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Hoarding Ingredients - suffering from Allgoneophobia?

Kerry Beal

By Kerry Beal
in Food Traditions & Culture

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lindag

lindag

Posted
Posted

Well, I have a little bottle of Carl Griffith's Oregon Trail sourdough starter.  How long does that keep?  I am assuming forever.  

 

No, it doesn't keep forever.  I had some in an envelope that I discovered tucked away in a cookbook.  It was years old.

Go to the Carl's website and you can get info on how to test it to see if it's still viable.

Mine wasn't.

Buy a new packet and send a donation.

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  • 3 years later...
Tropicalsenior

Tropicalsenior

Posted
Posted
On 8/24/2014 at 5:05 PM, Kerry Beal said:

I think I might have an illness.  I have a a number of ingredients stored away that I can't bring myself to use - cause if I use them I won't have them to use anymore.  

Why did this topic go dormant? It is wonderful. I am so happy to find out that I am not alone and that maybe there is a cure for me. Just reading it made me think of all the wonderful meals that I have waiting in the freezer for me.

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Smithy

Smithy

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Tropicalsenior said:

Why did this topic go dormant? It is wonderful. I am so happy to find out that I am not alone and that maybe there is a cure for me. Just reading it made me think of all the wonderful meals that I have waiting in the freezer for me.

 

I think this topic and its premise serve as a counterpoise...or, at least, a cautionary tale. ;) 

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liuzhou

liuzhou

Posted
Posted (edited)

When I moved to China from England over twenty years ago, I quickly learned that if I see something I like, I should buy as much of it as possible (obviously not perishables).

 

Chinese food stores and supermarkets have this insane habit of stocking something, having it sell out within days or minutes, then never restocking. I have a pet theory that they just think it messes up their shelving arrangements.

 

"People just come in here and empty that shelf I spent 10 minutes filling up. Why can't they just let it be? Don't get that stuff again!"

 

So I have ridiculous quantities of canned anchovies*, dried cêpes and other 'exotic' mushrooms, various dried pastas*, sea salt, refined salt with added calcium*, high gluten flour, my favourite seaweed crackers*, canned tuna, bottled olives*, my favourite bottled Thai  ginger sauce* etc. The freezer is loaded up with enough yoghurt starter* to ferment an entire dairy farm's output for the next year. (I know I could just use some of the last batch of yoghurt but it never works the same.)

 

*Starred items are those I know are completely out of stock everywhere. Some have been so, for months if not years.

Edited by liuzhou (log)
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...your dancing child with his Chinese suit.

 

"No amount of evidence will ever persuade an idiot"
Mark Twain
 

The Kitchen Scale Manifesto

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Tropicalsenior

Tropicalsenior

Posted
Posted
5 hours ago, liuzhou said:

 

"People just come in here and empty that shelf I spent 10 minutes filling up. Why can't they just let it be? Don't get that stuff again

We have that same problem here. Sometimes, great products show up, disappear, and are never seen again. When I asked the manager why they didn't get them again, he actually told me, we don't reorder them because people just buy them too fast. I'm like you, if I see it, I buy all I can because I may never see it again.

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lindag

lindag

Posted
Posted
9 minutes ago, Tropicalsenior said:

We have that same problem here. Sometimes, great products show up, disappear, and are never seen again. When I asked the manager why they didn't get them again, he actually told me, we don't reorder them because people just buy them too fast. I'm like you, if I see it, I buy all I can because I may never see it again.

People here often complain about that happening at Costco stores.

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Tropicalsenior

Tropicalsenior

Posted
Posted
36 minutes ago, ElsieD said:

This happens at my Costco with great regularity.

Our only membership store is PriceSmart and because it is so difficult to bring things in through customs lots of the smaller stores buy things there and resell them. Sometimes they completely clean out an item. Yesterday I saw a man with 18 cases of Kraft mayonnaise in the line ahead of me. I had to go home without any. Next time I'll probably buy four jars and I will feed feel like the food hoarder of the year.

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lindag

lindag

Posted
Posted (edited)
19 minutes ago, Tropicalsenior said:

 Next time I'll probably buy four jars and I will feed feel like the food hoarder of the year.

I actually had some Best Foods mayo go 'funny' because I stored it too long (even though it was in the second fridge).  It sort of separated; though it still tasted fine.

Now I don't stock up, though I do keep a spare in the other fridge.

In a climate like yours I'd be afraid it's go bad if you didn't use it up pretty quickly.

