101 Recipes for Preparing Food In Bulk: Everything You Need to Know About Preparing, Storing, and Consuming

By Richard Helweg

The price of food is rising in a drastic way, and one of the best ways to combat the increasing price of groceries is to start buying in bulk and cooking food in large batches you can store in the freezer for later meals. Besides saving money, cooking in bulk also saves time; you won’t need to figure out what to cook every night with delicious, pre-made meals waiting in your freezer. This book will guide you through every aspect of cooking in bulk to make it as manageable as cooking regular-sized meals. The book details all the essential appliances and utensils you need in your kitchen, and how to take inventory of the supplies and foods you already have. In addition to these basic details you will learn everything you need to know on cooking day – from deciding whether you should cook solo or with a partner to how to prepare, cook, cool and properly store your meals. Once you’re ready to eat your frozen meal, this book tells you how to thaw and reheat each recipe and how to detect foods gone bad. More than 100 recipes are provided to help you cook delicious meals you can make any time during the day, including breakfast, lunch, dinner, soups, salads, appetizers, sides, and sauces. Every recipe includes an ingredient list and specific instructions that take you through the entire bulk cooking process. Tips are even included with several recipes to make healthier or vegetarian versions of the dishes.

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• Language: English
• Publisher: Atlantic Publishing Group Inc.
• Release date: Nov 11, 2011
• ISBN: 9781601387721

Book preview

101 Recipes for Preparing Food in Bulk: Everything You Need to Know About Preparing, Storing, and Consuming

Copyright © 2011 Atlantic Publishing Group, Inc.

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Helweg, Richard, 1956-

101 recipes for preparing food in bulk : everything you need to

know about preparing, storing, and consuming / by Richard Helweg.

p. cm.

ISBN-13: 978-1-60138-360-0 (alk. paper)

ISBN-10: 1-60138-360-6 (alk. paper)

1. Quantity cooking. 2. Cookbooks. I. Title. II. Title: One

hundred and one recipes for preparing food in bulk. III. Title: One

hundred one recipes for preparing food in bulk.

TX820.H44 2011

641.7'9--dc22

2011011087

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Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1: Getting Started

Chapter 2: Food Preservation

Chapter 3: Beverage Recipes

Chapter 4: Breakfast

Chapter 5: Breads

Chapter 6: Lunch

Chapter 7: Snacks

Chapter 8: Appetizers

Chapter 9: Soups and Sauces

Chapter 10: Side Dishes

Chapter 11: Dinner Main Dishes

Chapter 12: Desserts

Conclusion

Appendix A: Conversion Charts

Appendix B: Information & Resources

Appendix C: More Information on Canning

Introduction

There are many reasons why you would consider cooking in bulk and making any of the recipes in this book. There are many good reasons why you will find this book on cooking food in bulk to be a valuable addition to your cookbook library. You may have a garden that produces prodigious amounts of vegetables and/or fruits in the summer months. You might be a member of a local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farm and regularly receive large amounts of produce. Perhaps you regularly take part in potluck dinners where you must prepare a dish to feed a large number of people. You might find that cooking and freezing meals at a time that is convenient for you is a good way to manage those times when you would like to have dinner for your family but you do not have the time to prepare a meal. You might be someone who enjoys taking advantage of sales at supermarkets and purchases meat and produce in large quantities.

This book will take you through the process of preparing to shop, cook, preserve, and serve large amounts of food. This book will guide you through every aspect of cooking in bulk to make it as manageable as cooking regular-sized meals. The book details all the essential appliances and utensils you need in your kitchen, as well as how to take inventory of the supplies and foods you already have. This book provides tips so you know where and how to do your grocery shopping. In addition to these basic details, you will learn everything you need to know to prepare yourself for cooking day, from deciding whether you should cook solo or with a partner, to how to prepare, cook, cool, and properly store your meals. Once you are ready to eat your frozen meal, this book tells you how to thaw and reheat each recipe and how to detect foods gone bad — which probably will not happen if you follow the simple instructions in this book.

Included in this book are more than 100 recipes that detail the ingredients and methods for preparing food for 100 servings. Whether you are making breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, or snacks for a wedding or a soccer team, everything you need to know is here. The companion CD-ROM included in the back of the book has all the recipes in the book plus an additional 1,700 bulk food recipes. Another great feature about the CD-ROM is that it has the ability to scale a recipe. For example, if you are planning a party for 150 guests, simply key in 150 and the recipe will change all the quantities for you.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Getting Started

Planning

Whether you are cooking meals for your family over the course of a week, cooking in bulk for 100 people, or cooking a quantity of food to be frozen for a later date, the better you plan, the easier and more cost-effective your task will be. Planning to make food in bulk will take in numerous factors, all of which will determine how you will proceed with your task, where you will procure your ingredients, how much the venture will cost you, how you will preserve the fruits of your labor, and how and when you may prepare and consume the food you prepare.

HINT: There are many facilities that have commercial kitchens that are underutilized. Consider churches, schools, county extension services, even restaurants that might only be open for dinner. Be creative; all they can do is say no.

