The return of the mustard thread got me thinking, why do most people buy what can easily be made? I am thinking mustard, mayonnaise, butter, hot sauce, pasta, tortillas, and others. In many cases, making it at home is both better and costs less. For many, I assume it is either more convenient to buy or they don’t understand how easy somethings are to make. Is that it or are there other reasons?
Making mustard or butter? That’s a bit crazy and unlikely to yield better results than the French.
But certainly I do make mayo, pasta sauce, hummus, pesto, salad dressings, etc as it’s easy and way better than store bought.
Most Americans don’t even know how good homemade sauces and spreads can be. And of course the convenience aspect - most also eat fast food regularly.
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I have made pasta, pesto, pasta (including filled), pasta sauce, pizza dough, stock.
Of all those I only make pasta sauce, pizza dough & stock on a moderately frequent basis. Two elements are key in that
- they’re not at all difficult / inconvenient to make
- The bought equivalents can be dire in quality, and/or contain ingredients they really don’t need.
Pasta isn’t difficult, but I find it more of a faff than pizza dough, filled is even more of a faff.
As for pasta sauce, we often prefer the minimalist ‘butter and sage’, with a few toasted pine nuts.
Pesto limited by availability of decent basil, though I’ve also made rocket pesto using garden rocket.
The general answer is laziness and lack of knowledge, but also many people are busy and don’t prioritize those things. A few on this list, though, are not practical for most people.
Have you ever made butter from scratch? I have, it SUCKS lol. I will happily buy butter.
Homemade pasta is great, but often dried pastas are preferable for a dish and they are much cheaper to buy, and nearly impossible to make at home. I have made fresh pasta many times and while its fun, its not for everyone
I would also never try to make my own ketchup, and while I’ve attempted to make a proper jewish deli dill pickle a number of times, it’s easier and cheaper for me to just buy them.
asian condiments like gochujang or tamari, miso or black bean paste or fish sauce? im not making those at home either.
However, things like mayo, pasta sauce, salad dressings are always homemade. I also make my own ferments and use them, super simple and delicious.
Yes. There is a bit of a learning curve but it is steep and I like the results.
My list wasn’t all inclusive, just a list to explain my question. My own list of what I make is longer and includes pickles, cured meats (both quick like bacon and longer like salami), grinding meat for hamburger and making fresh sausages, vinegar, chile powder from fresh chiles, and BBQ sauces. Now that I have a source for raw milk, will try cheese. Not to make this a competition, I like doing this and am curious why others who really enjoy food don’t do more.
I really like food, and cook most of my meals, and feel like I do as much as I can within my limited means. A lot of it has to do with practicality. That’s cool that you make your own sausages and cured meats, but I don’t eat those things nearly enough to necessitate the equipment investment or the time, nor do I have the storage. I don’t feel like I should be doing more because I buy those things. I would say an average meal for me contains maybe 1 pre bought condiment or prepared ingredient tops, the majority of what I eat has been made from scratch.
Cottage cheese is definitely another one that’s way better at home and super easy.
As far as your list, clearly spending time in the kitchen is a hobby for you. Some people also like to grow their own pumpkins and milk their own cows and mill their own flour to make pumpkin pie. All that stuff is well and good, but it’s far beyond simply being a foodie.
I make
- a red wine BBQ sauce
- tomato sauce for pasta
- turkey stock but only after we have a turkey
- Fish stock occasionally, it’s harder to buy than beef or chicken
Like most people it’s a trade off between effort and quality of available commercial products.
Tell me more about the homemade cottage cheese.
My wife loves the stuff but complains about the store bought stuff.
I make things when the quality is enough better to justify the time, effort, and cleanup. Hummus, Yogurt, ghee, spicy pickles, dried herbs, some stocks, etc- but many things I don’t use enough of to bother- e.g. kewpie (w msg) is good enough for my limited mayo use, and I use multiple different mustards for different purposes, which I am satisfied with.
What brands are available in your area? And what doesn’t she like about them? Just curious -I eat a fair amount of cottage cheese .
Never made it , but this thread and previous posts made me want to go look for a low-fat cottage cheese recipe.
Going to try this
I was buying cucumber salad from a place I like, but it got a bit pricey. Now I make my own. It takes just a few minutes
I have made all of the things you mention, multiple times, and made other things as well (various breads, sausages, yogurt, fresh cheese, duck confit, pestos, chutneys, masala mixes, liqueurs, etc.). I enjoy food and cooking and cook most meals at home. I’m a scientist by training, so learning how to do new things is totally engaging for me. But I work a (more than!) full-time job, keep a large garden, have a high-maintenance dog, and volunteer for non-profits. If you spend your time making stuff from scratch, obviously you (a) have the leisure time for that, and (b) have chosen to spend your leisure time in that way. I manage my time differently. I don’t make things from scratch a lot of the time, particularly if a good product is available locally for purchase. For example, I can buy excellent breads, sausages, jams, pestos, and cheeses made locally from locally raised produce/meats. I can even get good local corn tortillas made from New England-grown organic corn. And I try to grow at least some of the things I eat, because ingredients matter to me maybe more than if I actually made something from them–hence I also support a local CSA.
I also recognise that I (and obviously you) have the luxury of spending time in a chosen leisure activity. This is not something that everyone has.
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To be fair, it sounds like you eat a very clean, low fat, maybe low sugar, etc diet so it would stand to reason that things with very low flavor like store bought cottage cheese would taste normal to you while others may not be satisfied.
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Not really but no way I’m eating that . Way too heavy/riuch for me. I usually mix coatttge cheese with other things, and add pepper as minimum if by itself .
I have no idea how to make these items. And I wouldn’t be sure how long they stay fresh/safe. E.g., freshly made mayo keeps in the fridge just fine?
For me it’s time, but I do love the quality and taste of making some of these items.
Peanut butter is a great one to make it home…. just one step and doesn’t include the sugars that often are added in store bought varieties.
Ricotta is another one I learned about recently. Super simple and soooo tasty!
I love cottage cheese so now I have to go down that path. 
I’ve never considered making it.
I keep it for months sometimes, literally. I’m not sure why it keeps so long or what would cause it to go bad, but I haven’t found it.
But you’re right, a lot of freshly made stuff doesn’t keep very long. In fact most mayo recipes say it only keeps for a few days. I do use local pasture eggs rather than commercial eggs, which definitely could be a difference.
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