Laziest products

[Cleo]

Call me lazy or crazy or whatever, but I like and use this crushed garlic.. I buy it at Trader Joe's and I always have it in my freezer. I used to buy the crushed ginger too, but I can't find it anymore, so now I buy this minced ginger.

Why do I use it? Because I just don't like mincing garlic and ginger. And I can never get it crushed or minced as fine as I like it.

Having said that, I would never buy frozen pb&j sandwiches for my kids. Or pre-made pancake batter. Or Lunchables. And those bagel/cream cheese things...yikes!

But the reality is that I work full time, I have a 2 and 4 year old (and a husband!) and I cook for my family 5 nights a week (we eat out or bring in on weekends). Plus I pack lunch for my 4 year old to take to pre-school almost every weekday. And I bring my lunch to work most days, so that requires some prep each night. Plus, I usually spend some part of the weekend cooking things that I keep on hand in the freezer (meatballs, sauce, meatloaf, etc) so that I can pull them out when I can't cook something during the week. And on top of that, my son cannot have milk products, so I often spend an evening after my kids go to sleep making batches of dairy-free pancakes or waffles or french toast or muffins that I can keep in the freezer so that my kids can have a real breakfast in the morning, and it is one that I made.

So as you can see, I spend a LOT of time cooking (good thing I love it)! And if using crushed garlic or ginger makes my life a tiny bit easier, then so be it...I am lazy!

[SobaAddict70]

Call me lazy or crazy or whatever, but I like and use this crushed garlic..  I buy it at Trader Joe's and I always have it in my freezer.  I used to buy the crushed ginger too, but I can't find it anymore, so now I buy this minced ginger.

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Hmmm...

$4 for a jar of crushed garlic or < $0.50 [if that] for a head of garlic. And the fresh clove tastes better.

Mincing takes about as much effort as opening a jar.

I guess I'll never get the point of these so-called "convenience" goods.

[annabelle]

Anchovy paste in a tube and tomato paste in a tube are just what the doctor ordered. I'll never use a whole tin or jar of anchovies and I can't get them salt-packed here in the hinterlands so the tube is a real lifesaver. Also, many times I need only a tiny amount of tomato paste and hesitate to open a whole can just to dig out a tablespoon or so.

[Lilija]

Call me lazy or crazy or whatever, but I like and use this crushed garlic..  I buy it at Trader Joe's and I always have it in my freezer.  I used to buy the crushed ginger too, but I can't find it anymore, so now I buy this minced ginger.

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Hmmm...

$4 for a jar of crushed garlic or < $0.50 [if that] for a head of garlic. And the fresh clove tastes better.

Mincing takes about as much effort as opening a jar.

I guess I'll never get the point of these so-called "convenience" goods.

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Only, I get crushed garlic at Costco and it's 3.19 for a 48 oz tub. The way we go through it, I use about a head of garlic for one meal.

[phage]

In Papua-New Guinea years ago I found canned rice in the store. Sound terrible, though in a place where folks cooked by throwing their food onto the fire, maybe not so unreasonable.....

Also, some of the newfangled waters - flavoring and Vitamin-C added, oxygen, whatever, all very expensive (though in attractive bottles.)

[Pierogi]

Call me lazy or crazy or whatever, but I like and use this crushed garlic..  I buy it at Trader Joe's and I always have it in my freezer.  I used to buy the crushed ginger too, but I can't find it anymore, so now I buy this minced ginger.

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Hmmm...

$4 for a jar of crushed garlic or < $0.50 [if that] for a head of garlic. And the fresh clove tastes better.

Mincing takes about as much effort as opening a jar.

I guess I'll never get the point of these so-called "convenience" goods.

Ummmmmmmm......mincing takes as much effort as opening a jar...not in my world.

As Snowangel so eloquently stated upthread, for those of us who are "compromised" in some fashion, you takes your helps where you can gets 'em.

Me. I have severe rheumatoid arthritis, which is particularly active in my HANDS, my neck, my back and my feet. So, some days that makes each second I stand at the counter prepping an exercise in agony. Frankly, some days combing my hair is more than I can handle, so you'd damn well better believe that on those days I choose the pre-prepped ingredients over prep-it-myself.

Opening a jar is painful, but it lasts a second. Holding a knife to mince garlic is painful, and it lasts minutes. Squeezing a garlic press is unbearable.

YOU do the math, and see if you get the value of "convenience goods" after that.

On my worst days......ON MY WORST DAYS.....when I can't go to work, and I can't comb my hair, I still manage to cook something relatively fresh and relatively non-processed. Do I take help where I can get it, you betcha, and I don't care if you "get the point" or not.

