It’s time to clean the fridge

ANCHOVIES AND ANCHOVY PASTE

The most common anchovies are packaged in small flat cans or glass jars and preserved with vegetable oil or olive oil. Or you may have purchased anchovies packed in salt or a tube of anchovy paste. Either way, anchovies are an important ingredient in a classic Caesar dressing, but this dressing only requires maybe half a dozen small fish.

If the anchovies come in a can, remove the fillets, drain the oil and transfer the fillets to a small jar. Label the jar and store it in the refrigerator. Anchovies a pot can be preserved in their oil. The anchovy paste should be refrigerated in its tube. A teaspoon of anchovy paste is equivalent to 1 minced fillet. Refrigerated, anchovies will keep for up to a year.

Ways to Use Anchovies: Anchovies are packed with umami. Add one or two sliced ​​anchovies to onions when sautéing them for tomato-based pasta or pizza sauce. Add a little sliced ​​anchovy to your next vinaigrette, beef stew, seafood chowder, tuna salad or add up to three sliced ​​anchovies to your next batch of deviled eggs. Mix 1 tablespoon of sliced ​​anchovies or anchovy paste with a stick of unsalted butter and season with a little cayenne pepper and fresh lemon juice. Now you have anchovy butter, which is delicious on grilled steaks, salmon or tuna, or, do as the British do, and serve your anchovy butter on toast.

Credit: CHRIS HUNT

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Credit: CHRIS HUNT

APPLESAUCE

Many people use applesauce as a fat substitute in their baking, but when a recipe only calls for 1/2 cup, there’s still plenty of applesauce left in the jar. Applesauce can be stored in its original container. Once opened, it should be refrigerated and used within a week.

Ways to use applesauce: Stir a little applesauce into yogurt in place of the usual fruit or honey. Make an easy applesauce sorbet by whisking together 2 cups cold applesauce, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and the zest of 1 lemon. Whisk until the the sugar dissolves, then pour it into the container of an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Or freeze the mixture in a metal loaf pan lined with foil and, once frozen, use a fork to scrape up the solids until it has a melty consistency.

Turn leftover ingredients into homemade salad dressings.  (From left to right in jars) ranch dressing, chipotle honey vinaigrette, and olive brine vinaigrette.  (Styling by CW Cameron / Chris Hunt for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

Credit: CHRIS HUNT

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Credit: CHRIS HUNT

BUTTERMILK

Buttermilk is a key ingredient for tender cakes and quick breads like cornbread or biscuits. Using it as a pre-soak for dishes like fried chicken also benefits from its tenderizing qualities.

Store buttermilk in the refrigerator in its original carton or pitcher and note the expiration date on the container. I have used buttermilk safely for another week.

Ways to Use Buttermilk: You can find recipes for Old-Fashioned Buttermilk and Ham Bread, a frugal dinner that uses lots of leftover ingredients like stale breadcrumbs and ham. Or make ranch dressing by mixing buttermilk, mayonnaise and sour cream in proportions to achieve the consistency you prefer – starting with equal amounts – then adding 1/2 cup chopped herbs and the juice of a lemon. Season with Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce and salt to taste. Store the finished dressing in a covered jar in the refrigerator and use within 2 days.

CHIPOTLES

Chipotles are dried, smoked jalapeno peppers. At the grocery store, you most often find them packed in adobo sauce. Or you can find dried chipotle peppers. They add both smoky flavor and heat and are a common chili ingredient.

Transfer the chipotles and sauce to a small pot. Label the jar and store it in the refrigerator where it will keep for up to a year. Dried chipotle peppers can be stored in a food-safe plastic bag and stored in your pantry. Dried peppers keep indefinitely.

Ways to use chipotles: Add chipotles to your barbecue sauce, mix them with ground meat for meatballs, burgers or a taco topping, or use them to make a chipotle honey vinaigrette or with maple syrup. In the bowl of a blender, combine 3/4 cup vegetable oil, 6 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 3 tablespoons honey or maple syrup, 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce and 2 pods garlic. Blend until smooth and taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper if necessary. Store the finished dressing in a covered container for up to 3 days. No need to refrigerate.

HONEY AND PURE MAPLE SYRUP

Honey is often used in baked goods, where it helps the finished product stay moist longer than if made with sugar. Pure maple syrup is the gold standard for pancakes.

Honey should be stored tightly covered in its original container at room temperature. Do not refrigerate. Be sure to wipe the pot threads before replacing the lid to make it easier to reopen. Maple syrup should be stored in its original container and refrigerated after opening the bottle. It can also be frozen, provided there is enough space in the container to allow for expansion. If frozen, let it sit at room temperature until warm enough to pour. For freshness and quality, use opened honey and pure maple syrup within 18 months.

Ways to use honey and maple syrup: Either to make a great glaze for grilled or grilled proteins or for roasted vegetables by mixing 1/4 cup honey or maple syrup with 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup dry sherry and one tablespoon each minced garlic and ginger. Or try the chipotle honey or maple syrup vinaigrette above.

Use miso for an umami-filled pasta dish.  (Styling by CW Cameron / Chris Hunt for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

Credit: CHRIS HUNT

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Credit: CHRIS HUNT

MISO

Once a niche ingredient, miso now adds a touch of umami to recipes, from pasta to pesto. If you don’t cook with this Japanese fermented soy paste frequently, you might have a container looking for another use.

Once opened, the container should be refrigerated in its original, tightly closed packaging, where it will keep for at least one year.

Ways to use miso: Mix a tablespoon or two into a bowl of ramen or add some to a jar of purchased pasta sauce. Make a Glaze a sheet pan salmon dinner by mixing 3 tablespoons miso with 2 tablespoons mirin, 1 teaspoon soy sauce and 1 teaspoon vegetable oil. Or make a miso variation on macaroni and cheese. Cook 1 pound of pasta according to package directions. Drain the pasta in a colander, reserving 2 cups of the cooking water. In the pot, heat 1/2 cup miso and 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat, stirring until the miso dissolves. Stir in 8 ounces of low-fat cream cheese and once incorporated with the miso, return the pasta to the pan. Stir until pasta is coated with sauce and season with black pepper. Serve topped with grated parmesan, if desired.

OLIVE BRINE AND PICKLE JUICE

Olive brine and pickle juice are ingredients we throw away without thinking. Olive brine is full of salty umami and pickle brine provides a vinegary kick and can be spicy or sweet.

Refrigerate these ingredients in their original containers or decant them into properly labeled glass jars. Both can be stored for up to a year.

Ways to Use Olive Brine and Pickle Juice: Olive brine is a great secret ingredient for adding flavor to potato salad. Toss hot cooked potatoes with 1/4 to 1/2 cup olive brine and let the potatoes cool, then prepare your dressing, taking into account the salt in the brine.

Or make an olive brine vinaigrette by mixing 1 1/2 cups pure olive oil with 1/4 cup olive brine, 1/4 cup sherry vinegar, 1 tablespoon mustard of Dijon and 1 clove of minced garlic in a jar that closes airtight. Shake to emulsify the dressing, then taste for salt and pepper. Store covered on the counter for up to 3 days.

Make a pickle salad by combining chopped red and green cabbage, carrots and apples. Mix 1/2 cup mayonnaise with 3 tablespoons pickle juice and 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard. Taste and add apple cider vinegar if you need more acidity. Season with hot sauce, salt and pepper to taste. Prepare it with the juice of pickled jalapenos for a spicy variation.

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