Edited by lindag (log)
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kayb

kayb

Posted
Posted

I once had 12 pounds of Wright's bacon in the freezer. Kroger and some other store ran consecutive sales, and I had coupons. Stocked up. I also stocked up the last time Aldi had the small knockwurst, which I like to pickle in chunks with quail eggs. I think I have eight pounds in the freezer.

 

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Don't ask. Eat it.

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JoNorvelleWalker

JoNorvelleWalker

Posted
Posted
9 hours ago, liuzhou said:

So I have ridiculous quantities of canned anchovies*...

 

*Starred items are those I know are completely out of stock everywhere. Some have been so, for months if not years.

 

 

My refrigerator has a tin of Glyngore sardines.  I've not seen this brand in years -- though in truth I've not gone searching the local Shoprite.  In review The Washington Post described the Glyngore flavor as "revolting".*

 

Not sure how long I've had these.  From the price sticker they came from a market where I probably haven't shopped since I moved here in 1980.  The aforementioned Washington Post review, also in 1980, listed the Glyngore price at $1.69.  Food is cheaper the longer you keep it.  Whenever I bought my can I see I paid 89 cents.

 

 

*https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1980/08/31/tasting-the-best-and-then-the-rest/0246d129-587c-4b5f-a8a9-8474cfc428c6/?utm_term=.3f76ef1d5438

 

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Cooking is cool.  And kitchen gear is even cooler.  -- Chad Ward

Whatever you crave, there's a dumpling for you. -- Hsiao-Ching Chou

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andiesenji

andiesenji

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, lindag said:

I actually had some Best Foods mayo go 'funny' because I stored it too long (even though it was in the second fridge).  It sort of separated; though it still tasted fine.

Now I don't stock up, though I do keep a spare in the other fridge.

In a climate like yours I'd be afraid it's go bad if you didn't use it up pretty quickly.

 

I can't even recall the last time I bought mayo.  It seems to always have a metallic taste - the curse of a "supertaster" is I pick up flavors that most people don't notice.  I make my own, which never has that taste, which I think must be from one of the preservatives.  

I also make my own version of Miracle Whip.  

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"There are, it has been said, two types of people in the world. There are those who say: this glass is half full. And then there are those who say: this glass is half empty. The world belongs, however, to those who can look at the glass and say: What's up with this glass? Excuse me? Excuse me? This is my glass? I don't think so. My glass was full! And it was a bigger glass!" Terry Pratchett

 

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lindag

lindag

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, andiesenji said:

I can't even recall the last time I bought mayo.  It seems to always have a metallic taste - the curse of a "supertaster" is I pick up flavors that most people don't notice.  I make my own, which never has that taste, which I think must be from one of the preservatives.  

I also make my own version of Miracle Whip.  

Yeah, but your're an overachiever.  I'm a bit of a slacker.

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Tropicalsenior

Tropicalsenior

Posted
Posted
12 hours ago, lindag said:

Now I don't stock up, though I do keep a spare in the other fridge.

In a climate like yours I'd be afraid it's go bad if you didn't use it up pretty quickly.

 I have to admit that you are completely right. They are 60 ounce containers and I wouldn't dare buy four. Like @andisenji, I had to make my own. But the next time I will buy two and keep one in the extra fridge. I don't like making my own because I usually can't use up the fresh mayonnaise before it goes bad.

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Tropicalsenior

Tropicalsenior

Posted
Posted

Today was my latest episode of hoarding. I made four pints of marmalade. Well, I had to do it. I found pink grapefruit in the supermarket yesterday and since we only see them about twice a year and I love to put them in my marmalade I had to make marmalade. it seemed a good idea at the time even though I still have three jars left from the last batch I made. I made them in my instant pot following this recipe and just adapted it.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1yCXjCzDnfE&feature=youtu.be

 Easiest marmalade recipe on the Internet.

 

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Martin Fisher

Martin Fisher

Posted
Posted

My name is Martin and I'm also a compulsive hoarder!!! o.O

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~Martin :)

I just don't want to look back and think "I could have eaten that."

Unsupervised, rebellious, radical agrarian experimenter, minimalist penny-pincher, and adventurous cook. Crotchety, cantankerous, terse curmudgeon, non-conformist, and contrarian who questions everything!

The best thing about a vegetable garden is all the meat you can hunt and trap out of it!

 

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Thanks for the Crepes

Thanks for the Crepes

Posted
Posted

I have this affliction too, but not only with hard to obtain ingredients. It's ridicules when I examine it in bright light, but I have been this way a long time, and probably won't change much at this point.