Edited March 21, 2009 by Pierogi (log)

[Cleo]

Call me lazy or crazy or whatever, but I like and use this crushed garlic..  I buy it at Trader Joe's and I always have it in my freezer.  I used to buy the crushed ginger too, but I can't find it anymore, so now I buy this minced ginger.

←

Hmmm...

$4 for a jar of crushed garlic or < $0.50 [if that] for a head of garlic. And the fresh clove tastes better.

Mincing takes about as much effort as opening a jar.

I guess I'll never get the point of these so-called "convenience" goods.

←

Not sure where you saw $4 for crushed garlic. The ginger is listed on the website for $3 and I pay even less, since I buy it in a local store. Oh, and get back to me on "convenience" goods when you cook for a family and work full time. I guess it's a good thing that I can afford things that I like that make my life easier.

[Darienne]

The one thing I was raised making at my Mother's knee was salad dressing, so I have never been able to understand why people buy it in bottles. For one thing, most of it is full of sugar.

Italian dressing especially, which we used to call French dressing, oil & vinega...I use lemon juice because I cannot cope with vinegar... takes only a few seconds to make even with its additions, and so why on earth would someone buy it premade?

[MSRadell]

How about pre hard boiled eggs? I saw them the other day in The Fresh Market. They cost about three times what a regular eggs do. I mean how long does it take to boil and peel a couple of eggs? Also if you have fresh eggs you have a choice what to do with them, buying them already hard boiled doesn't give you many choices.

I do agree with the previous poster about tomato paste in a tube. It tastes the same and when you only need a little bit it sure reduces waste.

[kitchenhacker]

Pre-sliced apples.

Apples?!?

[SobaAddict70]

Call me lazy or crazy or whatever, but I like and use this crushed garlic..  I buy it at Trader Joe's and I always have it in my freezer.  I used to buy the crushed ginger too, but I can't find it anymore, so now I buy this minced ginger.

←

Hmmm...

$4 for a jar of crushed garlic or < $0.50 [if that] for a head of garlic. And the fresh clove tastes better.

Mincing takes about as much effort as opening a jar.

I guess I'll never get the point of these so-called "convenience" goods.

←

Not sure where you saw $4 for crushed garlic. The ginger is listed on the website for $3 and I pay even less, since I buy it in a local store. Oh, and get back to me on "convenience" goods when you cook for a family and work full time. I guess it's a good thing that I can afford things that I like that make my life easier.

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I'm quoting NY prices.

My mother worked full time AND raised me -- single parent with all of the stress that that entails. no help from a spouse, no help from the government. she may have used convenience products, it's possible, but I seem to remember an overabundance of fresh food. including an insistence that I eat my vegetables.

My experience differs from yours obviously.

Take a garlic clove, whack at it once with the flat blade of a knife, peel off second skin. Easy. Takes 30 seconds, if that. So you've got arthritis...the vast majority of people who use convenience products don't. That's what my post was directed towards. It's very Rachael Ray/Sandra Lee-ish.

Anyway, I'm not here to preach. It was an opinion, not a statement of fact.

[daniellewiley]

Call me lazy or crazy or whatever, but I like and use this crushed garlic..  I buy it at Trader Joe's and I always have it in my freezer.  I used to buy the crushed ginger too, but I can't find it anymore, so now I buy this minced ginger.

←

Hmmm...

$4 for a jar of crushed garlic or < $0.50 [if that] for a head of garlic. And the fresh clove tastes better.

Mincing takes about as much effort as opening a jar.

I guess I'll never get the point of these so-called "convenience" goods.

←

Not sure where you saw $4 for crushed garlic. The ginger is listed on the website for $3 and I pay even less, since I buy it in a local store. Oh, and get back to me on "convenience" goods when you cook for a family and work full time. I guess it's a good thing that I can afford things that I like that make my life easier.

←

I'm quoting NY prices.

My mother worked full time AND raised me -- single parent with all of the stress that that entails. no help from a spouse, no help from the government. she may have used convenience products, it's possible, but I seem to remember an overabundance of fresh food. including an insistence that I eat my vegetables.

My experience differs from yours obviously.

Take a garlic clove, whack at it once with the flat blade of a knife, peel off second skin. Easy. Takes 30 seconds, if that. So you've got arthritis...the vast majority of people who use convenience products don't. That's what my post was directed towards. It's very Rachael Ray/Sandra Lee-ish.

Anyway, I'm not here to preach. It was an opinion, not a statement of fact.