A good plan will ensure that you do not find yourself without the proper equipment, ingredients, and space to preserve and/or cook your recipes. If you plan to cook in bulk, you will need to do the following:

Decide what you will be making

Inventory your kitchen for ingredients and equipment you have on hand

Prepare a shopping list of ingredients and equipment you will need to carry out your plan

Prepare your workspace

Set aside the time needed to carry out your plan

Prepare the space you will need to freeze or store any food you make that will not be served immediately

Prepare a way to serve food that will be served immediately

Clean up

If you consider your needs in each of these areas before you proceed with your task, you will save time and money.

Deciding what to make

The factors that will determine what you make will stem from any one of a number of situations. You may have a garden full of tomatoes that are about to ripen, or you may have been asked to bake for a large birthday party. You might have a household full of kids who absolutely love lasagna, but you rarely have the time to make it with your busy schedule. Whatever the reason for your need or desire to cook in bulk, the situation will guide your decisions on how to plan for the task.

Once you decide what it is you would like to prepare, find a recipe that you and your family and friends will love. This book contains more than 100 tested recipes for preparing food in bulk, and the Resources section of the book has detailed instructions on the basics for freezing and canning things from your garden or your kitchen. Know what you are getting into before you begin. Check out the recipes and, if you plan on freezing or canning, go over the resources. This information will help as you proceed to the next steps of your planning.

HINT: Look into wholesale food companies in your area, such as Sysco, Cheney Brothers, and www.bulkfoods.com. Many will deliver to you, and some are open to the general public.

Inventorying your kitchen for ingredients and equipment you have on hand

Before you go out to buy that large stockpot needed to make 100 portions of chicken broth, look around your kitchen. If you are new to cooking large quantities of food, there may be necessary equipment or ingredients you do not have, but before you run out and purchase anything, it is always good to know what you have and what you need. The necessary equipment, like the necessary ingredients, will be dictated by what you plan to make, so be sure you have a solid idea as to your needs based on what you aim to accomplish. It is here that you will start your shopping list. Decide what you are making, and then compare that to what you have so you know what you need to buy. Knowing this information will make putting together your shopping list a little easier, and it may also save you some money.

As you think about your needs prior to embarking on this large-scale cooking adventure, you should consider the important issue of storage space. Although cabinet or shelf space to store jars of canned tomato sauce may not be difficult for you to come up with, you may be hard-pressed to find freezer space to stock 100 portions of chicken pot pie. As you inventory the equipment you have on hand, you should consider the space available in your freezer.

If you are seriously considering upgrading your freezer to handle larger quantities of food, or if you are just due to purchase a new freezer, consider these recommendations provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy:

What else should I look for when buying a freezer?

Ask for an ENERGY STAR model.

When buying a freezer from a retailer, request an ENERGY STAR qualified model to be sure it is energy efficient.

Check the yellow EnergyGuide label.

Use this label to determine the model’s energy use, compare the energy use of similar models, and estimate annual operating costs.

Purchase an appropriately sized freezer.

Generally, the larger the freezer, the greater the energy it consumes. Also, consider whether an upright or chest freezer better meets your needs. An upright freezer has a front-mounted door like a refrigerator and shelves that allow for easy organization. Although a chest freezer typically requires more floor space, it is usually more energy efficient because the door opens from the top and allows less cold air to escape.

Consider a manual defrost model.

Manual defrost freezers use half the energy of automatic defrost models, but they must be defrosted periodically to achieve the energy savings. Do not allow frost to build up more than 1/4 inch.

Best Practices

Follow these guidelines to reduce the amount of energy your freezer uses:

Set the appropriate temperature. Keep the temperature at 0 degrees Fahrenheit.

Avoid extreme temperatures. Unless you live in a mild climate, keep your freezer indoors, such as in the basement. Extreme temperatures are hard on the compressor and can reduce the life of your freezer.

Allow air circulation behind the freezer. Leave a few inches between the wall or cabinets and the freezer.

Check the door seals. Make sure the seals around the door are airtight. If not, replace them.

Keep the door closed. Minimize the amount of time the freezer door is open.

If you buy a new freezer, be sure to recycle your old one. Many appliance retailers will pick up and recycle your old freezer when you purchase a new one.

HINT: Buy produce that is seasonally available and, when possible, buy in bulk. Farmers markets, farm stands, and big box stores often offer substantial savings on seasonal and bulk items.

HINT: When preparing your bulk food shopping list and menu, think about making a little extra for people in need. Consider the elderly, disabled, and anyone in need in these tough economic times. You will feel great about helping others while helping yourselves.

Preparing a shopping list of ingredients and equipment you will need

As you prepare to cook, it is wise to keep the old adage measure twice and cut once in mind. As you make your shopping lists, check them twice. Again, the place to start is with your recipe. Whether you use a recipe from this book or from some other source, be sure to read it over carefully and note your needs. You have already done your in-home inventory, so you know what you have. The recipe will tell you what you need.

