What does 'homemade' mean to you?

[Morticia]

Serious question. If I were to tell you that this (food item) is homemade what would you think?
I guess the answers may range from I grew the wheat myself to I emptied the store container into the pan on the stove and turned up the heat.
But what does it mean to you? (Of course, there's a story coming...)

 

[JBloggs]

From scratch and homemade are two different things imo. Homemade means you baked it, cooked it, whatever it is. Scratch means no packaging involved.
Both are better than anything else we seem to find today.
I was at stuffmart yesterday and noticed that the "boxed cake" baking section which used to be half an aisle was now a small spot on the shelf, it has now become too much work in today's way of living. I was shocked to see how small it has become.
And that was NOT from scratch, but may have been considered somewhat/semi homemade from the mixing and the baking part of it.

 

[Aspiring Martha]

To me, homemade means made from scratch at home. Not bakery or store-bought. Not a mix. Typically fresh ingredients. Maybe some frozen.
You know my pie crust "issue". I would have a hard time calling a pie that I made homemade (with a clear conscience) if I used a frozen pie crust. However - I would feel just fine calling it homemade if I used canned fruit and had made the crust myself from scratch. (How weird is that?)
Yeah - i think I have pie crust neurosis..

 

[Morticia]

From scratch and homemade are two different things imo. Homemade means you baked it, cooked it, whatever it is. Scratch means no packaging involved.
Both are better than anything else we seem to find today.
I was at stuffmart yesterday and noticed that the "boxed cake" baking section which used to be half an aisle was now a small spot on the shelf, it has now become too much work in today's way of living. I was shocked to see how small it has become.
And that was NOT from scratch, but may have been considered somewhat/semi homemade from the mixing and the baking part of it..

Right. I was thinking I should have said 'from scratch' but then was wondering if that's too far back in the food chain.
I don't grow anything here other than the occasional thyme or rosemary.
But some guests do assume we grow things like blueberries and other fruits.

 

[Lee2014]

Homemade- you made it with your ingredients whatever they be.
From scratch- no box mixes/pudding mix/bisquick etc involved.
You grew the grain yourself? How much land do you have?!? My mom buys the grain and grinds it at home. That's the closest we get to that….

 

[gillumhouse]

Martha - get over it! You made a homemade pie if you made the filling. It is the filling that makes the pie, I rarely eat the crust.
Homemade - I really think from scratch, but have started to think of assembling as homemade in today's world.
My breads, wedding cakes, muffins, rolls, etc are all from scratch. And of course, His Royal Highness' chocolate pudding is from scratch. Back when I made dinners, it impressed the heck out of the guests that I made the pasta in my manicotti "from scratch" - and that is SOOOO freaking easy.

 

[TheBeachHouse]

You did the work yourself.
I think there is a difference between homemade and from scratch.
So, what is the story???

 

[Morticia]

Homemade- you made it with your ingredients whatever they be.
From scratch- no box mixes/pudding mix/bisquick etc involved.
You grew the grain yourself? How much land do you have?!? My mom buys the grain and grinds it at home. That's the closest we get to that…..

I do get locally milled flours!
No, this was pudding. I love making pudding. The guy I served it to told me he was just talking about pudding and how he hadn't made it in awhile.
I said the breakfast pudding was home made. His is too. He opens a box of My-T-Fine and pours in the milk.
So I backed up a bit and said how I made it without a mix. His friend perked up and wanted to know how. So I told her. Said she could also make butterscotch. Or mint chocolate. She was tickled.
He was still thinking I opened a box of pudding mix.
So it's 'homemade' if I open the box and pour in the milk but it's 'from scratch' if I assemble all the ingredients myself and it's 'store bought' if I just scrape out one of those pudding pops into a bowl?
;-)

 

[Morticia]

To me, homemade means made from scratch at home. Not bakery or store-bought. Not a mix. Typically fresh ingredients. Maybe some frozen.
You know my pie crust "issue". I would have a hard time calling a pie that I made homemade (with a clear conscience) if I used a frozen pie crust. However - I would feel just fine calling it homemade if I used canned fruit and had made the crust myself from scratch. (How weird is that?)
Yeah - i think I have pie crust neurosis...

