30 Foods you’ll never have to buy again (With recipes)

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Cut your grocery list in half by making delicious, healthy versions of your favorite foods at home.

Recipe http://www.buzzfeed.com/food52/how-to-make-crispy-delicious-tortilla-chips-at-home

Recipe http://leitesculinaria.com/78672/recipes-homemade-nutella.html

Recipe http://www.halfbakedharvest.com/crunchy-oatmeal-peanut-butter-oats-n-honey-bars/

Recipe http://savorysweetlife.com/2010/01/homemade-croutons-recipe/

Recipe http://www.simplyscratch.com/2013/04/crock-pot-refried-beans.html

Recipe http://www.thetastybiteblog.com/2012/11/02/sparkling-ginger-lemonade/

Recipe http://www.traceysculinaryadventures.com/2012/09/homemade-baked-smoked-paprika-potato.html#.UgEKPRne7Ip

Recipe http://www.abeautifulmess.com/2012/03/make-your-own-peanut-butter.html

Recipe http://food52.com/recipes/13722-marcella-hazan-s-tomato-sauce-with-onion-and-butter

Recipe http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/quick-recipes/2013/01/citrus-vinaigrette

Recipe http://www.thekitchn.com/a-visual-guide-soft-peaks-firm-115557

Recipe http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2013/01/ethereally-smooth-hummus/

Recipe http://www.beardandbonnet.com/cider-spiced-applesauce-gluten-free-vegan/

Recipe http://www.buzzfeed.com/rachelysanders/how-to-make-the-best-granola-ever

Recipe http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2004/08/classic_pesto

Recipe http://www.buzzfeed.com/emofly/best-buttermilk-pancake-recipe

Recipe http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2012/06/taqueria-guacamole

Recipe http://food52.com/blog/4986-how-to-make-breadcrumbs

Recipe http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2011/05/tomato-serrano-salsa

Recipe http://www.nytimes.com/recipes/12459/Mayonnaise.html

Recipe http://www.buzzfeed.com/emofly/how-to-make-turkey-stock-the-most-important-thank

Recipe http://www.chow.com/recipes/30185-vanilla-extract

Recipe http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-easy-3-ingredient-energy-bars-at-home-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-184306#

Recipe http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-yogurt-at-home-125070

Recipe http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2011/02/homemade-ketchup-from-scratch-recipe.html

Recipe http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2010/04/homemade-pop-tarts/

Recipe http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2011/07/diy-steak-sauce

Recipe http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2009/06/springy-fluffy-marshmallows/

Recipe http://tastykitchen.com/blog/2011/09/homemade-goldfish-crackers/

Recipe http://www.bluekaleroad.com/2013/01/homemade-sriracha.html

DeeAhh

I always favorite these things... but I know I will never make them.

13 years ago |

TheArchangelGabriel

Preparing Food on Sunday afternoon for Family is my favorite thing in Life. I love the smell of cut peppers, onions, simmering sauces,etc

ZomNiet

Are those little Pac Mans with the Goldfish? I'm doing that shit

tlindhop92

YES SO MUCH LOVE FOR ALL OF THESE FOOOOOOOOOOOOODS

TheRealJonSnow

Favorited just so I can know i'll never make them

EdensEmbers

You too?

goyaguyabanoguava

Upvoting because after opening the link to the tortilla chips, it tells me to make a Margarita drink first. OP knows what we like!

510

seabasssaidthat

its because its from a Buzzfeed article to begin with.

Matt1144

I loved this post because I went grocery shopping today and the very first thing on this list was the first thing I bought lol

Chintao

some of the recipes make me think "there are people who actually need a recipe for this?"

ILikeNewEnglandBeer

DIY Bread Crumbs: Remove crumb catcher from toaster. Voila.

mumutar

People actually buy pre-made guacamole? On a separate tip, I bet those pop tarts are fucking delicious!

IamJocie

As a Swede, we do most of these things by ourselves.. Do you cook anything from scratch?!

sweetpeasoup

If you've never made your own croutons, you are TOTALLY MISSING OUT

wick3dgam3s

I honestly had no idea you could buy guacamole. Thought it was something you had to make.

DennyDeYeeto

i think it's strange to be used to buying these products and not making them in the first place. like, i never bought tomato sauce...

lukebpc

A recipe for lemonade? Thanks, I wouldn't have figured it out on my own!

