Value Range foods compared

[jansman]

It’s very interesting what ‘value ‘ is. When there’s a family,you really do watch the costs.When we think back to a house full of daughters/ friends and boyfriends,then boy did we spend! Now it’s usually just me and Mrs J ,we don’t spend a lot. In fact,we eat so much less than we used to. Not that we don’t watch the prices mind,but it’s not a massive issue,thankfully.

So value ? Last night Mrs J made a stew. One of my rabbits,potatoes,parsnip and squash beans and carrots from the garden . Two tins of oxtail soup,salt and pepper,with a hint of curry powder. That was a nourishing value dinner!

Even now,a good dinner can still be made at a fair price.

[jennyjj01]

A quick comparison of Bolognese sauces.

Jarred bolognese sauce comes in many varieties, chunky, extra garlic, for meatballs etc. etc. and that's true across many brands.
I'll just compare a basic bolognese sauce, which is not like 'the real thing' that you'd get in Bologna but hey oh.

Candidate #1 : Dolmio original 500g 2 for £3.00 from Iceland* : The benchmark

Candidate #2 : Baresa spag bol 500g 49p from Lidl

Candidate #3 : Cucina bolognese sauce from ALDI 65p

Notice Dolmio bolognese range is of 8 varieties, plus 'for meatballs' and 'for lasagna'
Baresa and Cucina both come in a similar range of 6 varieties.

So, I compare my favourite 'with onion & garlic' In each case, used with a mix of chopped onions and carrots: Minced beef, bacon bits and chicken livers. We don't like celery.

Dolmio: The benchmark. Always enjoyed. Spot on level of sweetness and tomato tang. >=£1.50. They keep messing around with jar size.

Baresa: Really good substitute. lacking in its own texture, with the onions and garlic chopped fine. seems a bit mean on herbs, so add a pinch of mixed Italian herbs. It's also a little bit sweet and somehow less tomatoey. Add a squirt of puree and a pinch of salt.

Cucina: Somehow less popular with the tasting panel. Lacking its own texture again. A bit tangier than Baresa. Had a certain starchy look to it.

All needed the addition of meat and veg for texture.

Dolmio £1.50
Baresa 49p
Cucina 65p

While not the same as Dolmio, both of the others were perfectly acceptable. Baresa won by a mile on price.

Stockpile now tending towards a 50:50 mix of Dolmio and Baresa.

Again: A special shout out for Lidl's Baresa pasta which is almost down to the price of 'value' range but is 100% Durum wheat. https://www.lidl.co.uk/our-products/food-cupboard/dried

*Don't forget Iceland's 10% for over 60s on Tuesday. You have to ask for it
*Some 438g jars of Dolmio for £1 in B&M

[steptoe]

Dear Jenny lol your right at fool the panel , these days just me and the mrs so we are happy with most stuff and i think if shtf time comes most people will just be glad of a warm meal and be far less fussy , we try to keep away from sugar these days not for health just seem to like less suagr lol .
We are both coeliac but again we do have a little wheat sneak in the diet just not to much or we suffer , but again in a life or death type time i am sure we would eat most anything , nope i refuse to eat the cat even in a sweet and sour sauce lol she was a stray kitten when we got her when the beast from the east came she was in the garden fighting with the fox for food scraps yup i got soft in old age in she came then in the house lol , we thing she was just abused by kids and ran away lol .
now ot cheap food i can say on the animal food side the cheap cat food is terrible and i will not give that to her we have to think of the animals to .

So jenny i wonder are you going to do a full list of the cheaper brands , we can say heinz beans do get used in this house if on a special price but we find the cheaper brands taste far better , i will say i got a great deal on knorr pro soup range powders getting a huge tube for i think at the time less than £10 for 200 portions it says but even if i double the mix 100 portions of soup for £10 got to be a bargain and throw some in a stew to peep it up , i do grow lots of herbs so like fresh but we do by in a lot to as we find we cut salt out and add herbs .