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I use the pre-crushed ginger, but not the garlic. I am also a mom of two young kids, and I work full-time. And, though I do rely on convenience foods occasionally, they certainly see an abundance of fresh food, and they are well aware that vegetables are a must. The occasional reliance on some pre-prepared foods doesn't automatically place someone in the Sandra Lee category. We're not talking about cake mix and Hamburger Helper.

[SobaAddict70]

Call me lazy or crazy or whatever, but I like and use this crushed garlic..  I buy it at Trader Joe's and I always have it in my freezer.  I used to buy the crushed ginger too, but I can't find it anymore, so now I buy this minced ginger.

←

Hmmm...

$4 for a jar of crushed garlic or < $0.50 [if that] for a head of garlic. And the fresh clove tastes better.

Mincing takes about as much effort as opening a jar.

I guess I'll never get the point of these so-called "convenience" goods.

←

Not sure where you saw $4 for crushed garlic. The ginger is listed on the website for $3 and I pay even less, since I buy it in a local store. Oh, and get back to me on "convenience" goods when you cook for a family and work full time. I guess it's a good thing that I can afford things that I like that make my life easier.

←

I'm quoting NY prices.

My mother worked full time AND raised me -- single parent with all of the stress that that entails. no help from a spouse, no help from the government. she may have used convenience products, it's possible, but I seem to remember an overabundance of fresh food. including an insistence that I eat my vegetables.

My experience differs from yours obviously.

Take a garlic clove, whack at it once with the flat blade of a knife, peel off second skin. Easy. Takes 30 seconds, if that. So you've got arthritis...the vast majority of people who use convenience products don't. That's what my post was directed towards. It's very Rachael Ray/Sandra Lee-ish.

Anyway, I'm not here to preach. It was an opinion, not a statement of fact.

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I use the pre-crushed ginger, but not the garlic. I am also a mom of two young kids, and I work full-time. And, though I do rely on convenience foods occasionally, they certainly see an abundance of fresh food, and they are well aware that vegetables are a must. The occasional reliance on some pre-prepared foods doesn't automatically place someone in the Sandra Lee category. We're not talking about cake mix and Hamburger Helper.

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Good to know that there's hope left in the world.

Cooking is a dying art.

I talk to people all the time and they're like, "how can you make chicken stock from scratch? there's not enough time in the day to do that." this was from a friend of mine who lives in D.C., a single gay guy who works for some federal agency. he's the polar opposite of Cleo and he made that comment to me recently.

On a metatextual level, I understand why convenience products exist. I'd have to be a complete dunce not to. That doesn't mean that I'm going to use them. When I see someone like Rachael Ray, a television personality who has the power to reach a vast audience and hopefully educate them of issues that might be of interest, and I see her say you can cut corners and still make something taste good, some part of me dies inside. Yes it will taste good but the fresh version will taste better. It might take a little bit more effort but who knows, it might be worth it.

Now replicate that a hundred thousand times over and you'll see why it's difficult for me not to have my point of view.

edited for clarity.

Edited March 23, 2009 by SobaAddict70 (log)

[Peter the eater]

The one thing I was raised making at my Mother's knee was salad dressing, so I have never been able to understand why people buy it in bottles.  For one thing, most of it is full of sugar. 

Italian dressing especially, which we used to call French dressing, oil & vinega...I use lemon juice because I cannot cope with vinegar... takes only a few seconds to make even with its additions, and so why on earth would someone buy it premade?

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I feel slightly sad when I buy salad dressing in a bottle from the factory. I agree, the greens and everything else are better served by a vinaigrette built from the ground up. I've done the math for my grocery store and I'm afraid the Kraft Blue Cheese or Russian Dressing cannot be made at home for a comparable price.

[HungryC]

I sometimes buy & use bottled ginger/garlic paste (from an Indian market). I buy & use roux-in-a-jar (though I do also make rouxs from scratch). "Lazy" is a relative term: we all have different thresholds for prep work, different time constraints, and different palates--people who've grown up with Campbell's beef consomme added to the pot roast LIKE it that way, even if they're aware of "purer" ways to achieve a stovetop braise.

So, I draw a distinction between prepared foods that make home cooking a little easier, and those pre-fab things that result from a manufacturer simply trying to add value to a commodity product. Ex: those peeled hardboiled eggs....when I see them, I think "oh, an egg producer has figured out how to sell the eggs that don't meet quality standards for fresh shipment in the shell..."

