Explaining Culinary Choices in a College Studio Apartment

Thrifty, crafty, quick home food hacks for busy PhD students

As a college student on a budget, I wondered if certain kitchen practices made sense under scrutiny. I also wanted to lessen how much I ordered takeout or went to a restaurant. Was I actually saving time or money? Was it scaled okay for my studio apartment? I don't aspire to be a home cook, but I consider this beyond everyday knowledge.

I based some assumptions on my personal preferences. For the most part, I would buy and eat these products anyway. These alternatives need some investment in both cookware and prep time. Whether these are worth it is subjective, but I try to explain.

Is it worth growing your own green onions from scraps?

Green onions, or scallions, are the perfect garnish for soups, noodles, and curries. They’re also easy to grow from cutoffs. I don’t have the space to grow them from seeds. Yet growing them from scraps requires minimal intentional effort.

I have two pots with soil that can comfortably grow about 6 bulbs each. I water heavily once per week. I’ve been able to get about 3 to 5 harvests per bulb before they start getting too thin. 

Assuming the grocery store price is $0.99, you would reach the breakeven point in about a month.

Growing scallions to add to different dishes.

Yes, it’s worth growing your own green onions from scraps. It isn’t infinite food, but it’s a good way to round out dishes.

Is it worth making your own almond milk?

I rarely drink almond milk by itself, but it’s good in vegan smoothies or to splash into drinks, hot or cold.

A glass pitcher, blender, mesh strainer, and mixing bowl are all required to make almond milk at home.

A 2-pound bag of almonds was about $13. A half-gallon of almond milk is usually $2.99.

Each cup of almonds is about 130 g, so a 2-pound bag is about 7 cups. I get about a gallon out of each cup of almonds, so that’s seven gallons from each 2-pound bag.

1. I soak a cup of almonds for a few hours. 
2. Drain. 
3. Add about 64 oz of filtered water and set the blender on crush for about a minute. 
4. Repeat until the pitcher is full.

I don’t measure the vanilla or sugar if I even add them at all. The remaining pulp can be added to overnight oats or smoothies, but it doesn’t taste like much.

Homemade almond milk requires a good shake.

That comes down to about $1.86 per gallon of almond milk. Plus you also get the pulp and reduce the paper and plastic waste from buying half-gallons. Each half-gallon of homemade almond milk runs for about $0.93, so it’s about three times cheaper to make your own. I prefer the taste and texture of homemade almond milk that's smooth, frothy, and earthy.

Yes, it’s worth it to make your own almond milk with the caveat of having all the required kitchenware.

Is it worth pickling your own vegetables?

To be honest, I rarely ate pickles, but I do like kimchi and sauerkraut.

A dozen mason jars cost $14. I use a dry-erase marker to date the contents. Vinegar, salt, and sugar are already essentials.. I’m a vegetarian, so my fridge and pantry are usually stocked with different vegetables.

1. In this example, I just used carrots and onions. 
2. I cut the vegetables into small sticks.
3. My brine was a cup of vinegar, about 1.5 cups of water, and a tablespoon of brown sugar and salt. 
4. Bring it to a boil, then pour over the vegetables.
5. Seal the jar, then let it cool to room temperature.
6. Store in the fridge, and use a fork to remove pickled vegetables.

Quick pickled carrots and onions sticks.

Maybe, it’s worth quick pickling vegetables for side dishes, add-ons, or snacks. I want to experiment with different brine ratios and different vegetables.

Discussion

I live in Seattle where groceries can get expensive. Not having a car also makes bulk buying more challenging. Anything that reduces the number of trips to the store is helpful. Reducing packaging waste is a bonus, and the savings add up.

I hope this blog will inspire some little-c creativity in me. Little-c creativity is about finding modifiable solutions that lead to innovations. I hope to connect some theory to these mini-experiments in my blogs. I hope to make discoveries, useful and otherwise, balancing a few different metrics, criteria, or gut feelings.