135

skull2la

Most of these, if not all, I've done at some point in time. I'm not really wowed by this post. It's just stuff you'd figure out on your own.

NachoPapa

It's actually "Sparkling Ginger Lemonade." But yeah, I hear ya.

Let me guess, boiled simple syrup with slices of ginger to infuse the flavor before adding to fresh squeezed lemons.

yes...

frontyardninja

Buffy: "Uh, lemonade. I made it fresh and everything." Willow: "How much sugar did you use?" Buffy: "Sugar?"

ImASexyUnicorn

A lot of these are no-brainers. Salsa? Salad Dressing? Anyone who cooks even once in a while should have these down pat.

OverlyOptimisticGuy

Or croutons ... Must be a well kept secret to roast bread ...

TotalSmartAss

I will buy most of them again, mostly because I suck at making food things.

AssietheShinyMetalAss

#17: Awwwwwww yisssssssss...

Beartemis

I wont count... No no no

Lionskull

i hate that you made me count them.... here is your upvote.

rogueish

So cooking is now DIY?? I am a DIY goddess then!

marmtown

My thoughts exactly!

Nurglenurgle

Really? Bread crumbs? Whipped cream? How helpless do you have to be to not get these...

anasazibeansandwichrolls

For everyone saying that it would cost more to make stuff from scratch.. where the fuck do you go shopping?! Ever heard of buying in bulk?!

phatteh

DIY Breadcumbs... and there's a recipe? SERIOUSLY?

sellingnails

Just had really bland store bought hummus, so thanks for the recipe. Will do this on the weekend !

thatwilldopig

Hummus is one of those things that can be really good or bad homemade. Be prepared to experiment.

TheCuddlefish

You can do the hummus really cheap if you buy chickpeas dried and not canned (:

MethodOneActor

DIY Croutons: Toast

Iamconflicted

Not really. I understand what you mean but toasters don't get the bread dry all the way through.

rpfeynman

That 'salsa' looks more like pico de gallo.

IPutMyHandUponYourHipWhenIDipYouDipWeDip

exactly. salsa recipes in TX are typically blended though so maybe they just hadn't shown subsequent steps yet like with the chicken stock

jaskey

So many things that I actually wanted to make myself. Thank you very much OP!

bigbrother

Being able to make something is good... but for the cost of it, it's not good.

you can buy a lot of the base ingredients in bulk and most of it will keep pretty well in a pantry for a very long time.

pooptallica

This is true for some, not for others. I can make a couple of gallons of tomato sauce for around $10, and it's 1000x better than brand-name.

And you use all the product or do you give some away?

If I don't use it all right away or have people to give it to, I freeze it.

aTurgidKnave

WHO THE FUCK DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO MAKE LEMONADE!?

Me, there's a certain ratio that needs to be achieved that I wasn't born with the knowledge of.

steviEa

I just saw nutella, and proceeded to scroll down and favorite this

WoZZerZ

Or you could press num0 ;)

BitchImCanadian

Some of these, I can't help but think "People DON'T know how to make this?" C'mon, tomato sauce? BREAD CRUMBS?

420

[deleted]

13 years ago (deleted Aug 7, 2013 2:23 AM) |

UsePNGnotJPEG

I'm not Italian, I just know how to cook basic food.

rvleshrac

Tomato Sauce is not "basic food." It is a minimum of four hours of constant supervision and stirring, not to mention seasoning.

mingotheflamingo

why would ANYONE need a recipe for lemonade????

passionrain

I think they're doing it on how to make that brand specific version of said products.

nanonyous

Brewed lemonade best lemonade.

anzolr

Because there are people who know the ingredients, but not how to make the drink itself.

CrisisCrayon

Take lemon and AIDS and mix them into a pitcher. DUH

0110100001100001011011000110110001101111

I always thought everyone knew how to make whipped cream, until I saw a boy mixing it until it was butter...

zeshoopuf

We learned how to make whipped cream in... I guess 7th grade? A bit late, but that's when our cooking lessons started.

aldorel

The good news: the butter is also pretty tasty (my SO also did this once)

TheCoolestAntiheroine

Pancake Mix? Salad Dressing? Is it so hard to mix Oil, vinegar, pepper and salt?

skellious

that is NOT how you make pancake mix!

salriella

Mixing milk, eggs, sugar, salt, flour and baking powder isn't hard either.