Ps ok if you like a pizza we use gluten free garlic and coriander naans and put toppings on them and you can make some great ones .
As i have said before if anyone is local to us in the west mids and find they get stuck shout out us preppers have to help each other because the people who are sticking their head in the sand with oh it will be alright, well i say you were warns buy in extra tins or packets and if you did not then more fool you ,i have been called mad in stores when people see us with trays of tinned food on a restock run and they ask why do it i say because if you need to ask then you would not understand .
I wonder could we do a page of cheap brand recipies i wonder or something along those lines

[jennyjj01]

Ps ok if you like a pizza we use gluten free garlic and coriander naans and put toppings on them and you can make some great ones .
As i have said before if anyone is local to us in the west mids ...

If you are in the right bit of west Mids, get some Staffs oatcakes. You can make them gluten free with just a bit of whizzed up porridge oats. https://www.sorrelskitchen.com/post/glu ... e-oatcakes
I give a regular recipe somewhere here...viewtopic.php?p=183026&hilit=oatcakes#p183026 They are a brilliant substitute for bread and can be a pizza base to a japati.

...i say you were warns buy in extra tins or packets and if you did not then more fool you ,i have been called mad in stores when people see us with trays of tinned food on a restock run and they ask why do it i say because if you need to ask then you would not understand

Keep discretion in mind. Getting known as the guy with the food, you paint a target on your back if TSHTF and your neighbours are hungry. If my buying raises eyebrows, I spin some comment about feeding 'the ********* ***** camping club'.

I wonder could we do a page of cheap brand recipies i wonder or something along those lines

Since we focus on prepping here, I created a thread of menus geared to using long life foods with some practical if rather zany substitutions. Actually putting it into practice.
viewtopic.php?t=15975&hilit=oatcakes

There is also a thread on recession recipes started by Jansman. viewtopic.php?p=215020#p215020

For me, this thread is about both thrifty food buying to save money and about avoiding buying trays of 'value' stockpile food that will turn out disappointing. If or when TSHTF, we will need morale in our diet. Though we might be prepared to eat what we can get, the morale boosting value of a bit of Good, familiar food might be more than it's nutritional value.

I'm hopeful that a few of us thrifty buyers can build on this little list of what's hot and what's not in VFM foods. especially the foods that we buy by the trayful. I can't review everything, but if folk bring ideas we can maybe assemble a dynamic and maintained list.
E.g..... Which tins of tuna give the best tuna to juice to price ratio.... Anyone?

[Frnc]

Big shop planned tomorrow
Aldi fresh pizza 99p
Aldi frozen pizz 69p
Ricotta
all the above are low salt
Mushrooms, I don't think they do loose anymore so Nature's Pick Chestnut Mushrooms 250g
£0.69 (reduced from 89p) or go to Sainsbury's.

I have 3/4 pizza usually and save the rest for the next day.

[Frnc]

Getting known as the guy with the food, you paint a target on your back if TSHTF and your neighbours are hungry.

Maybe. Also there is the fact that you will survive easier in a group, and that in real life scenarios, people tend to band together and look after each other. Modern Human evolution as hunter gatherers was very much like this, reciprocal altruism. You share your food and the recipients feed you when they have some.
On the other hand, it's probably best to keep quiet about exactly how much you have.

On this topic, if it ever was a shtf scenario, what you wear/look like is worth bearing in mind. I like technical gear, but I wouldn't want to look like a typical American prepper who looks like a wannbe special forces soldier.

[jennyjj01]

Getting known as the guy with the food, you paint a target on your back if TSHTF and your neighbours are hungry.

Maybe. Also there is the fact that you will survive easier in a group, and that in real life scenarios, people tend to band together and look after each other. Modern Human evolution as hunter gatherers was very much like this, reciprocal altruism. You share your food and the recipients feed you when they have some.
On the other hand, it's probably best to keep quiet about exactly how much you have.

On this topic, if it ever was a shtf scenario, what you wear/look like is worth bearing in mind. I like technical gear, but I wouldn't want to look like a typical American prepper who looks like a wannbe special forces soldier.

True,
There's a very difficult and inevitable transition from selfish solo to valued gang/community member. Dunno what the answer is. Some neighbours might need to starve, depending how bad it gets.

[Frnc]

Getting known as the guy with the food, you paint a target on your back if TSHTF and your neighbours are hungry.

Maybe. Also there is the fact that you will survive easier in a group, and that in real life scenarios, people tend to band together and look after each other. Modern Human evolution as hunter gatherers was very much like this, reciprocal altruism. You share your food and the recipients feed you when they have some.
On the other hand, it's probably best to keep quiet about exactly how much you have.

