In the spirit of spring cleaning, I thought I’d dedicate a column to those ubiquitous jars that line our fridge doors.
As a foodie, I will humbly admit I have a weakness for condiments. I love all kinds of pickles, jams, chutneys, sauces – the list is endless. The problem is, it can be hard to use up an entire jar.
As a result of my fetish to taste so many flavours, I end up with orphan jars that languish in my fridge. With this week’s column, I’m offering ways to finally finish them.
We will find uses for the homemade gifts, the extra dressing you bought for that one dinner party, and the four different pickles you couldn’t resist at that fun Italian deli (OK, the last one was really me, not you…)
HOT SAUCES
These are notorious fridge-door residents. A bottle of hot sauce will last a long time in your fridge but don’t try to set new records and keep it forever. The best approach is to limit the number of bottles you have open.
One hot sauce can be used for anything from hot wings to Caesar salad dressing, from chip dip to Caesar cocktails. Once you know how hot your current sauce is, you just temper the amount you use accordingly.
DRESSINGS
My best piece of advice is think homemade before you buy. It’s much easier to make a salad dressing with ingredients you have rather than having a full bottle of something you may not ever finish.
If you do want to buy prepared dressing, remember these can double as marinades and stir fry sauces. Use them for Buddha bowls with rice and legumes too, not just with green salads.
JAMS, SWEET SPREADS
They’re not just for toast any more. Think cheese platters, filling for cake or cupcakes, even homemade parfaits, like single-portion trifle. Add some Dijon mustard or hot sauce and thin with vinegar if needed, and you have a sweet-hot condiment that might be perfect for a pork sandwich or stir fry.
CHUTNEYS, SPICY SPREADS
These are great with meats (hot or cold) but they also add some zip to dips made with yogurt or sour cream. As above, they can be thinned with vinegar and used for a finishing sauce for stirfry or roasted meat. (Don’t add them until the last moment, or the sugar in the condiment will burn with heat.)
PICKLED/MARINATED VEGGIES
Dill pickles have plenty of competition in today’s world, but they aren’t just for keeping a burger company. Try pickled veggies chopped in a Buddha bowl or a wrap or added to a salad for extra tang.
They can jazz up rice or grains served hot as well, added just before serving. And lastly, they can stand alone, but think of putting them out anytime you have sandwiches, burgers, hotdogs,…
If you find your stock of half-consumed items is growing as opposed to diminishing, a good tip is to put a list of what needs to be eaten on the front of the fridge.
(This works very well for people who have an extra fridge with leftovers or large supplies of ingredients, too; consolidate your thinking by listing items on the main fridge.)
Minimize your waste and make meal planning easier by getting inspiration from what you have.
On a safety note, if you are reheating leftovers (whether using a condiment or not) please be “food safe” and make sure the internal reheated temperature is 165F/74C. Especially when using a microwave, you run the risk of the food not being warm enough to kill the bacteria that is lying in wait at fridge temperature.
Get yourself a thermometer and keep everyone healthy.
When all else fails in the struggle to keep your fridge from being overloaded, try a picnic. Even in the dead of winter a table spread with an assortment of meat and/or fish, cheese, crudités (the fancy picnic word for veggie sticks) and condiments is a brilliant way to clean those shelves.
You might even use up a box of crackers too. And don’t forget to check the cellar for a bottle of wine that needs drinking.
Happy munching.
This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.