Do you pay a sous chef to do the prep work for your recipes? If you’re buying vegetables, herbs and cheeses already chopped, diced or shredded, then that’s exactly what it amounts to, because your paying for the prep on these items.
When you purchase shredded cheese instead of block, diced and sliced produce versus whole, or minced herbs versus whole fresh herbs, you actually end up paying more for the exact same volume or weight. It can be a difference of just a few cents or even over a dollar, depending on which prepped brands you use.
It may not seem like a big difference in price, but when you add up all the cheese and produce you use in a year, you can save hundreds of dollars simply by purchasing the ingredients whole and prepping them at home with your food processor. Simply use the chopping blade to chop and dice your vegetables and fruits, or the slice/shred disc for sliced produce and shredded cheese.
Of course many people purchase ingredients already prepped, because they don’t want to add extra time cooking in their busy weekday schedules. Our recommendation is to chop, slice and shred directly after you get back from the store, then keep the products fresh in containers or bags. This way, you save money at the store and don’t add time cooking on your busiest days.
Plus, since you prep everything at once, you’re also minimizing your cleanup, because you’re only cleaning your food processor out once, instead of after making every recipe. Armed with your food processor, you can usually finish all of the cutting, slicing and shredding you need for the week in about half an hour; once you’re done, simply load the workbowl and the removable parts in the dishwasher and your cleanup is done.
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