Most Expensive Ingredients

[ChanellG]

The most expensive has to be saffron. I could live without it but would rather not. I also use Yuzu juice and Truffle oil. I wish I could afford fresh truffles! Funnily enough, sun-dried tomatoes aren't very expensive in the UK. I can by a jar 280g (10oz) for £1.50 (thats just over 2 US dollars, I think). But these are the type in oil. For the dry dried ones its about the same price for 100g (3.5 oz). I reckon you could make your own though, especially in a hot climate. You can do them in a slow oven for twelve hours. Or if you have a dehydrator (not many of us do, including me!) its about 8 hrs.

The expense of saffron is precisely why I am determined to grow my own saffron crocus plants in the back yard! The problem with my hot climate is that it is also a very humid one. When I figure out how to combat the moisture (maybe a solar dryer with a fan?) I'll be ready to make my own sun-dried tomatoes. I love the flavor of them!

good saffron,foie gras,some times white truffles occasionally ,Halibut and good fillet steak,is never the cheapest,lobster and scallops ,and then theres plenty of top end ingredients that are outside of most budgets high end caviars ,some of the wild mushrooms we buy are not the cheapest i.e. girrolles and cepes
good vanilla pods are not the cheapest but a good addition to some dishes

I still toy with the idea of growing vanilla orchids. I think I would have to create a special "environment" or micro-climate for them to be able to survive the crazy weather here. I have growing information someplace, maybe it's time to revisit that idea... I'm sure they are perennial, it's just a matter of keeping the plants happy.

Well right now we live in Japan (husband is working here) so the most expensive stuff is all the imported stuff!
I've seen American cereal being sold for $10 a box which blows my mind...needless to say I've added a lot of Japanese dishes to my repertoire!

If I lived in Japan I would be eating sushi just about every day, lol! I don't really eat cereal so I wouldn't have to worry about that. I suppose I don't really eat "American food" per se, so I wouldn't be missing out. I'd be spending my money on tea, interesting spices, and lots of pearl sake

Yep - saffron, truffle oil, wild mushrooms are all good ones.
Sundried tomatoes and pine nuts are also very good ones...

Pine nuts! I love those, but they are certainly not cheap! I've wanted to start sneaking around the yards of people who grow pine trees here to see if I can find any, lol. Someone told me though of a place I can get them at a good price so I just have to make the time to go and check it out. Maybe one of these days I will actually make pesto!

 

[Morning Glory]

The expense of saffron is precisely why I am determined to grow my own saffron crocus plants in the back yard! The problem with my hot climate is that it is also a very humid one. When I figure out how to combat the moisture (maybe a solar dryer with a fan?) I'll be ready to make my own sun-dried tomatoes. I love the flavor of them!

I actually did grow my own saffron crocuses and collected the saffron. The amount you get per crocus is miniscule, so unless you grow a field of them its hardly worth the effort. Its also very labour intensive to gather the saffron strands (hence the high price).

 

[ChanellG]

I actually did grow my own saffron crocuses and collected the saffron. The amount you get per crocus is miniscule, so unless you grow a field of them its hardly worth the effort. Its also very labour intensive to gather the saffron strands (hence the high price).

Well, the amount you use isn't that much, but if I were to grow them for food use, I would definitely grow enough to make it worthwhile. I used to tend an herb garden for a restaurant and I may do it again (different place) in the spring. I have also considered growing stuff from home as it's easier than having to travel back and forth. The plants are perennial, so it's not like you grow them once and have to replace them. All gardening is labor intensive.