Author Topic: Clean Out The Condiments!  (Read 8968 times)

somecobwebs

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 72
Clean Out The Condiments!
« on: July 24, 2015, 11:34:49 PM »
Challenging myself, but anyone else can join along!

Here are the condiments in my fridge/freezer/cupboard right now. So many duplicates, agh! It's a result of moving in with new people several times over the past two years, resulting in a lot of baggage. Hoping to slowly wean them down and/or replace with homemade versions. I've put a star on everything that I consider an essential (i.e. I need at least one at a time for things that I cook on a regular basis). I hope to get it down to JUST those essentials! If you know a way to break down one of my starred items into more basic ingredients, please tell me!


BUTTERS AND OILS
*Beef + Bacon Fat (frozen)
Butter 1
Butter 2
Canola Oil
*Olive Oil
Crisco 1
Crisco 2

SWEETENERS
Agave Sweetener
Maple Syrup 1
Maple Syrup 2
Molasses
*Honey
Honey 2
Honey 3
Chocolate Syrup

SPICY SAUCES
Hot Sauce bottle (store-bought)
Hot Sauce bottle (mini; store-bought)
*Hot Sauce bottle (homemade)
Hot Sauce jar (homemade; refills for the bottle)
Sriracha 1
Sriracha 2
Salsa (store-bought)
Salsa 2 (store-bought)

MUSTARDS
*Dijon Mustard
Dijon Mustard 2
Spicy Brown Mustard

SPAGHETTI SAUCE
Pesto
*Tomato Paste
Tomato Paste 2
Tomato Paste 3
Tomato Paste 4
Tomato Paste 5

SALAD DRESSINGS
Fig Dressing (homemade!)
Store-bought Dressing 1
Store-bought Dressing 2

STIR-FRY INGREDIENTS
Stir-Fry Sauce 1 (Just used it up!)
Stir-Fry Sauce 2
Stir-Fry Sauce 3
Stir-Fry Sauce 4
*Sesame Oil
Sweet Soy Sauce
*Soy Sauce
*Teriyaki Sauce
Teriyaki Sauce 2
Fish Sauce
*Black Bean Garlic Sauce
*Chili Garlic Sauce
Chili Garlic Sauce 2
*Red pepper paste

DAIRY
Sour Cream
Condensed Milk 1
Condensed Milk 2

VINEGARS
*Apple Cider Vinegar (store-bought; I would like to try a homemade version)
*White Vinegar
White Vinegar 2
Red Raspberry Vinegar
Red Wine Vinegar 1 (mini bottle)
Red Wine Vinegar 2 (mini bottle)

Red Wine Vinegar 3
Red Wine Vinegar 4
*Balsamic Vinegar
Balsamic Vinegar 2

BARBECUE
Worcestershire
Barbecue Sauce
Ketchup
Garlic Pickles
Marinade (Store-Bought)

SPREADS
Blackberry Jam (homemade)
Apple Jam (homemade)
Orange Jam (homemade)
Fig butter (store-bought)

Apricot Jam (store-bought)
Tamarind Chutney
Hummus 1
Hummus 2
Hummus 3

Peanut Butter
Cocoa Almond Spread

MISCELLANEOUS
Key Lime Juice 1
Key Lime Juice 2
*Capers
*Olives

« Last Edit: September 03, 2015, 10:20:16 PM by somecobwebs »

ahoy

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 147
Re: Clean Out The Condiments!
« Reply #1 on: July 25, 2015, 03:42:35 AM »
Wow! that is a lot!   I would have probably less than 6-8 in my fridge.  Plus a couple of vinegars.  Homemade is ketchup, grape jam, chutney, tomato relish.  Store bought would consist of soy sauce y mayo.  I really want to stop buying store bought mayo, its look pretty disgusting really.   So, if you have a good homemade version of mayo - that would be appreciated.   

