WE ARE WHAT WE EAT

Post by **David Whipp** » 03 Feb 2014, 08:09

Alison is a slave to 'sell by' dates, so we don't deliberately tend to have any on the shelves. (But when my stockpiling of tins leads to going beyond dates, I haven't noticed any deterioration.)

A tip for cheaper versions of the same thing is to look on the 'ethnic food' shelves at supermarkets. (This applies at Co-op, Asda and Sainsbury). Brand leader cans of chick peas are on the shelves at 80p; KTC or Natco 39p for the same thing. And when on offer, KTC have been selling at 4 for £1. Same store, same day, same quality, different shelf.

Post by **Wendyf** » 03 Feb 2014, 09:52

It's quite a relief to hear that there are others out there who stockpile. Colin has cupboards full of tinned tomatoes, chickpeas and beans of all shapes and sizes...if it's a bargain he buys it. Is it a man thing? It drives me mad, we could live for 2 years at least on the stuff in our cupboards! I'm not welcome on shopping expeditions, anything I put in the trolley gets returned to the shelf with a disapproving glare, so I have resorted to pleading at the back of the Hunter Gatherer as he disappears towards the car clutching the reusable bags...."please...no more tins....the cupboards cant take the strain!"

(The latest stockpile consists of a wide variety of bottled beer)

Post by **David Whipp** » 03 Feb 2014, 11:25

Good on Colin!

My visits to Asda on my own are when I'm coming back from meetings, usually when the store is quiet; I'll buy as much reduced price bread as I think our freezer will bear. A trolley full of stuff can be around the £40 mark.

If the kids are with me, a trolley full will typically be £80; and if joined by Alison, £120 will be nearer the mark...

Post by **Tizer** » 03 Feb 2014, 11:45

Among other stuff I bought a bottle of wine from Tesco recently, on offer at £4.99 reduced from £9.99. When I got home I realised they'd charged me the full £9.99 - not unusual but I'd been in a hurry (had to pick up dad from a hospital check up) and hadn't checked the bill at the shop. Took it back on my next visit to the local Tesco - the other was in the big town where the hospital was located. The wine lady at the local shop said the other store had probably made a mistake. When I said to her that the wine was never worth ten quid she agreed and said she would never pay that for it! They stick some bottles on sale at a tenner in somewhere like Lower Snodbury for a week or so, nobody buys it, then it goes on sale nationwide `reduced from £9.99 to £4.99".

Post by **Tripps** » 03 Feb 2014, 12:32

""please...no more tins....the cupboards cant take the strain!""

We've opened a real can of beans here. I guess that explains the urge to be self sufficient in energy etc. There's a good dissertation to be had in this somewhere. Stanley and I have joked about mild OCD in the past. No doubt in my mind that we both have it. Is it a man thing? Welcome to the club Col.

Post by **David Whipp** » 05 Feb 2014, 08:32

Wendyf wrote:"please...no more tins....the cupboards cant take the strain!"

Our pantry shelves...

Post by **Wendyf** » 05 Feb 2014, 09:04

Snap....even down to the same brand of coffee in eco bags. (Eco bags?? Do you recycle yours?) I've been suggesting that Col should build a pantry on to the north side of the house, but it could just encourage him to stockpile more.

Post by **Tizer** » 05 Feb 2014, 09:49

I hope you've all got bright-red can openers in glass-fronted boxes and labelled "Break glass in emergency"!

hartley353 · Post by **hartley353** » 05 Feb 2014, 10:24

When we go to the cottage we always take boxes of tins, as we are never sure of what has been left from last time. This year I put the new to the back and moved the old to the front, as I opened some of the old tins I noted they were over ten years old but the contents were perfect. A quick check of the new produce showed they had a use by date of two years max. As to the super market wine there has been plenty of Press on the pricing. Most if not all supermarket wine comes into the country in huge plastic bags in containers and is bottled and labeled here. Some of the wine is very palatable, but most is mediocre, and should be drunk quickly after purchase, not for the cellar.

LizG · Post by **LizG** » 05 Feb 2014, 21:20

My Mum and Dad's pantry looked just the same as yours David until a couple of weeks ago. Then the shelves started to slide down and the contents went everywhere. They had to empty the entire pantry and Dad re-inforced all the shelving. They went through everything and gave away and threw away everything they thought they might just be able to do without.

