All About ... Food Supplies
I'm making good use of my time while I'm isolating. Yesterday I squeezed everything from the kitchen freezer into the garage freezer, then defrosted it and wiped out all the drawers. I switched it back on first thing this morning and later will 'shop' from the garage freezer and refill it, ready for the next few weeks meals.
My decision to resume isolating has made me realise that I need to rethink how much food I should keep in reserve for emergencies. This period of isolating came out of the blue without notice, though thankfully at a time when I still have plenty in stock from my recent supermarket delivery so this time I have no worries about managing. I do think there is a real possibility that self isolating and/or localised lockdowns will feature in our lives for the foreseeable future, and the need for a repeat of a nation wide lockdown still feels like a real possibility.
With this in mind I've decided to time the next delivery so that I have at least a couple of weeks worth of food in reserve, if not more. This is a peace of mind thing for me - I know there are people I could ask for help if absolutely necessary but remaining independent is important to me. Supermarket delivery slots are still a bit of a lucky dip so keeping an adequate reserve will mean one less thing to worry about.
With this in mind I've decided to time the next delivery so that I have at least a couple of weeks worth of food in reserve, if not more. This is a peace of mind thing for me - I know there are people I could ask for help if absolutely necessary but remaining independent is important to me. Supermarket delivery slots are still a bit of a lucky dip so keeping an adequate reserve will mean one less thing to worry about.
I still haven't got the supply sorted out now I am not going in to shops every week to top up on the monthly delivery, which is what I was used to doing. The main problem is having enough fresh fruit and vegetables to last between deliveries, I always run out of eggs and a few other things. I definitely don't want to visit the supermarkets at the moment, which would be the easiest solution, so I've been racking my brain to come up with an alternative. With the fruit and veg, the easiest way is to buy frozen and tinned with just enough fresh for the week of the delivery plus whatever bulk cooking I plan to do. As for the eggs I'm going to make use of the honesty boxes - there are plenty in this area - and see how it goes. I also need to work out a basic list of essentials that will be needed in every delivery.
Today's task is to clean out the fridge, check the inventory (which I know I've been lazy about updating as I've used things up), hopefully book a delivery slot, and cook something yummy in the slow cooker for tonight's meal.
Sounds like you are spending your time very wisely! It's a good idea to keep a well stocked pantry and freezer. Is having more frequent deliveries (every 2 or 3 weeks) an option? I've read that eggs can be frozen (you have to break them and beat up a little with salt before freezing them; when thawed, they can be used for scrambled eggs, in baking, etc.), but, I haven't tried doing it, myself. I store eggs in the fridge and they stay fresh for a long time. I am trying to stock up my pantry. If I don't use them, I can always donate them.
ReplyDeleteHaving more frequent deliveries will be too expensive. Food prices are rising and some of the delivery slots can cost as much as £7 ($9) so I'd like to stick to one delivery every 4 - 6 weeks if possible.
DeleteI've tried freezing eggs and thought the end results were okay but ... I don't know what it is, but freezing them didn't sit comfortably with me and I'd prefer to stick to fresh. They last for ages in the fridge as you say. There's usually plenty in the honesty boxes and it will be a people free transaction while supporting a local supplier.
Honesty boxes sound such a good idea. I don't think we have anything like that round here.
ReplyDeleteWell done for sorting the freezer and the food supplies.
xx
I've seen them in lots of the smaller villages but don't know whether the lockdown has had an impact on their continued use. I hope some are still in use.
DeleteIt certainly got me thinking about food reserves. Just before this started I was working on getting down supplies with the idea that I would only keep a limited amount on hand and shop each week. Covid has got me rethinking that again and hopefully I'll come up with a happy medium.
ReplyDeleteIt's settling on what is the happy medium that I am having difficulty with!
DeleteI have topped up deliveries with an occasional box from The Cornish Food box, who actually deliver all over the place. They have wonderfully fresh vegetables, fruit, dairy etc.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the suggestion but the delivery charge would make it too expensive. We have similar schemes locally but none offer a mixed box that is small enough for one person.
DeleteHaving a couple of weeks worth or so on hand does sound like a good plan in these days. I agree in thinking these kinds of issues will come up for a while. I wish fresh fruit lasted longer, but I'm happy to have found the fridge storage containers I use. I do keep canned veggies on the shelf, and sometimes frozen in the fridge-top freezer. I long for the days we can say the end is in sight with this mess.
ReplyDeleteSo do I. I can't wait for life to return to normal but in the meantime have managed to sort out a way of keeping fresh veg and fruit at home - a local greengrocer opens at 7am so it should be quiet and low risk to shop there. It's worth a try anyway.
DeleteDefinitely worth a try. The farmers' markets are doing a great job here of taking care, and you don't get fresher than that!
DeleteBrilliant! I can try the farmers markets as well. Why didn't I think of that? Thanks
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