forummm

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 7374
  • Senior Mustachian
Re: Clean Out The Condiments!
« Reply #2 on: July 25, 2015, 06:21:01 AM »
It sounds like you can eat through most of this just by making some stir fries, some spaghetti (or other pasta), eating peanut butter and jelly/honey sandwiches, and hummus+whatever. I don't see an emergency. Just a lot of good meals :)

Jakejake

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 720
  • FIRE: June 17, 2016
Re: Clean Out The Condiments!
« Reply #3 on: July 25, 2015, 07:09:17 AM »
if you have a good homemade version of mayo - that would be appreciated.
http://www.lastappetite.com/how-to-make-mayonnaise-in-20-seconds/

That recipe looks like it's for the lazy, but I'm actually too lazy to even follow it completely, I usually skip the mustard and sometimes use vinegar instead of lemon juice if the lemon juice is too far in the back of the fridge.

midweststache

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 673
Re: Clean Out The Condiments!
« Reply #4 on: July 25, 2015, 08:57:13 AM »
if you have a good homemade version of mayo - that would be appreciated.
http://www.lastappetite.com/how-to-make-mayonnaise-in-20-seconds/

That recipe looks like it's for the lazy, but I'm actually too lazy to even follow it completely, I usually skip the mustard and sometimes use vinegar instead of lemon juice if the lemon juice is too far in the back of the fridge.

For this kind of stuff (basic home cooking), I recommend Mark Bittman's "How To Cook Everything." You can find his recipes online, particularly at his NYT blog (like this one, for mayo: http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1012697-mayonnaise).

smilla

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 145
  • Location: Canada
Re: Clean Out The Condiments!
« Reply #5 on: July 25, 2015, 03:54:18 PM »
My mom cleans out the condiments once or twice a year by making her special baked ribs.  Recipe as follows:  empty any open ketchup, tomato paste, barbeque sauce, teriyaki sauce, etc. into measuring bowl (4 parts), add worcestershire and/or fish sauce, soy sauce, black bean garlic sauce, and/or whatever other strong flavours you have on hand, emptying what you can (0.5 to 1 part, to taste), add vinegar or lemon juice for brightness and/or espresso for depth, hot sauce for heat and honey (or jam) for sweet, all to taste.  Brown the ribs on a rack on a cookie sheet in the oven, then bake in a lidded dish covered in sauce until the meat is falling off the bone.  You probably want 1.5 to 2 cups of sauce for the first rack of ribs, and another 0.5 to 1 cup with every additional rack depending on the dish you will be baking it all in.  Serve with rice to sop up all that lovely sauce.  Never the same twice, but always yum.

MsPeacock

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1571
  • Location: High COL
Re: Clean Out The Condiments!
« Reply #6 on: July 27, 2015, 10:18:25 AM »
Good gracious!

Can any of the containers be combined into single bottles? Does bottle 2 and 3 of red wine vinegar mind joining in bottle 1?


Bob W

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 2942
  • Age: 65
  • Location: Missouri
  • Live on minimum wage, earn on maximum
Re: Clean Out The Condiments!
« Reply #7 on: July 27, 2015, 10:36:05 AM »
I didn't see minced garlic, horse radish, pickle juice, chocolate syrup or mayo on you list?   

Our fridge is really just a condiment storage unit.  The freezer has a good use but I believe we have as many condis as you. 

Could probably live with just brown mustard.  Sad really ----

Mental note to self  ---- Clean the freaking fridge.

On a bright note by keeping your fridge packed you are reducing the cost to operate it somewhat.   So if you do get rid of huge amounts of condiments store bottled water in there to keep the refrigeration operating costs down.   You don't have to drink it -- it just needs to occupy air space. 

