignorant guy from San Diego. 

Logs are heavy.  The shitter was built on two pressure treated 4x4's that I cut into skids.  When the shitter hole eventually gets full, we'll dig another hole and drag the outhouse over the new hole with the wheeler.  

[thrillhammer 683]

On 8/4/2024 at 8:34 PM, mycox said:

If it's safe enough for restaurants and diners to keep these items out in the open, then it safe enough for me to keep them in my pantry.

Mark Katz agrees with your stellar logic.

[Texzilla588 769]

An unpopular practice. I have some ancient cast iron. Well seasoned. When I use it, I wash with dawn and hot water, scrub it, dry it, spray with some oil, wipe it out, put it up. My grandmothers didn’t baby those pans.

[dcbc 14431]

1 hour ago, Texzilla588 said:

An unpopular practice. I have some ancient cast iron. Well seasoned. When I use it, I wash with dawn and hot water, scrub it, dry it, spray with some oil, wipe it out, put it up. My grandmothers didn’t baby those pans.

The lack-of-soap-use by the older generations stems from when the soaps contained lye, which would heavily strip seasoning from the pan.  This isn't a concern with modern dish soap and isn't what I'd consider unpopular at this point.  Scrubbing to remove carbon is best practice.  Carbon and burnt on food isn't seasoning.  I use a chain=mail scrubber.

[Sbbruin 21744]

On 8/5/2024 at 8:05 AM, Texzilla588 said:

I have a vac sealer. It’s just two of us. I will buy meat on sale and vac it and freeze it. So if Tom Thumb has chuck roast for $2.47 lb or pork tenderloins for 99 cents I’ll buy several and vac and freeze at home. I’ll then thaw and grind up a roast for burger. I also repack my kids venison as I don’t like how they package it at his processor. If I make a big pot of chili or spaghetti sauce I will vac pack and freeze.

Vac sealing really prevents freezer burn. But you do have to keep track of inventory and defrost it in time for a meal.

If I just buy meat for a regular groceries I don’t freeze it unless I forgot it and need to . Unless it turned and I toss it.

I'm a big vac sealer guy myself.  

[Gene Parmesan 3993]

I used to not refrigerate tabasco, and I once questioned a friend on why they refrigerated theirs, and they said it's for the color.  I usually consume hot sauces I buy fast enough to not matter, but I only eat tabasco on a few things so if it's a big bottle it's on my shelf a while.  I did notice that it was a lot duller than a new bottle.  Didn't really notice any taste differences though.  Now I refrigerate it.

[Texzilla588 769]

The lack-of-soap-use by the older generations stems from when the soaps contained lye, which would heavily strip seasoning from the pan.  This isn't a concern with modern dish soap and isn't what I'd consider unpopular at this point.  Scrubbing to remove carbon is best practice.  Carbon and burnt on food isn't seasoning.  I use a chain=mail scrubber.

I have one of those things and it’s great for the burnt on shit. I only use them for a few things these days. I hate dealing with their weight. Carbon steel I likey much better. And I have an unending source of nonstick.

[dcbc 14431]

45 minutes ago, Texzilla588 said:

I have one of those things and it’s great for the burnt on shit. I only use them for a few things these days. I hate dealing with their weight. Carbon steel I likey much better. And I have an unending source of nonstick.

We have one cast iron skillet, four carbon steel pans, and a lot of stainless (you name it).  We have one nonstick that my son and wife use.  I don't use it at all.  The carbon steel is plenty nonstick for whatever I'm cooking.  I almost always opt for carbon steel over cast iron these days.

Edited August 6 by dcbc

[jimmyjazz 45587]

Team Lodge cast iron.  I'm cheap.

[PilotsError 2283]

Nothing ruins pancakes or waffles worse than cold syrup.

Keep your syrup in the fucking pantry.

[jimmyjazz 45587]

59 minutes ago, PilotsError said:

Nothing ruins pancakes or waffles worse than cold syrup.

Keep your syrup in the fucking pantry.

I'm not sure if you're aware of the latest cooking gadgets, like the stovetop or the microwave oven?

[PilotsError 2283]

I don't want hot syrup.  

Room temp is perfect.

[jimmyjazz 45587]

9 minutes ago, PilotsError said:

I don't want hot syrup.  

Room temp is perfect.

It turns out both devices are fully capable of just warming the syrup to your desired temperature.  Crazy shit, I know.

[CycleTex87 2955]

Warmed up pure maple syrup is the bomb on pancakes.  

[Sbbruin 21744]

1 hour ago, PilotsError said:

Nothing ruins pancakes or waffles worse than cold syrup.

Keep your syrup in the fucking pantry.

Pure maple syrup says "refrigerate after opening," so that's what I'm doin'.

[Deej 76584]

Who has any left to refrigerate?

[PilotsError 2283]

2 hours ago, Sbbruin said:

Pure maple syrup says "refrigerate after opening," so that's what I'm doin'.

 

Do you get your oil changed every three thousand miles too?

[VABuckeye 2472]

On 8/4/2024 at 9:02 AM, Jerry Callo said:

I refrigerate all but maple syrup - that stuff comes from an unrefrigerated tree.

You know where maple syrup comes from right?   The great white north. Natures refrigerator. 

[Braff Zacklin 13430]

42 minutes ago, Deej said:

Who has any left to refrigerate?

I always assumed they were chugging tea or something similar for these takes, but in some "behind the scenes" commentary, they said it was actually syrup. 

Another trivial tidbit that underscores the greatness of that movie.

[Surly Bevo 24704]

Cold deadens flavors.  It's science.  Fucking live a little guys

 

 

[jimmyjazz 45587]

7 minutes ago, Surly Bevo said:

Cold deadens flavors.  It's science.  Fucking live a little guys

 

 

News flash:  I don't eat cold syrup.  I WARM IT UP.

[Texzilla588 769]

You know where maple syrup comes from right?   The great white north. Natures refrigerator. 

A maple tree pours sap out like a garden hose. Takes about a tanker to make one bottle syrup. Mines room temp but warm it gently with a chopped jalapeño for your waffles, ton of butter. Awesome.

[Sbbruin 21744]

3 hours ago, PilotsError said:

 

Do you get your oil changed every three thousand miles too?

My car only calls for it every 10k, so yes, I do it every 10k.

[Sawbonz 27445]

3 hours ago, jimmyjazz said:

News flash:  I don't eat cold syrup.  I WARM IT UP.

[jimmyjazz 45587]

It takes a lot less time to warm up refrigerated syrup than it takes to griddle up some delicious pancakes (with blueberries, or at the very least chocolate chips).

[thrillhammer 683]

i have had maple syrup mold in my pantry.  it stays in the fridge now.

[BurntOrange&White 39700]

12 hours ago, Deej said:

Who has any left to refrigerate?

We did that back in college after a whole day and night of drinking....quite literally the most enjoyable throw up experience I ever had because it tasted just like syrup coming back up.

[CoTex 1160]

I have a pickle throwing train.