Hubby got it in his head to empty out the pantry and reorganize it this past weekend. I agreed to help ONLY if he agreed to throw out the half-eaten things that were in containers and chip clipped (for who knows how long), if he agreed to toss the expired stuff, and if he agreed to take duplicates down the basement to the stockpile.
We ended up with a 33 gallon garbage bag of expired and half eaten foods. Surprisingly, we didn’t really have many duplicates in the pantry. However, I did have 10 jars of various jams, preserves and fruit-butters.
I may have a bit of a problem.
Every time we head to a store, a farm stand or some cutesy country store, it seems have to buy a jam, preserve or fruit butter that seems different to me. I don’t know what it is, but it is almost a compulsion – I must. buy. that. jam.
Since Hubby took up 9/10ths of the pantry with his cooking stuff, I left the various fruit products on the shelf. Hey, it has to look like I live here.
I’ll actually use the raspberry jam for a holiday Christmas cookie recipe leaving me with 8-9 jars of which I will be sure to take a few down to Florida in the hopes that someone will use them!
Do you buy too many of a certain food stuff that never seems to get used? What is it!?
Marie says
It’s not that I buy things we don’t use, it’s the stuff that had been given to us like apple and pear butter which no one here likes. I put it in the pantry to be polite. And then it hides in the back for a year or two. I hate to throw it out, but I do appreciate the canning jars!
Ann says
Regift!? To me. I can add it to my collection, Marie.
Ann
Marie says
By the way, do you know how old is too old for homemade canned items? Other that mold?
Ann says
Bulging at the top would signal not using them too, Marie.
Ann
KimH says
They can be stored indefinitely but I personally tend to have about a 7 or 8 year time frame for home canned goods. They do deteriorate over time in color, flavor, & nutrition.. I finally got rid of some stuff that someone gave M’honey about 12 years ago.. I wasnt going to eat it & obviously M’honey wasnt either so out it went. I did keep the jars however. 😉
Shell says
Those look really good! Maybe you need to start a tea time habit and have scones with devonshire cream and jam 🙂
I don’t have an item I buy too much of but I do have a problem not finishing things, like all those open items you threw out. I don’t know why I do it but I do have several boxes of open crackers and several bags of snacks (not a trash bag full though!).
Ann says
Shell that is Hubby’s problem too – not finishing things. I can’t tell you how much of what we tossed were mere mouthfuls of chips, cookies, nuts, etc that he left from who knows when. Oh the #@!*& post I could make about that habit!
Ann
KimH says
Well I cant help you with the cookies… but if you store your nuts in the freezer, they’ll last forever & a day.. and those stale crackers & chips can be turned into a crust for some of the best baked chicken you ever ate.. Give em a zip in the food processor or crush em up in a bag and then put them in a container for “bread crumbs.”
Candie says
Whenever pasta is on sale, and I can match a coupon, I will buy it. This week I bought 15 boxes of spaghetti because it was 77 cents. When I got home I had 22 boxes on the shelf. Called daughter and son and asked if they needed pasta. They each took 8 boxes leaving me with 23 boxes. Granted I love pasta and it Is so healthy (that is a big lie). If you remember I live buy myself. It is a compulsion. I wonder if a pasta bath makes your skin softer.
Ann says
A pasta facial, Candie!?
Ann
Marie says
Think I read somewhere that plants like the pasta water, cooled of course. I throw the boiling pasta water on poison ivy plants.
Tamona Valentine says
You know you can take that jam and turn it into different sauces. You could also buy pear jam and send it to me. Just throwing that out there! I love jam myself. I make apple, strawberry, pear, peach, and grape because I have no life.
Barbee says
Hi Tamona! Nice to see you. Hope you’re doing well. We’re great!
Hubby finally got a job in Plano and we’re building a house in Terrell. (What a commute!)
LOL What do you mean: No life?
You home school and you have what? Three children. I’ll bet you’re busier than you let on.
Here’s something I do w/ the jam.
I take store bought crescent rolls, lay them out. Put a small cube of brick cream cheese and a dab of jam at the large end. Sprinkle w/ sugar and ground cinnamon. Roll them up in the traditional crescent roll style. Add a little more cinnamon and sugar on the outside and bake as per recipe.
Makes a great dessert. Cream cheese melts w/ the jam, the sugar caramelizes….easy and yummy.
KimH says
Yum!!
Ann says
Do you need honey? I could send both along, T!
Ann
Barbee says
Spices and spice blends. I have TONS.
…matter of fact my grocers just cleared off his shelves of McCormick (in the jar) with a clearance sale.
I bought $25 – $30 worth!
Whole cloves, whole cinnamon, whole cardamon, juniper berries, whole allspice, mustard seeds, dill and caraway seed, mulling spice blend….and you know that whole stuff keeps a LONG time.
Ran straight home and cooked up some chai tea concentrate. Big jar of it in the fridge. YUM!
Ann says
Oh Barbee, that is a big weakness of Hubby’s, too! We have more spices here than many spice stores!
Ann
KimH says
Yeah.. I’d say this is probably one of mine too.. I buy it by the pound though.. I do use much of it but there have been a few things here & there that didnt get used up.. sigh..
Debb says
Ann,
Don’t sweat it my dear all you have to do is look on line or go to your local church and just donate all of the stuff that is not expired, you do not have to cart it to Florida. Many people would LOVE to have some nice Jam or Jelly to make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with! All of the food banks I know of use jelly and cant get enough of it! Just donate what you have in excess and some places can even give you a receipt for a tax credit if they are a true non profit.
As far as what to do with all that jelly and jam, many people use it when they cook pork tenderloin or roast. You can use it as a marinade as well and cook with it and it is so delicious and makes the meat so tender.
I never have too much of anything except Ham when I get the free one from the store for Thanksgiving or Christmas. I just had tried to use the last of my Christmas ham and it made my whole fridge smell like as my son said, “rotten bologna” so I tossed it . It was only about 1 cup of cubed ham thawed and I was upset to throw that out. I hope you and hubby at least are throwing all those jars in the recycling container !
Ann says
The last time I donated to a local food bank, they wouldn’t accept glass. Weird how it varies from area to area, Debb!
Ann
KimH says
Foodstuffs… I think perhaps herbs & spices may be one of mine.. but even worse than that is those packets of spice/herb/dressing blends that you get at home & garden shows or at some of those farm stores..
I buy Apple caramel blends every year and never use them.. I was looking in my blends container a couple nights ago & saw I had 3 in there… but in another month or so.. Im going to buy another one.. I know I will. 😉
I too like to buy jams & butters, but the last couple years I havent since I’ve been making them. Trust me though.. we still have LOADS of apple butter, pumpkin butter, & rhubarb jam & the like from all over the place.
I like to buy honey from different places too but I do use it. 😉
Ann says
LOL Hubby was at a farm stand yesterday and called me to see what I wanted. He then said, “They have apple butter… ”
Ann