Zikoris

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 4536
  • Age: 37
  • Location: Vancouver, BC
  • Vancouverstachian
Re: Clean Out The Condiments!
« Reply #8 on: July 27, 2015, 12:36:21 PM »
Yikes, that's a LOT of condiments! Here's what we keep around:

Butter/oil:
-Margarine for greasing baking pans
-Vegetable oil for cooking

Sweeteners:
-Sugar
-Brown sugar (for baking)
-Maple syrup

Sauces:
-Soya sauce
-Teriyaki sauce
-Hoisin sauce
-Sweet chili sauce
-Hot sauce
-Thai curry paste

Spreads:
-Peanut butter (his and hers)
-Jam (his and hers)
-Maple butter

I think I'd like to get the teriyaki sauce and sweet chili sauce used up anyway.

somecobwebs

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 72
Re: Clean Out The Condiments!
« Reply #9 on: August 04, 2015, 12:06:13 AM »
Been working hard at this!  I'm updating the OP by crossing things out as I get rid of them.

Finished all the fig balsamic and apricot jelly, yum, and have made big progress on many of the jams and stir fry sauces. Brought in all the hummus and some of the salsa to work with leftover bags of chips from a party, since my roommate and I don't even really like hummus much, let alone three jars of it. Discovered that one stir-fry sauce and one dressing had gone bad, alas - both before I moved in, though, so I'm an innocent here ;) Threw them out. The fridge is already looking like it can breathe more.

Also, I looked up how to make sweet soy sauce - apparently its very easy, so that's no longer an essential.

My mom cleans out the condiments once or twice a year by making her special baked ribs.  Recipe as follows

That sounds delicious! Can't wait to try it.
Yikes, that's a LOT of condiments! Here's what we keep around

Much more manageable! That's what I'm aiming for. I've been planning dishes and snacks around the extra condiments.

On a bright note by keeping your fridge packed you are reducing the cost to operate it somewhat.   So if you do get rid of huge amounts of condiments store bottled water in there to keep the refrigeration operating costs down.   You don't have to drink it -- it just needs to occupy air space. 

We should use it to store all our nice white wine instead, then ;) I didn't have the heart to include half-empty beverages on the list because that would be too overwhelming.

Can any of the containers be combined into single bottles? Does bottle 2 and 3 of red wine vinegar mind joining in bottle 1?

I can't believe I never thought of that! Turns out most of them can't, but the mini vinegars absolutely fit inside one of the two bigger bottles. Thanks for the tip.
« Last Edit: August 04, 2015, 12:07:48 AM by somecobwebs »

MrsPfennig

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 83
  • Location: Bavaria, Germany
  • If it were easy, everyone would do it
    • Auf Heller und Pfennig
Re: Clean Out The Condiments!
« Reply #10 on: August 04, 2015, 01:10:35 AM »
I just cleaned out the spice rack. There were unlabeled spices in it and I could not tell anymore what it is and what I used it for.

somecobwebs

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 72
Re: Clean Out The Condiments!
« Reply #11 on: August 08, 2015, 12:55:55 AM »
My awesome friend came to visit and when I mentioned this goal in passing, she whipped up an awesome stir fry, using up the remainder of a sauce bottle, and then baked a key lime pie, using all the about-to-expire key lime juice, one of the butters, and the condensed milk. What a pro! Yum yum.

Alchemilla

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 117
  • Location: England
Re: Clean Out The Condiments!
« Reply #12 on: August 08, 2015, 01:35:07 AM »
Being creative...or bonkers...have you tried freezer stew?
All leftovers, including condiments ( the inch at the bottomthat no one fancies) go in a big pot in the freezer. When its full, get it out and cook it up!

benjenn

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 283
  • Age: 59
  • Location: Gulf Shores, AL
Re: Clean Out The Condiments!
« Reply #13 on: August 08, 2015, 06:54:59 AM »
It was funny to run across this post since I just dealt with this myself.  We moved out of state last week when DH and I finally FIRE'd and I was shocked by the volume of condiments and spices I had accumulated.  We didn't have a lot of duplicates (there were a couple that I was able to combine) on hand but I also knew that we already had a lot of these same things where we were moving to (it's a place we've owned for almost 5 years).

I packed up a lot of things and gave them to my son, who had just moved into a new apartment.  I figured condiments are something that, if you had to buy them all from scratch, would cost a lot and so that helped out his roommates and him a bit at least.