ImSoMetaEvenThisAcronym

Don't forget a touch of honey, and some fresh rosemary or thyme.

And dijon mustard, if you're feeling like a fancy pants.

I love to add mustard ♥

13 years ago (deleted May 14, 2014 11:51 AM) |

Yeah, pancake mixes taste different. And that´s why I prefer my own. I´ts not difficult to mix the basics and give them a special taste.

EspionageBear

Some people like a particular brand and want to see if there is a recipe that emulates that brand. What is the problem?

Did the basics come to you in your sleep? Or did you actually have to look them up at one point in your life? You probably had to.

It doesn't put you in the position to insult someones intelligence over a recipe. Did you know the basics of a pancake mix since birth?

Don't act like you're better than everyone else for it. I like trying others recipes. Is there anything wrong with that?

I´m sorry, I didn´t mean to sound arrogant.

I´m sorry, I didn´t mean to insult you. But i think "If you actually cooked you would know" sounds quite arrogant and I just wanted to (1)

fevered

Same! My mom made all that stuff herself when I was a kid.. She even made *gasp* homemade bread!

Tiesonthewall

Homemade bread smells so orgasmically good.

erialysapicture

Whipped cream?!

JediKnight

Step 1) Whip the sugar. Step 2) Add the cream. Oh fuck I did it wrong AGAIN.

I've never heard of adding sugar to whipped cream! :O

It makes it even better. Just a little bit of confectioner's sugar.

Why use sugar? Straight up whipped cream (literally) is the best! Especially on homemade blueberry pancakes with fresh fruit on top.

Why use sugar? That's like asking "why salt fries?" Because it makes it even MORE delicious!

suchareq3

BECAUSE WHIPPED CREAM AND PANCAKES ARE SO HARD TO DO

My first reply! This is SO EXCITING!!!!!

I think you could comment more often lol. Anyways, congraaats! <3

Haha yes that might help :P

nepomuki

Just what I thought. To be honest it makes me a little sad that the simpliest cooking seems to be so difficult to some people.

Fatchicken

awww yis, motherfuckin breadcrumbs

heylisten

I wish I could upvote this a few times more.

HockeyOnImgurMakesMeHappy

I don't know how to make tomato sauce, but I assume it's just a shitload of squished tomatoes with whatever other stuff you want to include.

hopefully posts like this will create generations of people who know the basics of cooking.

In Europe, we don't even have all of those things so we're used to making stuff from the real ingredients. Like pancakes for example.

giamoose

Yes lol xD the pancake one really made me chuckle

AlmostHappy

No, nope. Pancake mix is the best. The one you add milk and eggs to. It has the perfect mix of flours. Much better than wheat only.

4 years ago |

sry, after posting my comment i found yours! and i am on your side ;)

iAreNubcake

BREAD CRUMBS ARE HARD, OKAY? I'm really trying, but I keep getting tons of crumbs everywhere :(

Hahahahahahahahaha, you should have seen the first time I tried to toast coconut!

metalharvester

I have never used prego or ragu..that shit is trash. But youd be surprised how many people use it and think "I just cooked an italian meal!"

Tomato sauce should be simmered for hours and hours and hours and hours and hours, stirred nearly the entire time.

Nah. Tinned tomatoes are perfect for a half an hour sauce.

I assume they're talking about how to mix stewed/crushed tomatoes with spices in this recipe. Which is tastier anyways.

than store-bought shit, I mean.

Koztah

Everything is tastier than store bought shit. Then again I grew up on real cooking. I have friends who grew up on shit out of boxes and cans

dwightschrute70

It's the same as anything, it's easy when you know how. There are simple thing's you don't know, that would shock other people who do know.

Elroydb

have you ever MADE homemade tomato saunce?

Yes, every single week.

i never bought one....

Yes, from garden grown tomatoes. Canned it, too. :D

Lots of work isn't it? :x

Shitloads. Fun and worth it though. I figured the recipe for tomato sauce was more "mix canned tomatoes with these spices for tastiness."

I'm glad you had fun. We did it this year. Though the tomatoes were pretty bad this year b/c of too much rain. Too few jars :(

ImTheSwanQueen

fucking simple things right? it gets on my nerves!

bandicootsnoochieboochies

I honestly didn't know you could buy pre-made guacamole.

