The DIY Diner: Six Refrigerator Staples You Didn’t Know You Could Make

The DIY Diner: Six Refrigerator Staples You Didn’t Know You Could Make

1. Butter

With a good blender and some heavy cream anyone can be well on their way to homemade butter. Homemade butter tastes wonderful, is creamier than sticks of butter, and can be salted or flavored to taste. Those who love spice can mix peppers like jalapeno into their butter to infuse it with heat. Once the butter is blended out of the milk, the cook will be left with buttermilk, which has dozens of applications.

2. BBQ Sauce

A delicious BBQ sauce can be made using simple ingredients such as ketchup, sugar, vinegar, onion, garlic, and a variety of spices. There are many BBQ sauce recipes to suit a variety of tastes, and making BBQ sauce at home enables the cook to craft a special sauce that’s perfect for them. Thicker sauces can be created for dipping and thinner sauces can be used for marinades.

3. Salsa

Fresh salsa is miles apart from store bought salsa, and there are many different things that can be added. Tomatoes, onions, peppers, and spices comprise the bulk of salsa but other items can be added such as fresh fruit like peaches and mangoes. Homemade salsa also allows the cook to tailor the sauce to their own preferred heat level, such as adding hot sauce to make it exceptionally hot.

4. Sour Cream

Many people don’t realize that sour cream can be made at home. This can be an extraordinarily useful realization because sour cream is often forgotten at the grocery store while shopping for dinner. Heavy cream combined with either buttermilk or vinegar and then left to stand will turn into delicious and versatile sour cream, which can be mixed with sugar to be served with fruit, or served normally with items like burritos and baked potatoes.

5. Ketchup

Ketchup is surprisingly easy to make, and is comprised primarily of tomatoes, sugar, vinegar, and onions. When these ingredients are thrown into a blendtec blender and blended finely, a cook can get healthy homemade ketchup in a matter of minutes. Since store bought ketchup involves a lot of sugar this is a great way to make healthier ketchup for family and kids.

6. Pasta Sauce

Pasta sauce is one of the best things to make at home. Tomatoes, onions, and Italian spices can all be combined to make a delicious, natural sauce. Homemade tomatoes can also be used to make the pasta sauce entirely authentic. Meat can be added later for a traditional and robust spaghetti sauce.