Mum agreed she wouldn't fill it up like that again and is now suffering withdrawal from shopping. Every Thursday she used to go to Aldi and buy stuff whether she needed it or not - now she's bored!!!! LOL

Marilyn · Post by **Marilyn** » 05 Feb 2014, 23:48

You have enough tins of tomatoes, David.
(Look at me...look at me David...FOCUS!...You have enough tins of tomatoes.)

LizG · Post by **LizG** » 06 Feb 2014, 02:19

Marilyn wrote:You have enough tins of tomatoes, David.
(Look at me...look at me David...FOCUS!...You have enough tins of tomatoes.)

You make me laugh!!!!

Post by **Stanley** » 06 Feb 2014, 05:16

David, you're running low on red lentils....
I don't see anything wrong with having a full pantry. I guess it's how we were reared mainly but it's also the most efficient way to run a kitchen. Think of the number of people you see early in the morning shopping for breakfast or sneaking into Barlic Bites. Why should a bloke have a sack of dried peas and one of medium oatmeal in the bathroom? Why have 3 months supply of toilet rolls? Why have ten bags of coal in the back yard? For me it's a matter of having a sense of security, very good for me and if it's lousy weather I don't have to go rushing to the Cathedral of Choice.
By the way, all tinned vegetables are good, only thing to watch is the ratio between price and drained weight. One thing is certain, there is more chance of a varied diet if there is a choice in the pantry and that must be a good thing. So reinforce the shelves and keep the stocks up!

Post by **David Whipp** » 06 Feb 2014, 08:21

Stanley wrote:David, you're running low on red lentils....

Ah, the red lentils.

I've bought some from Elaine's Wholefoods on Barlick Market, but haven't done a bulk buy lately.

(I have to confess that there's another shelf with dried goods like pasta and pulses, so the rice and lentils you see in the pic is the stock which is to hand for daily use.)

Marilyn wrote:You have enough tins of tomatoes, David.
(Look at me...look at me David...FOCUS!...You have enough tins of tomatoes.)

There's only around 7 dozen. Hardly a case for the hypnotist!

Marilyn · Post by **Marilyn** » 06 Feb 2014, 09:52

I have just THREE tins of tomatoes in my pantry, and I consider my pantry well stocked.
( mind you...I noticed a disturbing trend...three tins of tomatoes, three tins of baked beans, three tins of spaghetti, three tins of sweet corn, three tins of Beetroot, three tins of coconut milk, three tins of salmon, three tins of soup. Eeeeek! I've never noticed my obsession with buying things in threes.)
But seven dozen?

P.S. If my hubby was let loose in your pantry, all the labels would be facing the front.

Post by **Tizer** » 06 Feb 2014, 10:09

How many children do you have, Maz?

Marilyn · Post by **Marilyn** » 06 Feb 2014, 10:14

One!
( plus three step kids)

Why?

Post by **Tizer** » 06 Feb 2014, 10:16

I wondered how far the obsession with three's extended!

Marilyn · Post by **Marilyn** » 06 Feb 2014, 10:28

There must be a subliminal reason why three is a pleasing number...

Post by **David Whipp** » 06 Feb 2014, 15:04

Marilyn wrote:P.S. If my hubby was let loose in your pantry, all the labels would be facing the front.

Well, he's only got 2 dozen to deal with!

Marilyn · Post by **Marilyn** » 06 Feb 2014, 23:12

The size of the project doesn't matter to him. He would happily work until every label faced the front, your fridge was arranged in alphabetical order and he knew every "use by" date in your freezer.
The man is a legend.

LizG · Post by **LizG** » 06 Feb 2014, 23:27

Send him over to my house, he can sort out my pantry.

LizG · Post by **LizG** » 06 Feb 2014, 23:42

A last comment on medlars, which I thought was better suited in this topic than Medical Matters. Maz, medlar jelly is made in a similar manner to crab apple jelly. The original boil up gives a mushy cloudy pink mess and looks awful. Once you've strained it through a cloth and boiled the liquid with sugar it makes a beautiful pink jelly. Just have to beat the birds to the fruit.

Post by **Stanley** » 07 Feb 2014, 05:37

Aren't they better if they have started decaying?
My rule about stock control is that I never have to rush out because I haven't got an item. Especially toilet rolls!

LizG · Post by **LizG** » 07 Feb 2014, 06:17

Stanley wrote:Aren't they better if they have started decaying?

Quite right Stanley. I leave them on the bench until they look a bit over ripe. If I leave them on the tree the birds eat them.

OneGuyFromBarlick

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