I think I'll keep trying to find ways to reduce the number of condiments on hand but I like having different things available for when I cook, which is all the time.  I really like some of the suggestions for combining them.  I make a really good marinated tofu similar to some of those... I combine liquid aminos (like soy sauce), hoisin sauce, sweet chili sauce, garlic and worchestershire.  I don't measure... just pour it together.  I find that can sometimes take care of quite a bit lurking in the fridge... but then I usually replace them when they're empty so I can keep doing it.  LOL.

Jakejake

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 720
  • FIRE: June 17, 2016
Re: Clean Out The Condiments!
« Reply #14 on: August 08, 2015, 08:10:49 AM »
This has secretly been my thread of shame. But no more! I have finally cleaned out the mason jar of leftover gravy from Easter from the back of the fridge!

On the condensed milk - I know it's used now, but for future reference, this is a key ingredient for DIY Baileys.

1967mama

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 2164
  • Age: 57
  • Location: Canada
Re: Clean Out The Condiments!
« Reply #15 on: August 19, 2015, 06:33:28 PM »
Great idea for a thread! I have too many to list <sigh>

This cracked me up:

\
Mental note to self  ---- Clean the freaking fridge.



dcheesi

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1309
Re: Clean Out The Condiments!
« Reply #16 on: August 26, 2015, 09:02:21 AM »
Hi, my name is Dcheesi, and I am a hot-sauce-oholic!

The whole top shelf of my mini-fridge is completely full with nothing but hot sauces and a couple of mustards. There's probably half a dozen that I use regularly; the rest are specialty sauces, or ones that I bought and just didn't like as much. But they might be perfect for some obscure dish someday!!!1!

I'm moving within the next several months, so I'll have ample incentive to purge when the time comes. But maybe I should go ahead and do it now, so I can reclaim some of my limited fridge space in the interim...

Jakejake

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 720
  • FIRE: June 17, 2016
Re: Clean Out The Condiments!
« Reply #17 on: August 26, 2015, 05:13:29 PM »
I have an issue worse than collecting condiments, even more pointless. I've been saving the liquid that hot peppers, marinated veggies come in, to reuse. The bottom shelf in the door has a small collection. I just emptied and threw out one in honor of this thread.

Sibley

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 7428
  • Location: Northwest Indiana
Re: Clean Out The Condiments!
« Reply #18 on: August 27, 2015, 08:40:38 AM »
The jar of cherries for drinks, etc? Yeah, we have a jar in the fridge. No cherries, just the juice. My roommate swears she'll put it in pancakes. It's been 2+ months, so maybe I'll just dump it.

iknowiyam

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 178
    • The Honest Yam
Re: Clean Out The Condiments!
« Reply #19 on: August 27, 2015, 10:25:14 AM »
Hm, interesting.

[Walks over to fridge, examines contents, and pulls out old tartar sauce to toss.]

There! All done! Thank you OP!

somecobwebs

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 72
Re: Clean Out The Condiments!
« Reply #20 on: August 28, 2015, 09:24:03 PM »
Hm, interesting.

[Walks over to fridge, examines contents, and pulls out old tartar sauce to toss.]

There! All done! Thank you OP!

HAH! We should all be so lucky ;p

Been steadily using up the tamarind chutney, stir fry sauce, and salad dressing, but haven't managed to get rid of any yet. Still plugging away, though!

macaogrrl

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 5
Re: Clean Out The Condiments!
« Reply #21 on: August 30, 2015, 06:14:10 PM »
You have the makings some good vinaigrettes / marinades. Get the hang of this & your pantry will be free of the store-bought dressing bottles (bonus - save some $$$). Put a little bit of everything in a bowl (or mustard jar), mix it, taste, adjust until it tastes good to you. 3:1 oil:vinegar ratio is a good starting point.