[DanM]

Have y'all seen those bagel twinkies?  Bagels that look like Twinkies, but stuffed with cream cheese.  What the fuck kind of tripped out, strung-out, drunk of his/her ass chimp came up with such a thing?  When I saw those in the freezer section of my grocery store, I almost had an epileptic seizure.

Bagel stuffed with cream cheese

(not my photo).

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Good one!!! You got me laughing hard with this one!!

How about those little ice cube trays of pre chopped herbs and garlic that taste nothing like herbs or garlic?

Premade heat and serve pancakes that have the texture of rubber.

Supermarket sushi... exactly how old is this stuff?

Vienna sausage and spam... lets not go there...

Cereal bars. You can't sit down for five minutes and eat breakfast like healthy human being? Here is a hint... set your alarm clock for 10 minutes earlier.

3 bits... adjusted for wheat prices

Dan

Ice tea by the gallon for 3 or 4 bucks a pop.

Maybe it's where I'm from or something, but it cracks me up to see people buying jugs of iced tea. Hell, you don't even have to boil water. Just get some tea bags, a jug, and some water. Stick it in the sun. Waalaaah! Tea. A gallon of FRESH tea for about fifty cents.

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Whats worse is when it contains absolutely no actual tea!!

Edited March 29, 2009 by nakji (log)

[Hard H2O]

Vienna sausage and spam... lets not go there...

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Now you've crossed the line. Head out for a couple of weeks of Army life in tents living off MREs.

Vienna sausage and spam saved my life man.

[Lilija]

I don't know if I count Spam as "lazy". It's kind of a unique entity. It would be painstaking, if not downright impossible to replicate the texture and particular flavor profile in the home kitchen.

Spam is Spam, and it's not like yer gonna go making it from scratch at all, let alone make it with the ease of whipping up a few pancakes, or boiling some eggs.

Plus, how you gonna make Spam musubi without it?

[ChristinaM]

I don't know if I count Spam as "lazy".  It's kind of a unique entity.  It would be painstaking, if not downright impossible to replicate the texture and particular flavor profile in the home kitchen. 

Spam is Spam, and it's not like yer gonna go making it from scratch at all, let alone make it with the ease of whipping up a few pancakes, or boiling some eggs. 

Plus, how you gonna make Spam musubi without it?

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Or spam fritters?????

[Chris Hennes]

How about pre hard boiled eggs?  I saw them the other day in The Fresh Market.  They cost about three times what a regular eggs do.  I mean how long does it take to boil and peel a couple of eggs?

Five minutes flat. OK, so that's a soft-boiled egg. Still, my point is that it's not about the time. It's about getting it right, which as far as I am concerned is no mean feat.

I don't think that tomato paste in a tube counts in this category, though. At least, not any more than any other tomato product in a can counts. Could you make it yourself at home, from scratch, using fresh tomatoes? Maybe, if you have access to fresh tomatoes. Would it be any better? Unlikely. So to me, tomato paste, either in a can or a tube, is not a "cheater food" like many of these other examples, it's a normal ingredient. Putting it in a tube makes in a "convenience food" in the most positive possible sense.

[RWells]

Sliced mushrooms.  Half again as expensive as whole 'shrooms, and I will bet you a dollar nobody brushed the dirt off before they sliced 'em.

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Alton Brown was talking about presliced mushrooms on one of his "Good Eats" shows, something like "convenience rarely makes for a better tasting product." Then he walked over and slapped the snot out of Sandra Lee.

[Jon Savage]

Trader Joe's sells Mirepoix. People buy it. Go figure.

[judiu]

Ok, I live alone, have a very small kitchen (I can stand at the sink and move 2 steps to the fridge, or 1 step to the stove). I make very good deviled eggs and I HATE peeling the hardboiled eggs, since they never peel cleanly. Believe me, the ready boiled and peeled are extremely handy when you're making deviled eggs for 20 or more!

[tino27]

Oh, good, no one has mentioned the convenience food I happened to find. Today. On April 1st.

Squeez Bacon.

I don't know whether to laugh, cry, or swallow that little bit of throw-up that just made it's way up.

Plus it's got a shelf-life of 12 years without refrigeration.

[MSRadell]

Ok, I live alone, have a very small kitchen (I can stand at the sink and move 2 steps to the fridge, or 1 step to the stove). I make very good deviled eggs and I HATE peeling the hardboiled eggs, since they never peel cleanly. Believe me, the ready boiled and peeled are extremely handy when you're making deviled eggs for 20 or more!  

Good idea if you have enough in your bank account to pay for them. At $6.00 per dozen for the pre hard boiled ones, you'd spend over $30.00 just for the eggs, not a good value in my opinion.