3 Food Staples You Can Make at Home

bread-and-butter

When it comes to cooking, I like to start from scratch. And I mean from scratch. It’s really not so hard. Case in point: in a few simple steps, you can make your own flour, butter and mayonnaise minus the preservatives for a fraction of the cost you’d typically encounter at a grocery store.

Flour

Making flour is as simple as it gets. You know that container of rolled oats you always have on hand to make your morning serving of homemade oatmeal? Using a food processor, grind several cups down to a powdery consistency, and you’re done! Not only is oat flower inexpensive and easy to make, it contains more nutrients than white flour and can even help lower your cholesterol.

Butter

Pour a cup of heavy whipping cream and a tablespoon of sour cream into a food processor and blend at medium speed until the butter starts to solidify and separate from the buttermilk. Using a strainer, drain the buttermilk. Add a cup of ice cold water, continue blending and drain the water. You may have to repeat this part of the process several times until the water that separates appears clear. Blot the butter dry with a towel.

Mayonnaise

Juice a single lemon and pour the liquid into a bowl. Add an egg and a dash of sea salt. Whisk these ingredients together, slowly stirring in a cup of olive oil. If your homemade mayonnaise seems a little too thick, just mix in some water until you reach the consistency you desire.

If you’re on a roll, learn how to make your own sauerkraut, mustard and ketchup as well.

Image: lissalou66