When a recipe calls for a small chopped onion, you will get more for your money using a large one. Chop the whole onion, then use half in the recipe and freeze the other half for later use.
For an economical and delicious soup base, do what grandma did: save and reuse the water the potatoes were cooked in. Add a few carrots and onions and you have a nutritious and tasty vegetable broth.
Pecans are a delicious but pricey ingredient. You can substitute less expensive unsalted dry-roasted peanuts and achieve a great flavor at a fraction of the cost. Grind or finely chop the nuts before using.
Whole-fryer chickens are a bargain when you buy them and bone them yourself. Or, you can buy pieces. Boning and removing the skin yourself can mean a savings of up to 40 percent.
Don't discard leftover chicken broth. Freeze it in ice cube trays, transfer the cubes to a plastic bag and store in your freezer. Each cube will yield about 2 tablespoons of broth.
Jalapeño peppers are a better bargain and have better flavor when bought fresh. Once deseeded and chopped, the peppers will keep for 6 months in the freezer-ready for the next recipe.
Costly raspberry vinegar gives this dish a gourmet flavor. But you can save money and get the same taste by using apple cider vinegar. Just add 1 tablespoon crushed raspberries or raspberry jam.
Curry powder can be expensive and can lose its aroma and flavor quickly. To prevent the need to replace this spice often, store the curry powder in an airtight container in the freezer.
Chicken tenders are the fillets attached to the rib side of the breast meat. Look for them packaged separately in the meat section. They are often less expensive than skinless, boneless chicken breasts.
Using canned chick-peas is economical, and the leftovers make a great salad when combined with chopped red onion, sun-dried tomatoes and a vinaigrette dressing.
Save the stems from fresh parsley and mushrooms to use for making broth. Place cleaned stems in a plastic bag and freeze. Add frozen stems to the simmering stock to give it an enhanced, savory flavor.
Green onions come in batches of six or eight. Keep the remaining onions from drying out by storing them in a self- sealing plastic bag with a damp paper towel. Chop them as needed.