Some ideas:

wine vinegar + oil + mustard + salt & pepper
balsamic + oil + salt & pepper
balsamic + oil + jam + salt & pepper
mayo + mustard + wine vinegar + salt & pepper
wine vinegar (normally rice wine, but whatever) + sesame oil (or a mix of neutral oil & sesame) + salt & pepper, maybe some soy sauce

For the syrups / honeys / sugars, add a bit to the dressings/marinades to balance the vinegar. Add minced garlic and/or fresh herbs if you have those around.

For the stir fry ingredients, they are great marinades for meat or tofu & then just cook the protein as you normally would (oven roasted chix legs, or pan fried pork chops, or whatever)

Soy sauce...great way to add umami to pretty much anything. Soup, chili, gravy...I even use a bit for "refried" beans.

BTW, you might like to take a look at The Kitchen Counter Cooking School...not to buy, just peruse at or borrow from the library -- in the appendix, she has a Flavor Profiles Cheat Sheet that will help you plow through your pantry.

You also maybe could relocate some of the jars of honey to the bathroom...in a DIY body scrub?

macaogrrl

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 5
Re: Clean Out The Condiments!
« Reply #22 on: August 30, 2015, 06:38:48 PM »
Also...if you are a sandwich eater, or a roasted potatoes/french fries eater...mayo + sriracha or mayo + chili garlic sauce makes a great dipping sauce and/or sandwich spread.

Great gauntlet. I need to work through all the prepared sauces hubby impulse buys & then uses a tablespoon over the course of three months. Salad cream (yuck!), curry mayo, relishes, mango chutney. Oh and those cans of Campell's condensed soup they label as a sauce...so very, very, very not yummy. :-O


zsmith

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 59
Re: Clean Out The Condiments!
« Reply #23 on: August 30, 2015, 07:01:13 PM »
This is fantastic! I'm trying to use up all the spices/jars at the moment or at least discover some recipes that utilize the ones that I haven't used in a while. So far I've made some chai spiced cookies, tofu quiche, candied pecans, penne arrabiata, curry and I have recipes for an artichoke dip and a black bean soup. Can't wait to hear some ideas for using up condiments.

macaogrrl

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 5
Re: Clean Out The Condiments!
« Reply #24 on: August 30, 2015, 08:34:29 PM »
A few more ideas...though some may depend how health-foody the rest of your pantry & freezer are....

Peanut butter ideas:
- Thai/Malaysian style satay (chicken or pork ok for this).
- Add some into a stir fry (if you aren't sick of stir fries already!)
- dan dan noodles (recipes online call for special Asian noodles...but you can just use spaghetti or whatever you happen to have).

Spicy cuke salad Chinese style is one of my favorite ways to use up random bottles of Chinese sauces, especially the spicy ones. Good alongside any main dish that feels heavy IMO (i.e. 20 bites in a row of the same flavor will get boring) Delicious and it does get better over a couple days as the cukes absorb the sauce flavors. http://appetiteforchina.com/recipes/recipes/sichuan-cucumber-salad

Macanese minchi is a good option to make progress on soy sauce, Worcestershire and sugar or other sweetener all at the same time. Use whatever mince meat is cheap, add chorizo if you have it but not if you don't. I usually dump some diced veg (frozen peas or mixed veg if I'm feeling lazy) in there as well. Good without the fried egg on top...but better with it. Here is a sample recipe, but you can easily adjust it. http://www.macautourism.gov.mo/dining/recipes_detail.php

When eventually you get through the peanut butter & a craving sets in....homemade nut butter in a food processor (even a small one) with nuts (any kind really) neutral oil (think canola should be ok for this although people usually use coconut or grapeseed) + agave/honey/maple syrup + salt.

You've cocoa almond spread already, but when that is finally gone any cravings can be filled by mixing your own with a little cocoa powder + nut butter + sweetener (agave / maple / honey).

You could also make a quick jam if you happen to have chia around. Put some frozen berries in a pan, add some lemon juice. As they heat up, smash with the back of a wooden spoon. Let 'em break down a while, then sweeten to taste (agave / syrup / honey all ok).  sprinkle in some chia & stir. Remove from heat, let sit. If it's too thin, add more chia. If it's too thick, add some water or juice. Keeps in the fridge for a week or two. Comes together in about 15 mins.

