Busy individuals may not have time for cooking during weekends because of work. However, they may not be keen on eating out or getting deliveries because of cost and health concerns. A better solution is to perform batch cooking during the weekends when there is free time. Then the meals can be divided into containers and refrigerated to make them last. Some might even be frozen to ensure freshness later in the week. If you want to finish everything quickly, then you need to plan everything out. Below are some ideas on how to increase your batch cooking efficiency:
Develop a Sustainable Fixed Schedule
Find pockets of time during the weekend that you can set aside for this activity. Try to block it out and prevent anything from disrupting your schedule. What are your other weekend habits? Do you run or go to the gym? Do you have church meetings? Do you have other responsibilities that you need to consider? Everybody has something going on so you just have to try to look for ways to make it fit. Make it sustainable as well by allotting a reasonable amount of time. Too little and you won’t finish the meals. Too much and you will neglect other things.
Plan Your Process to Minimize Idle Time
You don’t always have to hover over the stove or the oven. There are times when you have to back off and let them cook for the prescribed length. Meanwhile, you can start another meal so that you don’t waste time waiting around. If you plan the process before starting, then you can organize your flow and get things done faster.
Set Up Everything You Need Before Starting
Don’t begin with a clear counter. Take out everything that you might need from the ingredients to the kitchen tools so that you won’t get bogged down hunting them later on. Arrange them by dish so that you know what each is for. You could even measure them according to the needs of the recipes. Then you will only need to mix and stir.
Get Help If You Need It
Batch cooking can be intense. You should start with simple recipes that you already know. Just increase the amounts so that they can last for days. Sometimes, however, you might want to try complicated recipes. If you need help, then ask for assistance. An extra pair of hands can cut the cooking time in half.
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