"Waste Not Want Not"

I find when I try out new recipes I waste a lot of ingredients because I dont use them regularly and they go out of date.  Here are a few tips on cutting down on waste in the kitchen and having a few non-store cupboard ingredients at your fingertips.  These are also ingredients I like to add to my soda bread:- 

• Buttermilk/Milk - I freeze left overs in ice cube bags or trays depending on how much I am freezing.  
• Chorizo - I only use about 50 g of cured chorizo in my soda bread and I buy it in 200g packs so I chop it up and freeze it in 50 g portions.  It's also really good in stews and quiches so its a tasty addition to my freezer.
• Cheese - For a cheese soda bread any cheese will work but Cashel blue makes a really hearty bread.  Again you don't need a whole pack so crumble  or grate (depending on the cheese) and freeze it in portions.
• Sun dried tomatoes - yes these freeze too and make a fab soda bread.  Once baked I like to take a slice and top it with a mature cheddar cheese and grill it.
• Lemons - I use lemon rind in my Christmas Soda Bread and both lemon juice & lemon rind freeze really well.  Freeze them separately so you can choose which one you need depending on the recipe.  I use an ice cube tray and when they are set I pop them into a freezer bag.

When freezing anything remember to write on what you are freezing, the quantity e.g. 3 egg whites and the date you need to use it by. i.e. UB 12.01.2020.  I keep a box of freezer bags with a sharpie pen in it on top of the fridge so I always have them to hand.