If you are new to cooking in bulk, you may not have a lot of the equipment that some of the recipes call for. Rather than running out to purchase a steam-jacketed kettle that many recipes call for, consider using the alternative large stockpot. If you do not own a large stockpot, ask a friend or neighbor to borrow one. If you enjoy the process of cooking food in bulk, then you can go out and purchase a nice stockpot. Also, offer to share some of your soup with the neighbor who allowed you to borrow that pot.

HINT: Big box stores such as Sam’s Club, Costco, and others are ideal for home cooking. Bulk foods cost 30 percent to 95 percent less than similar smaller packaged products.

As you list your equipment needs, think about the equipment you will need that is not indicated in the recipe. Example: If you are making soup, you will need several large slotted spoons and ladles. If you are making baked goods, you may need a spatula or two. Check your knives. Do you have knives that will cut the beef you need to make the stew?

Examine every step of the recipe, and consider the requirements for each step of your activity. The more careful you are about reading your recipe, the less chance there is that you will find you do not have the wire whisk needed to beat the egg whites.

As you start to put together your shopping list of ingredients, there are several things to keep in mind:

Storage

Quantity

Fresh vs. Prepared

Service

Storage — Consider what you will do with the ingredient when you get it home or to the location where you plan on cooking. If you buy large amounts of food that need to remain refrigerated, you need a place to keep them until you are ready to use them. Likewise, if you need freezer space to store those frozen strawberries until you put them on top of cheesecakes, make sure that adequate freezer space is available before you bring anything home from the store.

Quantity — Be very careful to shop for the amount of ingredients you will need. This advice is given not only to be sure you have enough of something, but also so you do not buy too much. One of the primary reasons people cook food in bulk is to save money. You will not be saving money if you throw spoiled food away because you bought too much. On the other hand, if you have space to store that extra 50 pounds of beef that you got a great deal on, by all means, buy and store.

Fresh vs. Prepared — Many of the recipes you will make can

Reviews for 101 Recipes for Preparing Food In Bulk

[billyburgess · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

  It seems like the prices at the grocery store keeping increasing every week, which can be extremely difficult to put food on the table for a large family. In the book 101 Recipes for Preparing Food in Bulk, you’ll learn that cooking in bulk may help you save money. Of course you cannot just jump into this in one day, you need to plan first. You will need to plan out the proper equipment, ingredients, what recipes to use, and the needed space to preserve and cook your recipes. Do a proper inventory of your kitchen, checking for the right spices and other ingredients. For bulk cooking, it’s recommend that you have a freezer, preferably an Energy Star model so it’s energy efficient. You must decide if you have the space for an upright or chest freezer, as a chest freezer takes a lot of floor space.    If you are new to food preservation, don’t worry as chapter two easily explains how to freeze foods. In addiction to the 101 recipes in the book there is a bonus CD with hundreds of more recipes consisting of beverages (Lemonade, etc), breakfast (breakfast pizza, cinnamon rolls, buttermilk pancakes, etc), breads (banana bread, bagels, biscuits), lunch (veggie burger, chili con carne, baked chicken, etc), snacks (yogurt pops, chocolate chip cookies, etc), appetizers (crab cakes, pizza treats, etc), soups and sauces (French onion soap, barbecue sauce, etc), side dishes (mashed potatoes, refried beans, etc) , dinner main dishes (lasagna, meatloaf, baked fish, etc), and desserts (brownies, pumpkin pie, etc).     Preparing Food in Bulk can be the ideal way to save money, or a way to have a great meal planned ahead for a big gathering. There are many great recipes that I am sure you’ll enjoy in this book. My favorite was the coffee recipe, in which I was shocked to learn that you can freeze coffee in plastic microwavable containers or freezing them in ice cube trays. I recommend the book to all!

[heatherms · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

“101 Recipes for Preparing Food in Bulk” by Richard Helweg is a cookbook with a twist; you won’t find a recipe calling for 2 cups of flour… instead you will find it calling for 6 5/8 pounds of flour (for Baking Powder Biscuits, page 91). This book is not for large families, but for anyone who wants to save money and time by purchasing items in bulk and cooking large quantities at one time and freezing it to use later.The author includes what tools and equipment you will need on hand in your kitchen, buying the correct freezer to meet your needs, preparing a shopping list, getting your workspace ready, and cleaning up. He discusses how to freeze foods and how to thaw them. The book is loaded with recipes for beverages, breakfasts, lunches, dinner, side dishes, breads, appetizers, snacks, soups, sauces, and desserts. It also includes a CD-ROM that has all the recipes in the book and hundreds more. Mr. Helweg does a great job of demystifying the job of cooking in bulk. He includes freezing directions at the end of each recipe. The only reason I didn’t give the book five stars is that I didn’t like the way the CD-ROM was set up. I found it difficult to navigate. It would be great if the author set up a website instead (perhaps with a password listed in the book) where the reader could access these recipes in an easier manner.