What have you made at home only to realize that you are ruined for store bought? A few of mine.
Graham Crackers - I usually use these for crust so I make a batch, crush them and freeze them.
Vanilla Wafers - I usually make these to use in banana pudding. I have to set a limit on how many my husband may eat so there are enough left for the pudding.
Peanut Butter/Chocolate Easter Eggs - I made them for the first time a couple of days ago. With good quality chocolate and a liberal sprinkling of Maldon salt on top they are delicious.
English Muffins - I’ve been making these for years. They are so easy and much better than store bought. I like to make them in rings. For me, they come out too flat when I make them free form.
The first time I made pound cake for my husband he was surprised. He said that he didn’t realize that pound cake could be homemade; he thought it was exclusively store bought.
Jams, jellies and chutneys
Soups & marinara type sauces (mostly)
cocktail sauce - so easy & much cheaper
Brownies (as opposed to mixes)
Cookies
ETA:
Frostings
Whipped cream
True that! I’ve come across an amazing horseradish called Corden’s, which is made in Idaho. Haven’t seen it in my area, because it needs to be in the refrigerated section, so I buy extra when traveling. Gift it to fellow horseradish lovers too.
Not too many things at this point, but soups are the food group that come to mind. Except for Campbell’s chicken noodle soup (which I keep in the house for when I’m sick and need salt and hydration) I can’t abide any commercial soup - oh, I just thought of another one. It’s boxed from Trader Joe’s and also Pacific Foods (which I think makes it for TJ’s) - Roasted Red pepper and tomato soup. I rinse the box out with half and half.
Probably not what you were thinking when asking the question, but these were “made” at home. Tomatoes, grapes. There are other such lovelies too, but I didn’t have handy photos. The difference between these and what can be bought in a store are vast.
A former coworker used to bring this for her lunch on a regular basis. Said it’s the best store-bought she’s ever found. (I’ve found Pacific is spot on with their flavors and seasoning.)
Too many to list, but some of the more common ones in this house include:
Mayonnaise
Harissa
All manner of breads
All manner of broths
Red and white wine vinegar
Garam masala
Tortillas, flour and corn, plus puffy tacos
Most soups, but onion, tomato, mushroom, and minestrone leap to mind
Espresso, cappuccino, and cafe latte
Pappardelle and ravioli
I ordered it from Amazon during the pandemic and we still have a few boxes of it in the basement. We used to love Campbell’s tomato soup - had it with grilled cheese every week. My husband worked a NATO defense project for a long time and we moved to the Netherlands and lived there several years - over the course of living there our tastebuds were definitely changed by the lack of sugar and salt in their food. A good thing. My husband would go to meetings at Ramstein airbase in Germany and could buy groceries at their commissary - tomato soup was always on my list. But over time it became unpalatable for us - too sweet. I was thrilled to find the Pacific roasted red pepper tomato soup!!
Fruitcake - nothing compares to my mother’s recipe - even though when I make it , none of my friends will eat it anyway … it’s just as well, as there is more for me! Store bought is always too dry and not flavorful enough.