Lastly...bento cookbooks and/or websites are a great source of ideas to use up random bits and bobs in the kitchen. The idea for packing a bento is to whip it all together to "fully cooked" temperature while the kids eat breakfast, so this means all the dishes must come together very quickly.

Most bento side dishes involve blanching a veg, then adding some sauce (e.g. Marinated Bell Peppers...blanch, then while hot soak in marinade of oil + vinegar + basil + salt & pepper; or spinach & sausage salad = blanch spinach, roast (in toaster oven) or fry some sausage, toss 'em together & season with soy sauce + pepper). You can use this same idea with your random bottles of prepared sauces. If you don't like the result...well, it's only a tiny amount for side dish of one meal, so no massive waste.

(This challenge is having the opposite result on me right now, I just want to go buy lots of yummy condiments!)

Squirrel away

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1041
  • Location: United Kingdom
Re: Clean Out The Condiments!
« Reply #25 on: August 31, 2015, 01:44:39 AM »
I have been trying to do this as I always have a craving for something like hot mustard, have it a few times, and then ignore it.:P

aj_yooper

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1090
  • Age: 12
  • Location: Chicagoland
Re: Clean Out The Condiments!
« Reply #26 on: August 31, 2015, 06:44:35 AM »
This is a worthy challenge!

For the honey, siracha, and balsamic, try a recipe for siracha chicken;we like it a lot.  There are a lot out there like this one:  http://lecremedelacrumb.com/2014/12/honey-sriracha-chicken.html

Rosy

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 2742
  • Location: Florida
Re: Clean Out The Condiments!
« Reply #27 on: August 31, 2015, 05:04:29 PM »
Love the idea about twice a year just using a couple of cups of whatever you have left on hand for your BBQ ribs. I am so overdue:) to sort out my spice drawer and condiments.

After I discovered the three ingredient to die for slow cooker recipe for ribs or pork - I have been on a rampage through my kitchen using up all sorts of sauces, marmelades, chutneys you name it. Add a bottle of rootbeer and let it work its magic in the slowcooker.

To clarify - pork - or ribs, bottle of Baby Rays or a mixture of whatever you have in your fridge - two or three cups, or a jar of marmalade or chutney - pour on a bottle of root beer - IT WILL BE SWEET and DONE! 4hrs on high or 6 hours on slow.
I bet you could add a small jar of mustard or a fresh pineapple - those are next on my list to try.

Perfect for topping with slaw and serving on a bun or a bed or rice or with a baked potato.

1967mama

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 2164
  • Age: 57
  • Location: Canada
Re: Clean Out The Condiments!
« Reply #28 on: September 01, 2015, 12:55:08 AM »
Sadly, a 2/3 full jar of Almond Butter fell out of the fridge last night and smashed to smithereens. Not the way I wanted to clean out the condiments :-o

somecobwebs

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 72
Re: Clean Out The Condiments!
« Reply #29 on: September 03, 2015, 10:31:03 PM »
Finished up the store-bought salad dressing! Now I am going to start mixing a lot of the mustards, vinegars and oils into some homemade dressings, yum.

Also polished off fig butter. Had to throw out the dregs of the last two jams, but considering how much jam I've been through in the past few months, it's not a huge loss. From now on all jam will be homemade using fruit from my garden!

Finally, used up the mediocre store-bought pesto. I was then, coincidentally on the same night, gifted some homemade pesto butter from a friend. Once that is gone, all other pestos will be homemade from the pine nuts and basil I already have!

You have the makings some good vinaigrettes / marinades.
This is a treasure trove of info! Thank you! And I will definitely check out that book.

bento cookbooks and/or websites are a great source of ideas to use up random bits and bobs in the kitchen.
Ooh, I love this idea! And thank you for all your other recommendations.

