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I was sorting out some of mine today and got the idea for this post. Just about everyone has something that they use on a regular basis, and there are single serving packs for it all out there. Every time I go to a fast food place or a Quick Mart for fast food, I get extra condiment packs with my meals. I have a collection of just about every condiment, sauce, and syrup that is available that we use on a regular basis for that extra zip that we all look for when we eat.
Even if it just a simple hotdog off the roller food rack at the local Speedway, I get a couple packs of mayo, relish, BBQ sauce, etc, etc, besides my regular mustard pack. The cashier never even raises an eyebrow when I do. Coffee to go at McDonalds...extra sugar and cream packs, and if I get the hotcakes and sausage then it's extra butter and syrup. Sauce for your chicken tenders at the local chicken shack (we have a few different ones around here)...always asking for an extra BBQ or Honey Mustard if I can get it and Ranch for the wife when she's along for the ride. Taco Bell sauce packs when TexMex dishes need an extra bit of heat.
Even at work I find extra packs left over when a group food order comes into the mill at lunch time from any number of the local resturants. They used to throw theese things away, but I take what is left over, and nobody complains. My favorite one is Daisey Sour Cream packs from one when the orders include baked potato with the meal. We even have cold item vending machines that have an assortment of salads and sandwiches, and sometimes the items have condiment packs inside. Often enough there may be a person or two that don't care for that particular one, and so it gets left behind on the counter tops next to the microwave ovens in the vending area. I don't let it go to waste. The lists go on and on.
Of course around here we have a wholesale place that sells bulk items, and they're open to the public. I get boxes of condiment packs about once a year for some of the simple items that we go through on a regular basis like catchup and mustard. Now we do use the bottled and jarred items here at the house. The single serving packs get mostly used for lunches at work and school where it is not practical to carry a jar of mayo or a bottle of steak sauce.
And in the event of a worst case SHTF event like an EMP attack where we lose the electric grid, these single serving packs will be the best thing going for condiments since they don't require refrigeration to keep.
Unlike spices and herbs though, even the condiment packs have a shelf life because of their packaging, so I rotate through mine pretty well so as to keep them fairly fresh.
So what about some of you ? Do you keep a running stock of these little gems as part of your regular food storage to go along with the salt, pepper, and other spices to liven up some rather bland meals when needed ?
What are some of the things you store ? And do any of you have a place where you get these that others might not have thought about looking for them there ?
Please share your thoughts and experiences with us on these simple taste enhancers so we all can be better prepared in our food storage. :)
Even if it just a simple hotdog off the roller food rack at the local Speedway, I get a couple packs of mayo, relish, BBQ sauce, etc, etc, besides my regular mustard pack. The cashier never even raises an eyebrow when I do. Coffee to go at McDonalds...extra sugar and cream packs, and if I get the hotcakes and sausage then it's extra butter and syrup. Sauce for your chicken tenders at the local chicken shack (we have a few different ones around here)...always asking for an extra BBQ or Honey Mustard if I can get it and Ranch for the wife when she's along for the ride. Taco Bell sauce packs when TexMex dishes need an extra bit of heat.
Even at work I find extra packs left over when a group food order comes into the mill at lunch time from any number of the local resturants. They used to throw theese things away, but I take what is left over, and nobody complains. My favorite one is Daisey Sour Cream packs from one when the orders include baked potato with the meal. We even have cold item vending machines that have an assortment of salads and sandwiches, and sometimes the items have condiment packs inside. Often enough there may be a person or two that don't care for that particular one, and so it gets left behind on the counter tops next to the microwave ovens in the vending area. I don't let it go to waste. The lists go on and on.
Of course around here we have a wholesale place that sells bulk items, and they're open to the public. I get boxes of condiment packs about once a year for some of the simple items that we go through on a regular basis like catchup and mustard. Now we do use the bottled and jarred items here at the house. The single serving packs get mostly used for lunches at work and school where it is not practical to carry a jar of mayo or a bottle of steak sauce.
And in the event of a worst case SHTF event like an EMP attack where we lose the electric grid, these single serving packs will be the best thing going for condiments since they don't require refrigeration to keep.
Unlike spices and herbs though, even the condiment packs have a shelf life because of their packaging, so I rotate through mine pretty well so as to keep them fairly fresh.
So what about some of you ? Do you keep a running stock of these little gems as part of your regular food storage to go along with the salt, pepper, and other spices to liven up some rather bland meals when needed ?
What are some of the things you store ? And do any of you have a place where you get these that others might not have thought about looking for them there ?
Please share your thoughts and experiences with us on these simple taste enhancers so we all can be better prepared in our food storage. :)
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