Or how about pancake mix or fucking whipped cream? It's just cream, that's whipped, with a bit of sugar! Easiest thing ever.

TuMadre

I mean the tortilla chips one...come on people!

habslove

Exactly what I was thinking

HollerAttaBaller

dude you gotta be 1st generation French or italian to know how to make that stuff. thats asking a lot!

integrandia

Aintnobodygottimeforthat.gif

232

sugar3

Beat me by 18 hours.

IHopeYouFindItSoon

I think the fact that you didn't take the time to find the .gif gives your comment that much more zing.

Why thank you!

you should make time for that because, as an arabic person who has a mother that makes these, hommus and yogurt recipes are legit.

Melsy

I make my own hummus but it is never anywhere near as good as Sabra! On the other hand, homemade pesto is 400x better than the jar stuff.

I feel like buying the ingredients for this would be WAY more expensive than the actual thing

1000

birdiebridget

My mom and I tried this, and let me tell you, you are correct. It *is* healthier and tastes better, but your bank account hates you.

cookiesaregood

Wrong

chaosofslayer

It really isn't though, and most of the this stuff tastes way better home made than from a box.

mariella

My brother got for his birthday 80kg of potatoes, so the potato chips would actually be quite cheap for us to make...

80kg of potatoes? Are you preparing for a famine??

Nahh, his friends tought it would be a fun present. Though, you never know when the zombies will attack!!

comacomacomacomachameleon

But with less preservatives and chemicals that your body doesn't need.

162

rabbington

fewer

WeedlordBonerLover69

yeah, to hell with science and logical thought! lets spend tons of extra money to make things that arent as good!

Sumnus

But...my wallet needs preservatives, too...so...store bought it is, for the foreseeable future at least.

True. But I need to be preserved. This amazing body and mind should grace the world with its presence forever.

quantacostacerveza

Sounds like someone already started on the chemicals.

glitzville

That was the best response you could've given

MatevPetri

PICS OR DIDN' HAPPEN!

Oh ho ho

jsktrogdor

I bought bread without preservatives once... it was rock hard the next day. Never again.

mikemayday

That wasn't proper bread. The bread we bake ourselves at home stays fresh for at least a week.

Have you considered that YOU arent making proper bread? Most untreated bread like that starts goeing stale in a matter of hours.

Bombideer

I bake my own cookies and people tell me that the cookie dough that they buy is better than anything homemade O.o

ArsenoPyrite

I've had home-made cookies that were worse, and home-made cookies that were so far above as to be a different food. It varies, I guess.

shortkitty

You should try making Pumpkin Spice Cookies - that'll make 'em shut up about store bought cookie dough!

Ooh yes.

DoriDori

glutamate. let them be stupid and enjoy your own cookies. more for you!

Glutamate! I wish I knew what that means, it sounds so fun to say

evadregand

Glutamate = Flavour enhancer

Maybe they're just too prejudiced. Maybe they think they like the store-dough and that's why they're not open for your homemade dough.

But I can't judge, since I've never even ate cookies made of store-dough (I don't think we have that in Holland).

*eaten, I'm so bad at irregular verbs...

AyeDavanita

They aren't if you know where to look for the ingredients. The first step into making everything from scratch is the hardest.

DracoMDK

it works better if you have room to have garden for the main ingredients however that requires time something else that this all requires

derpyaya

You're probably going to end up with multiple times more of whatever you're making than you really need; canning helps.

slong

I think that you might be missing the point to DIY. Cheaper is not always the goal :)

campb634

it says in the title that this will cut your grocery bill in half...that's his point

I'm Jewish...Cheaper is ALWAYS the goal!

susheep

when you don't have money, i think cheaper is the only goal.

Giatros89

Gotta pick your battles. Some of these are worth it. Some are outright stupid (like ketchup)

SvarvSven

No, I tasted home made ketchup and its really fabulous. Though this receip won't do...I want to start from fresh tomato, not canned.

notsonaughtylola

The thought being you would have the majority of this stuff already. No need to do some of them though. Sriracha? Nuttela??

RobotCosmonaut

Some of them, maybe. Most of them will be cheaper though.