For the honey, siracha, and balsamic, try a recipe for siracha chicken;we like it a lot.  There are a lot out there like this one:  http://lecremedelacrumb.com/2014/12/honey-sriracha-chicken.html

YUM!! Will do :)

Weather is starting to cool down... soon I'll be dusting off my slow cooker to make some of these condiment-heavy meat dishes that everyone has been posting!

iknowiyam

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 178
    • The Honest Yam
Re: Clean Out The Condiments!
« Reply #30 on: September 08, 2015, 07:57:27 AM »
Hm, interesting.

[Walks over to fridge, examines contents, and pulls out old tartar sauce to toss.]

There! All done! Thank you OP!

HAH! We should all be so lucky ;p

Been steadily using up the tamarind chutney, stir fry sauce, and salad dressing, but haven't managed to get rid of any yet. Still plugging away, though!
I confess, over the next week I discovered way expired wheat germ and sadly an expired tofu block that was in the way back of the fridge.... not condiments, but still.

Sibley

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 7428
  • Location: Northwest Indiana
Re: Clean Out The Condiments!
« Reply #31 on: September 23, 2015, 07:32:01 AM »
Question - how long does jelly/jam last? Also, how long does popcorn keep in a plastic bag?

My roommate is pathetic about clutter. I periodically dump her crap in her room. Doesn't help the kitchen though.

meadow lark

  • CM*MW 2023 Attendees
  • Walrus Stache
  • *
  • Posts: 7831
  • Location: Louisiana
Re: Clean Out The Condiments!
« Reply #32 on: September 27, 2015, 08:42:55 PM »
You inspired me.  I just threw away old salsa, jam I didn't like, 1/2 can of coconut milk that was getting older.  So I am good for now.  I actually clean out my fridge weekly, the night before garbage is picked up.  But I do tend to turn a blind eye to the fridge door, so I liked this challenge.

Zikoris

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 4536
  • Age: 37
  • Location: Vancouver, BC
  • Vancouverstachian
Re: Clean Out The Condiments!
« Reply #33 on: September 27, 2015, 11:06:14 PM »
I got rid of the teriyaki sauce, sweet chili sauce, and one of the two jams (mine - I stopped eating jam). Now I've just got soya sauce, hot sauce, hoisin sauce, curry paste, and ketchup as far as sauce things go. There's a bit more room in my fridge door.

dorothyc

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 249
  • Age: 64
  • Location: Los Angeles
Re: Clean Out The Condiments!
« Reply #34 on: September 27, 2015, 11:49:09 PM »
A couple more ideas:

Jam == flavoring for plain yoghurt
Bottled salad dressing (especially Goddess dressing) == marinade for chicken
Mint sauce == add to plain yoghurt as a side dip for Indian dishes, especially lentils

Sailor Sam

  • CMTO 2023 Attendees
  • Walrus Stache
  • *
  • Posts: 5731
  • Age: 43
  • Location: Steel Beach
  • Semper...something
Re: Clean Out The Condiments!
« Reply #35 on: October 10, 2015, 03:42:13 PM »
Interesting. Here's what I've got.

- Kosher dill pickles
- lemon juice (bottled)
- Artichoke hearts
- Mayo (languishing store bought jar)
- Mayo (homemade)
- Yellow mustard
- Ketchup
- Bullion base
- Fermented hot pepper paste
- tamarind paste

Counter
- Avocado oil
- Olive oil
- Cholula hot sauce
- Balsamic vinegar
- White vinegar
- Apple cider vinegar
- Red wine vinegar
- Black vinegar
- Rice wine vinegar
- Angry woman hot sauce
- Soy sauce
- Fish sauce

I also have ~20 spices and sweeteners. With this haul I can make most sauces and marinades that appeal to me. It can take effort to perfect a sauce, but I think the taste is worth the effort. After 2 years of tweaking, my pad thai is equal any hole-in-the-wall Thai eatery. Though, I'm obviously still outsourcing the vinegar n' hot sauce types. Maybe I should revisit the DIY foodstuffs thread!