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What don’t you make from scratch these days?

(90 Posts)
Daddima Thu 05-Mar-26 14:54:01

I was reading on another forum things people find it too troublesome to make, as ready made is just as good. I saw a lot of mentions of pasta sauce ( albeit with additions), with Prego being a popular suggestion.
I rarely make pastry, but would certainly buy ready made, and probably even ready rolled! I’ve also used Idaho mashed potato, as my wrists aren’t up to serious mashing.
What do you buy these days, or wouldn’t you even consider ready made?

AuntieE Thu 05-Mar-26 15:04:37

Orange marmelade. I buy a good brand, as it is nearly impossible to get marmalade oranges in Denmark, and making orange marmelade is a time-consuming job.

I also buy baked beans and a bottle of ketchup once every three years or so, and pickled herrings when I want them, but everything else I make from scratch as I enjoy cooking.

Sarnia Thu 05-Mar-26 15:09:57

Ready rolled puff pastry is a no-brainer. I was shown how to make it in a Domestic Science lesson at Grammar School but have never bothered. Life is too short. The better brands of tinned custard are easier than the powdered variety and taste fine.

Gran22boys Thu 05-Mar-26 15:18:44

Chips.

Greyduster Thu 05-Mar-26 15:30:57

I haven’t made my own puff pastry for years but always make short crust. However, with arthritic fingers and thumbs, food processor saves having to use the rubbing in method.

I don’t care for mashed potato but am reliably informed by my student GS that supermarket mash is perfectly acceptable!

Allira Thu 05-Mar-26 15:37:36

Pastry.
Which means we don't eat pastry because I refuse to buy shop-bought made with palm oil. Tesco used to do readymade pastry made with all Normandy butter but no longer.

I did buy mince pies at Christmas. Once a year!

Allira Thu 05-Mar-26 15:38:55

Sarnia

Ready rolled puff pastry is a no-brainer. I was shown how to make it in a Domestic Science lesson at Grammar School but have never bothered. Life is too short. The better brands of tinned custard are easier than the powdered variety and taste fine.

Oh yes, custard as well. I'd be making it all the time for DH so tinned or fresh from Waitrose/Tesco is fine.

Frenchgalinspain Thu 05-Mar-26 15:41:28

Except during the Christmas Holidays, home baked bread.

Home made lasagne or home made focaccia ..

Not much except during the Christmas / New Year´s & Epiphany season.

A tart here and there but only on holidays.

ViceVersa Thu 05-Mar-26 15:45:31

Puff pastry for me too. I'm a good cook and decent baker, but I draw the line at pastry - according to my mother, my hands were always too hot to make good pastry. I have also been known to buy ready made custard from time to time (although I usually make it myself), but I prefer the good chilled one rather than the tinned.

Allira Thu 05-Mar-26 15:48:52

Even Mary Berry buys puff pastry (apparently)!

M0nica Thu 05-Mar-26 15:52:37

Looking through the list so far, pastry apart, I do not make any of the things people mention, because I do not eat them.

Allira Thu 05-Mar-26 15:59:04

To be fair, most posters have only mentioned pastry.

And custard which goes with a sweet pie anyway.

Greenfinch Thu 05-Mar-26 16:13:56

Another one here for chips and gravy granules as well ( but not with chips!)

petra Thu 05-Mar-26 16:27:46

Allira

Even Mary Berry buys puff pastry (apparently)!

So did, Delia.

TillyTrotter Thu 05-Mar-26 16:29:54

I don’t make Birthday or Christmas cakes anymore.
The Birthday cakes were usually for the children in the family and I hired the “Age” number tins. I don’t think any Cake Making equipment shops remain in our city now but we used to have a great one called “The Icing on the Cake”.
I don’t make Christmas cakes as ingredients, marzipan, cake board etc. became too expensive and I get indigestion from all the fruit.

winterwhite Thu 05-Mar-26 16:54:27

Was just about to say marzipan. Think I was about the last woman in the western world to discover that marzipan could be bought ready made. Home made tastes better of course but oh the sweat of rolling it out and getting it to stick to the apricot jam on the sides 😫was far too much to make it worth it.

Whitewavemark2 Thu 05-Mar-26 17:02:46

I will make everything from scratch if I feel so inclined.
I am not, however, a martyr to the cause and will not if I cba make anything I feel disinclined to make.

So for example tonight was going to be Smokey hake and beans with spinach.

It is now going to be fish and chips from the village shop, delivered to the door. Why? Because I’ve been this morning cleaning all the windows as well as the conservatory and living rooms, and this afternoon in the garden planting strawberries, and preparing a new Japanese garden. Too knackered to cook.

MaizieD Thu 05-Mar-26 17:14:49

Puff pastry, of course. Shortcrust is fine courtesy the food processor.

DH buys jars of curry sauces sometimes and gravy granules but mostly we cook from scratch.

TillyTrotter Thu 05-Mar-26 17:17:27

Well deserved fish supper Whitewave . Enjoy .

Allira Thu 05-Mar-26 17:19:14

Whitewavemark2

I will make everything from scratch if I feel so inclined.
I am not, however, a martyr to the cause and will not if I cba make anything I feel disinclined to make.

So for example tonight was going to be Smokey hake and beans with spinach.

It is now going to be fish and chips from the village shop, delivered to the door. Why? Because I’ve been this morning cleaning all the windows as well as the conservatory and living rooms, and this afternoon in the garden planting strawberries, and preparing a new Japanese garden. Too knackered to cook.

Well done!

We were going to have a ready meal but didn't have time to go in the Farm Shop.

However, I do have something I made earlier which needs some tweaking.

Allira Thu 05-Mar-26 17:20:08

and preparing a new Japanese garden

Intrigued! Tell us more (perhaps on the gardening thread?)

Madgran77 Thu 05-Mar-26 17:21:10

I think homemade tomato pasta sauce is much nicer. And home made pastry. But I buy pesto ready made

Visgir1 Thu 05-Mar-26 17:36:08

Pastry these days, think that's a No brainer and custard.

Sago Thu 05-Mar-26 17:37:02

There is very little I don’t make from scratch, I made a batch of Bernaise sauce on Saturday, so was left with the egg whites, so I made meringues, my husbands waistline would have been much better of had I just bought a jar of the stuff!

TwiceAsNice Thu 05-Mar-26 18:05:32

I actually do make my own pastry both shortcrust and flaky . Flaky for sausage rolls and cheese straws ( which family and friends say are pretty good) shortcrust for savoury and sweet pies . Shop bought pastry doesn’t compare at all