Seven foods that are soaring in price, and what to cook with instead

We are heading for a summer of shortages because of the Iran crisis, according to experts. Key members of the food industry say that lack of availability and the rising costs of diesel, other energy sources and inputs such as fertiliser, will significantly affect the summer season. We’re not used to going without and expect all kinds of fruit and veg shelves year-round. But, unfortunately, that’s not the case so here are seven smart swaps for some of our favourite foods and drinks, all of which are expected to be affected by shortages and price rises. (Photo: Ben Edmonds)

Buy lettuce instead of bagged leaves

Britain’s veg growers have warned that because so many of our fruit and veg growers use glasshouses to produce during inclement weather, they’ve been badly affected by rising energy prices and may even choose to stop growing over the coming months, afraid of losing money over the season as a whole. This might happen over the next one to two months, but you could get a head start by growing your own lettuces, which are really simple to nurture from a plant (rather than seeds, which it’s a bit late to sow, though not out of the question). Brookside Plant Nursery has iceberg, little gem, butterhead and mixed leaf lettuces from £6.99 for 10 plants, so that’s under £1 per lettuce. You don’t need much space to grow a few lettuces, and it’s a regular, small joy to harvest your own leaves before eating them. If growing-your-own isn’t for you, there are still ways to save money. If you usually buy bags of leaves for example, which cost over £1, buy whole lettuces instead, which tend to be under a pound for more product. Wash and dry the leaves well and put in a tub or bag with some kitchen towel to absorb any excess moisture, then store in your veg drawer. (Photo: Getty)

Quit fizzy water and try making Tepache instead

The UK is facing a potential carbon dioxide shortage this year, driven by high energy prices, reduced European fertilizer production, and disruption to shipping lanes. It could significantly affect a great number of industries, from healthcare to energy – and might also mean we might run out of bubbles to add to our beloved beer, cola and bottled fizzy water. You could buy a Soda Stream and enough CO2 cylinders to keep you in fizzy pop for the foreseeable, but this won’t save you money. Why not use the time to wean you and your loved ones off cans of soda instead, and experiment with fruity ferments that have a fizzy, funky edge? You can make Tepache, for example, a Mexican drink, by putting pineapple rinds and some sugar into a large jar for just a few days. The result is a deeply sweet and fruity drink with a slight fizz that’s a great substitute for an afternoon beer or BBQ cocktail. (Photo: Getty)

Try jarred peppers and aubergines instead of fresh

Although you won’t get the crunch from jarred peppers that you do from fresh, buying peppers and aubergine ready cooked can work out much cheaper. Although they tend to cost slightly more per kilo when you look at the cost of a jar, each one has lost plenty of water weight during the cooking process. Plus the hard work of the roasting and cooking has been done for you. They also look instantly impressive as a snack or starter plate if you put a few roast peppers or aubergines on top of salted yoghurt or whipped feta and garnish with some herbs and oil. Karyatis is a decent brand that balances affordability and quality. (Photo: Getty)

Cherish tomatoes, and grow your own

Going without tomatoes all summer would make me very sad indeed. I don’t think there are any really great alternatives for tomatoes, but there are some handy workarounds. As with salad leaves, growing your own tomatoes is fun, easy and brings great rewards. In the UK however, tomato plants do need a period of sunshine so often appear later on in the summer. If you are cooking with them, turn to tinned. As well as chopped and plum tomatoes, it’s easy to find decent cherry tomatoes in tins, which are lovely if you want some texture in a smooth pasta sauce, and great baked in the oven with fish or cheese. I am an obsessive ratatouille maker but am always happy to make it with tinned tomatoes. If you really do desire fresh, keep costs down by treating them with due respect. Slicing tomatoes thinly and plating up with fresh basil, oil and lots of salt, will make them go further. (Photo: Getty)

Make potato pie instead of steak pie

This is a nostalgic one for me. Please bear with if you’re thinking that potatoes are most definitely not a substitute for meat! Potato pie is the recipe my Grandma most often made for me and my sisters. It’s very simple and we loved it, and it would certainly be an easy sell-in at any family meal time. It’s a Lancashire recipe, developed during other times when there was little meat, because of cost and rationing. The point of this “pie” was that it wasn’t really a pie at all but a stew with a top of sliced potatoes. Inside were more potatoes, probably carrots, and scant slivers of stewing steak. The price of meat is going up for a variety of reasons, including the higher cost of diesel and energy for everyone involved, from abattoirs, manufacturers and distributors. Nick Allen from the British Meat Processors Association has said that the cost will be passed on to consumers, though probably not until the summer as many prices will be locked in for three to six months. Shortages of pork and lamb are also expected. If you have freezer space, you could buy what you can now and freeze. Otherwise, take a sparing approach to cooking with them, using smaller and cheaper cuts in a dish for flavour rather than as the main event. (Photo: Getty)

Swap cucumbers for radishes and raw courgettes

Cucumbers are trickier to grow than salad leaves, but worth a try if you’re game. That said, you’re unlikely to be rewarded with the very large kind we can buy in the supermarkets for under a quid. My first tip is to buy now and pickle some by slicing thinly and packing into a jar, either with a few tbsp white wine vinegar and a tbsp caster sugar, or in the brine of a jar of pickles that you have already eaten. My next tip, if you can’t do without cucumbers, is to explore more pickle varieties. It’s a boom area for producers and there’s a huge range to choose from, though my family loves Mrs Elswood. If it’s crunch you’re after, can you try expanding the veg you normally add to a salad? Veg growers have warned that other items, including broccoli, may go up in price, but that salad items will be the worst affected. The key is to think of variety rather than being stuck on buying specific products, then you can come home with the best value. How about radish, carrot, celery, broccoli, courgette and homegrown sugar snaps or mange tout? (Photo: Getty)

Transform chicken breast into meatballs

Chicken is such a failsafe quick dinner that it might be hard to get your head around eating less. However, the amount we consume contributes to the huge volumes of agricultural waste that impacts the environment. Last week, the British Poultry Council warned of a number of ways supply might be affected and drive up costs, from the energy used for heating sheds as well as the vitamins and minerals required to keep the birds healthy. I stretch chicken, either breast meat or leftovers, by making meatballs with it. One large breast can go as far as you need it to, depending on how you use it, but my go-to is blitzing with a few slices of soft bread, two garlic cloves, 100g feta or parmesan, lemon zest and an egg. Season and get a child to roll into golf ball-sized balls and shallow fry in your favourite oil. My daughter made these for a school competition and they ended up on the lunch menu for a year. There’s a lovely recipe in for Garlic Butter Chicken Balls in Peckish (Quadrille, £22), a new book of chicken recipes by Ed Smith, which would be easy to adapt depending on how much meat you have. Good luck! (Photo: Getty)