 

The other day, I had two cans of La Costena refried beans and wanted some refried pintos with my tacos. The problem was that one of the two cans was refried black beans. I resolved not to break open the can of pintos, even though it provides me three servings, two of which would be waiting in the freezer, until I obtained another can of the refried pintos. Even with these everyday staples, which are available even at Dollar General, for Pete's sake, I will not use the last can or package of something from the pantry. I was this way even when it was beyond easy to hop in my car and go to the stores, so I can't blame it on having to walk after it. It defies logic from any angle at all.

 

I can't tell you how many packages or truly difficult to get foodstuffs I have hoarded until they are no longer edible. At least I recognize when this happens ... usually. I recently threw out one unopened and two partial packages of Trader Joe's frozen puff pastry from the time when it was all butter. Many of us know how long ago that was. :wacko:

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> ^ . . ^ <

 

 

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liuzhou

liuzhou

Posted
Posted

Today's loot. Not exactly ingredients as such but definitely edibles.

 

loot.thumb.jpg.59a6eeecf5d0487d242f4eb186aa3c4c.jpg

 

First I found my favourite seaweed crackers in a different supermarket after doing without for weeks  I know I have some in my place in the countryside, but getting there and back involves a 36km round trip  (and I will need them there later). Picked up 4 packs. Would have taken more, but I already had a load of other stuff to carry.

 

The small yellow boxes contain ginger chews which, despite having no sweet tooth, I rather like. They are sugar-free. I haven't seen those for about a year, so I picked up 8.

I'll get more of both later in the week.

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...your dancing child with his Chinese suit.

 

"No amount of evidence will ever persuade an idiot"
Mark Twain
 

The Kitchen Scale Manifesto

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Martin Fisher

Martin Fisher

Posted
Posted (edited)
33 minutes ago, Tropicalsenior said:

Would you care to share with us?

 

Have you got a couple hours? xD

I keep a hoard of almost everything!

Some of it I fear using. 

A few examples:

I have several tins of King Oscar anchovies—flat fillets in olive oil—that I fear using. Usually opting to use less fancy anchovies instead.

Same goes for King Oscar double layer sardines in extra virgin olive oil.

Sausage casings, I have premium salt- packed casings on hand but I fear using them. I generally use 'home pack' casings—various diameters and lengths—which are available at the grocery.

I'm afraid to use my real good dried chile peppers.

I'm afraid to use some of my premium spices and the like.

And many more!

 

It's my OCD!!!

 

Wierd! :S

Edited by DiggingDogFarm (log)
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~Martin :)

I just don't want to look back and think "I could have eaten that."

Unsupervised, rebellious, radical agrarian experimenter, minimalist penny-pincher, and adventurous cook. Crotchety, cantankerous, terse curmudgeon, non-conformist, and contrarian who questions everything!

The best thing about a vegetable garden is all the meat you can hunt and trap out of it!

 

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Tropicalsenior

Tropicalsenior

Posted
Posted

My problems started when I lived in a beach town about two and a half hours from San Jose. We had no decent grocery stores nor butcher shops. We couldn't even buy decent toilet paper. Because of the curvy, rutted mountain roads and torrential rains half of the year, we only went into San Jose once a month. I had to stock up and make sure that I had everything to last because if I forgot something I went without it for a whole month. I think I developed a paranoia, because I still shop for a month. The problem is I do it every week now. For one thing, I have enough toilet paper to supply the whole neighborhood, should there be a shortage.

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Martin Fisher

Martin Fisher

Posted
Posted
2 minutes ago, Tropicalsenior said:

My problems started when I lived in a beach town about two and a half hours from San Jose. We had no decent grocery stores nor butcher shops. We couldn't even buy decent toilet paper. Because of the curvy, rutted mountain roads and torrential rains half of the year, we only went into San Jose once a month. I had to stock up and make sure that I had everything to last because if I forgot something I went without it for a whole month. I think I developed a paranoia, because I still shop for a month. The problem is I do it every week now. For one thing, I have enough toilet paper to supply the whole neighborhood, should there be a shortage.

 

At one time, I lived similarly.

Out in the country, not a grocery within 15 miles! Not a GOOD grocery store within several miles! LOL

Even off grid for a while, except for telephone—the telephone line (and dial-up internet) ran right by my place.

I often couldn't make it to the grocery and such more than once a month. Twice if I was very lucky!

 

:)

 

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~Martin :)

I just don't want to look back and think "I could have eaten that."

Unsupervised, rebellious, radical agrarian experimenter, minimalist penny-pincher, and adventurous cook. Crotchety, cantankerous, terse curmudgeon, non-conformist, and contrarian who questions everything!

The best thing about a vegetable garden is all the meat you can hunt and trap out of it!

 

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