Ditch the Freezer Challenge Day 3

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Day 3 of my Ditch the Freezer Challenge is done, and another four kilos of mince have been moved from the freezer to the pantry shelf.
This batch gave me another 12 pint jars of shelf-stable, ready-to-use mince. That brings my total for the first three days to 12 kilos of mince removed from the freezer and 29 jars of convenient meal starters added to the pantry.
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I can see more empty space appearing in the freezer every day, and it is very encouraging.

That is a very satisfying result for just three days.

Turning Bread Ends into Breadcrumbs
​I also finished drying the bread ends, crusts and stale rolls that had been taking up space in the freezer.

The fire was already going, so I placed the bread on racks above it and let the gentle heat dry it until it was completely crisp. Once it had cooled, I whizzed it into breadcrumbs and filled a jar for the pantry.

I’ve left the breadcrumbs plain. That makes them much more versatile because I can season them to suit whatever I’m cooking.

When I want Italian-style breadcrumbs, I’ll add a teaspoon of my MOO Italian seasoning. I could also add garlic powder, onion powder, dried parsley, paprika, pepper or any other seasoning that suits the meal.

Plain breadcrumbs can be used for:

• Rissoles and meatballs
• Crumbed chicken or fish
• Schnitzels
• Toppings for pasta bakes
• Stuffing
• Homemade sausage rolls
• Thickening savoury mixtures
• Adding texture to vegetable patties

​Breadcrumbs Are Surprisingly Expensive
Breadcrumbs are one of those basic grocery items that don’t seem particularly expensive until you compare the price per kilo.
Generic plain breadcrumbs can cost around $4 a kilo, while branded plain breadcrumbs can cost as much as $18.50 a kilo. Panko crumbs can cost up to $14.50 a kilo, and seasoned crumbs can be even more expensive.

When you look at those prices, saving bread ends doesn’t seem quite so silly.

Bread crusts, stale buns and the odd slice nobody wants to eat can all be turned into a useful pantry staple instead of being thrown away. It costs very little to make, especially when the bread can be dried using heat that is already available.

And because the bread is already paid for, making breadcrumbs helps us receive the full value from our grocery spending.

Another Win for the 10 Cents a Day Challenge
This is a perfect example of how small savings add up.
Saving bread ends may only seem like a tiny thing, but one homemade batch of breadcrumbs can save far more than 10 cents. It also prevents food waste and means one less item needs to go onto the shopping list.

Every jar made at home, every leftover used and every grocery item we don’t need to buy adds to the savings.

That is exactly what the 10 Cents a Day Savings Challenge is about. We don’t need one huge, dramatic saving every day. We simply need to notice the little opportunities and use them.
Make a batch of breadcrumbs and you’ve already saved more than 10 cents.

Little by Little
After three days, I have cleared 12 kilos of mince and a collection of bread ends from the freezer.
In their place, I now have 29 jars of ready-to-use mince and meatballs, along with a jar of homemade breadcrumbs sitting safely on the pantry shelf.

The food hasn’t been wasted. It hasn’t been thrown out. It has simply been moved from frozen storage into useful, shelf-stable pantry ingredients.

Little by little, day by day, the freezer is becoming emptier and the pantry is becoming even more useful.

Take a look in your freezer today. Do you have bread ends, crusts or stale buns tucked away? Turn them into breadcrumbs and add the saving to your 10 Cents a Day Challenge total.