Also it's going to DOUBLE you shopping list not cut it.

miasanmia

Yeah, it's mostly just a hobby for wealthy middle-class white people.

overwerk

I make all my own hair/face products as well as cook/can/freeze most of my sauces and dressings and large batches turn out (1)

the same cost but better for you and much more satisfying! (2)

chowderhead1

2 russet potatoes to make potato chips is going to be a helluva lot healthier AND CHEAPER than buying bags of chips.

LocutusOfBored

I'm not wealthy or white and I enjoy the shit out of making my own food.

iLynux

There's a difference between making your own food and being a hobbyist who makes literally everything from raw ingredients.

NOTALAWYERBUTIPLAYONEONTV

Wealthy middle-class is *almost* an oxymoron.

woodencoaster23

upper* middle-class

9thDr

Almost? I guess where in the middle class you are. I'm so far down the middle class I barely qualify.

Yea that was my point. "Middle-class" is a nebulous term that can range from $35k-$200k/yr depending on who's defining it.

I wish I was middle-class.

GeneParmesanHowYaDoing

If you don't think you're wealthy sitting in the middle class you've never seen poverty.

My point is not "middle-class is tough place to be!" but rather that there is still a distinction between "middle-class" and "wealthy"

Middle-class still allows a lot of luxury; I think most people just spend their money on stupid shit and manage it poorly.

I recognize your point which is why I included the *almost* bc from the perspective of someone living in poverty the middleclass have wealth

Obviously someone middle-class may not consider themselves wealthy given that they cannot afford exorbitant spending.

DaveM1980

Hey snide twat, you realize most poor and lower-income people through history have prepared and stored their own food, and still do?

As someone who has lived below the poverty line my entire life, I have a pretty good idea. However as you said that was through HISTORY. >

Fresh and raw produce is becoming more expensive as cheap ready-made fast food becomes cheaper, so you can fuck off with the attitude.

"Wealthy" and "middle-class" don't exactly go together.

sisterstigmata

In the UK they do.

PraiseMelora

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Croutons, way cheaper to make than buy, tomato sauce is more expensive.

KingBamboo

The german translation of food is "Lebensmittel" which means "stuff you nee for your life/health". It's self explanatory...

wolfostrophe

Some not. I had a roommate that breaded and fried a lot of things with store bought crumbs. He tossed tons of bread that went stale.

Fafaa

Seems like when you buy it all but you get more of what your making. Plus it tastes better

thefeev

the sum of the parts are generally worth more than the whole!

MustBeTheMusic

That's exactly what I thought when I read the caption

…You fail to understand most of these are the actual things. The “actual thing” is actually mass produced copy of these.

sorry that sounds very confusing... The cooked version = original, bought = mass produced copy.

whatthebjork

Yeah if you shop at the wrong places. Learn where your Asian/Mexican grocery stores are...they have waaay cheaper produce/meat.

shutterbugonthefly

Yup, but with less added sugars and preservatives

See my response to comacomacomacomachameleon... :)

As someone who regularly "DIY's" food stuffs, it's really not more expensice. I just tossed together a batch of blue cheese dressing (1/2)

for about $3 and it's better (tasting & for you) than anything store bought. (2/2)

Swiffer1218

Except it's healthier and worth it and you can actually pronounce half the ingredients going into the food

Patz0r

I was thinking the same exact thing.

jaspersi

It depends on where you get your ingredients, but for example the entire corn flour for the chips is < a bag of chips. & you can make more!

resistist

It's not. I always make these at home. For example, you can make half a gallon of hummus for less than 10 bucks. And it tastes awesome.

jesii

its not, becasue yo ucan buy the ingreidients in bulk you end up saving a lot trust me.

sardeliac

Not when you include how much the medical bills will be from eating cheap crap your whole life. Pay now, or pay later. *shrug*

AsYouKnow

Creating food with my own hands doesn't magic it healthy. Thus, in a lot of cases the benefits are somewhat marginal.

I'm willing to gamble that there will be free medical care sometime before I die

whig

But then you control quality, and you're eating whole foods, not high fructose corn syrup and soy lecithin.

gunnexx

For some, applesauce is cheaper to make yourself but takes forever and kinda useless if you live on your own

Cut your grocery list in half by making delicious, healthy versions of your favorite foods at home.

Comments (620)