On this topic, if it ever was a shtf scenario, what you wear/look like is worth bearing in mind. I like technical gear, but I wouldn't want to look like a typical American prepper who looks like a wannbe special forces soldier.

True,
There's a very difficult and inevitable transition from selfish solo to valued gang/community member. Dunno what the answer is. Some neighbours might need to starve, depending how bad it gets.

Please bear in mind in a long term bugin scenario, many of the most common wild plants in the UK are edible, nutitious, and tasty! I'm currently working through a ranking list of sightings reported to National Bioversity Network. They have millions of reports. So far in the top 25, I have 13 that are edible. One, buttercup, is poisonous. One, Cow Parsley, is too risky as it looks like Hemlock. Inedibles in there include holly, ash, sycamore, creeping thistle. Also a couple of types of grass (some types of grass are edible, including things like wheat, rice, sugar cane etc). Admittedly some are edible only in part, or at certain times of the year, or with special prep and knowledge. But some can be eaten raw most of the year. And that's just the 25 most observed plants. Also a couple of those are known to favour edible fungi that are easy to ID.

Top of the list is Hawthorn.
Berries summer autumn, leaves can be eaten in spring and any time for use in teas. Petals edible. Leaves not great outside spring but are edible. Generally you should avoid red berries but these are safe. Leaves are the best way to ID, they are glossy, dark green, divided into sections and are deeply lobed. Young shoots can be eaten raw, young leaves, young flowers. Not old.

Number two is nettles, also edible. Obviously you have know which bits, when, how to do it, they do sting!

Four is blackberry. You can peel off the leaves and thorns on young growth in the spring and eat the green pith, as well as the berries.

[jennyjj01]

Please bear in mind in a long term bugin scenario, many of the most common wild plants in the UK are edible, nutitious, and tasty! I'm currently working through a ranking list of sightings reported to National Bioversity Network. They have millions of reports. So far in the top 25, I have 13 that are edible. One, buttercup, is poisonous. One, Cow Parsley, is too risky as it looks like Hemlock. Inedibles in there include holly, ash, sycamore, creeping thistle. Also a couple of types of grass (some types of grass are edible, including things like wheat, rice, sugar cane etc). Admittedly some are edible only in part, or at certain times of the year, or with special prep and knowledge. But some can be eaten raw most of the year. And that's just the 25 most observed plants. Also a couple of those are known to favour edible fungi that are easy to ID.

Thanks FRNC.
The idea of foraging anything gives me the willies. Beyond Blackberries and dandelion I really would not dare, because without familiarity, it would be a life or death lottery.
I bet your foraging findings would make a great food thread.
Stay safe.
JJ

[Frnc]

Please bear in mind in a long term bugin scenario, many of the most common wild plants in the UK are edible, nutitious, and tasty! I'm currently working through a ranking list of sightings reported to National Bioversity Network. They have millions of reports. So far in the top 25, I have 13 that are edible. One, buttercup, is poisonous. One, Cow Parsley, is too risky as it looks like Hemlock. Inedibles in there include holly, ash, sycamore, creeping thistle. Also a couple of types of grass (some types of grass are edible, including things like wheat, rice, sugar cane etc). Admittedly some are edible only in part, or at certain times of the year, or with special prep and knowledge. But some can be eaten raw most of the year. And that's just the 25 most observed plants. Also a couple of those are known to favour edible fungi that are easy to ID.

Thanks FRNC.
The idea of foraging anything gives me the willies. Beyond Blackberries and dandelion I really would not dare, because without familiarity, it would be a life or death lottery.
I bet your foraging findings would make a great food thread.
Stay safe.
JJ

Dandelion is safe as the only things you could confuse with it are also edible, and you can eat the whole plant. Only the younger leaves should be consumed. The root can be dug up and roasted in a fire. Grind and make into coffee. I would still use a book or two unless I was really familiar with it. I make notes in most of my books as well.

One reason I'm looking at the rankings is so I can study the most abundant ones more.

Hawthorn has very distintive leaves so is easy to ID with a couple of decent books. I mainly use the Wild Food UK book and Wild Flower Key, a classic by Francis Rose. With the latter, doing the keys in reverse, you get a lot of jargon to learn. I have a couple of glossary books including Hickey and King, although WF Key has a decent one in the back with little drawings.