Yeah - i think I have pie crust neurosis..

So true. We'll help you over that. Stick around.

 

[JBloggs]

Martha - get over it! You made a homemade pie if you made the filling. It is the filling that makes the pie, I rarely eat the crust.
Homemade - I really think from scratch, but have started to think of assembling as homemade in today's world.
My breads, wedding cakes, muffins, rolls, etc are all from scratch. And of course, His Royal Highness' chocolate pudding is from scratch. Back when I made dinners, it impressed the heck out of the guests that I made the pasta in my manicotti "from scratch" - and that is SOOOO freaking easy..

Martha - get over it! You made a homemade pie if you made the filling. It is the filling that makes the pie, I rarely eat the crust.
Homemade - I really think from scratch, but have started to think of assembling as homemade in today's world.
My breads, wedding cakes, muffins, rolls, etc are all from scratch. And of course, His Royal Highness' chocolate pudding is from scratch. Back when I made dinners, it impressed the heck out of the guests that I made the pasta in my manicotti "from scratch" - and that is SOOOO freaking easy.

agreed.
I think if I made a banana cream pie from pudding, cream, half n half, bananas after baking a pie crust, then it would be homemade. I made it at home, for darn sure.

 

[MtnKeeper]

I'm not sure I'd really care what someone called it so long as it was good. My scones are sometimes completely from scratch and other times they start with KA cream scone mix. When I make them I add in wonderful dried cherries and almond extract. I certainly know how to make scones from scratch but their mix bakes up wonderfully that I often use the mix. When my husband serves them, he says these are my wife's cherry almond scones, no mention of homemade or from scratch, etc. Now I do always make my own homemade granola and blueberry sauces which I know he does stress in his presentation.
Again, I'm more into everything tasting great and not caring how it started but certain foodies may care.

 

[JBloggs]

I'm not sure I'd really care what someone called it so long as it was good. My scones are sometimes completely from scratch and other times they start with KA cream scone mix. When I make them I add in wonderful dried cherries and almond extract. I certainly know how to make scones from scratch but their mix bakes up wonderfully that I often use the mix. When my husband serves them, he says these are my wife's cherry almond scones, no mention of homemade or from scratch, etc. Now I do always make my own homemade granola and blueberry sauces which I know he does stress in his presentation.
Again, I'm more into everything tasting great and not caring how it started but certain foodies may care..

I'm not sure I'd really care what someone called it so long as it was good. My scones are sometimes completely from scratch and other times they start with KA cream scone mix. When I make them I add in wonderful dried cherries and almond extract. I certainly know how to make scones from scratch but their mix bakes up wonderfully that I often use the mix. When my husband serves them, he says these are my wife's cherry almond scones, no mention of homemade or from scratch, etc. Now I do always make my own homemade granola and blueberry sauces which I know he does stress in his presentation.
Again, I'm more into everything tasting great and not caring how it started but certain foodies may care.

What's cookin' good lookin'...
Personally, you have no idea how much I myself would appreciated your home-made from scratch cooking. People don't seem to care about anything like that as much these days, which is why they waste so much food, if you made it I would eat every drop!
"Cook for me!" I type that as the Phantom said "Sing for me..." I love homecookin' !

 

[Generic]

Home made - Made at home, can include mixes if adulterated.
Made from scratch - Made from home from basic ingredients, no mixes involved.
Home baked - Baked from frozen.
Freshly baked - See home baked with a time component.

 

[Aspiring Martha]

Martha - get over it! You made a homemade pie if you made the filling. It is the filling that makes the pie, I rarely eat the crust.
Homemade - I really think from scratch, but have started to think of assembling as homemade in today's world.
My breads, wedding cakes, muffins, rolls, etc are all from scratch. And of course, His Royal Highness' chocolate pudding is from scratch. Back when I made dinners, it impressed the heck out of the guests that I made the pasta in my manicotti "from scratch" - and that is SOOOO freaking easy..

Hey, be nice. It's a bug in my operating system.

 

[Flower]

I'm not sure I'd really care what someone called it so long as it was good. My scones are sometimes completely from scratch and other times they start with KA cream scone mix. When I make them I add in wonderful dried cherries and almond extract. I certainly know how to make scones from scratch but their mix bakes up wonderfully that I often use the mix. When my husband serves them, he says these are my wife's cherry almond scones, no mention of homemade or from scratch, etc. Now I do always make my own homemade granola and blueberry sauces which I know he does stress in his presentation.
Again, I'm more into everything tasting great and not caring how it started but certain foodies may care..

Would the term clean eating mean home made? I wonder if that word today would cover the word Home made.
From Farm to table!

 

[Lee2014]

Homemade- you made it with your ingredients whatever they be.
From scratch- no box mixes/pudding mix/bisquick etc involved.
You grew the grain yourself? How much land do you have?!? My mom buys the grain and grinds it at home. That's the closest we get to that…..

I do get locally milled flours!
No, this was pudding. I love making pudding. The guy I served it to told me he was just talking about pudding and how he hadn't made it in awhile.
I said the breakfast pudding was home made. His is too. He opens a box of My-T-Fine and pours in the milk.
So I backed up a bit and said how I made it without a mix. His friend perked up and wanted to know how. So I told her. Said she could also make butterscotch. Or mint chocolate. She was tickled.
He was still thinking I opened a box of pudding mix.
So it's 'homemade' if I open the box and pour in the milk but it's 'from scratch' if I assemble all the ingredients myself and it's 'store bought' if I just scrape out one of those pudding pops into a bowl?
;-)
.

…..and its make it yourself if you hand them the stuff!

 

[muirford]

I'm not sure I'd really care what someone called it so long as it was good. My scones are sometimes completely from scratch and other times they start with KA cream scone mix. When I make them I add in wonderful dried cherries and almond extract. I certainly know how to make scones from scratch but their mix bakes up wonderfully that I often use the mix. When my husband serves them, he says these are my wife's cherry almond scones, no mention of homemade or from scratch, etc. Now I do always make my own homemade granola and blueberry sauces which I know he does stress in his presentation.
Again, I'm more into everything tasting great and not caring how it started but certain foodies may care..

Would the term clean eating mean home made? I wonder if that word today would cover the word Home made.
From Farm to table!
.

Would the term clean eating mean home made? I wonder if that word today would cover the word Home made.
From Farm to table!

Clean eating = healthy, whole, unprocessed foods. Not so much homemade as not 'made'.
http://www.cookinglight.com/eating-smart/smart-choices/clean-eating

 

[Skamokawa]

My home made is not from mix or commercial pie dough, rolls in a tube or that kind of thing. Local eggs, meat, fish and produce in season - best possible if out of season.
So mixes other than home made would not count for me.
My short cuts are the gear I use to produce - primarily the mixer for the bread and the new food processor for nut butters, biscuit dough - and I'm finding more as I go along. The electronics are a huge help to hand pain. I want to be able to keep doing this for a long time.
There is a bakery I buy macaroons from if I am short of time. If guests comment - and they do- I send them there for more.

 

[Skamokawa]

I'm not sure I'd really care what someone called it so long as it was good. My scones are sometimes completely from scratch and other times they start with KA cream scone mix. When I make them I add in wonderful dried cherries and almond extract. I certainly know how to make scones from scratch but their mix bakes up wonderfully that I often use the mix. When my husband serves them, he says these are my wife's cherry almond scones, no mention of homemade or from scratch, etc. Now I do always make my own homemade granola and blueberry sauces which I know he does stress in his presentation.
Again, I'm more into everything tasting great and not caring how it started but certain foodies may care..

Hmmmm hadn't thought of KA, haven't used them yet but frequently think of using their GF mixes, but never in time to get an order done.
Its the quality thing. Foodies can tell the difference. I don't really think of myself as a foodie but often in a restaurant or elsewhere - you just know - if the ingredients came from Sysco or more thoughtfully sourced.
The older I get the more I care. Rant over.

 

[2cat_lady]

Homemade- made in the 'home', not bought ready-made.
From scratch- no mixes or shortcuts. At least that's what it means to me.
People can tell. I've often been told about how much people appreciate the extra effort gone into their meal. And they're not afraid to ask if you can make the same thing when they come back for another visit.