Money-Saving cooking hacks: Tips and tricks to save time, money and energy in the kitchen for Christmas

With energy prices soaring, many of us are searching for ways to save money in the kitchen.

Here, Yorkshire chefs share their money-saving cooking hacks:

“Use a slow cooker,'' said Gita Mistry aka winner of BBC’s Britain's Best Home Cook.

“The great thing about using a slow cooker is that it’s all in one pot. That means soups, stews, currys and even stocks can easily be prepared with little fuss.

And now winter is looming. Slow cookers are a great way to make a pot of porridge overnight,ready for any toppings of your choice first thing in the morning, saving you a lot of time before we leave the house.

“You can virtually use anything from leftover vegetables to less expensive cuts of tougher meats by adding herbs and spices that have their flavours released slowly makes a much better flavoured dish. I find it great for leftover vegetables and even the peelings - which once cooked can be puréed down in soups which can be used as a sauce or even a topping on fish.

“So no waste maximum, nutrients into the body and all without the extra costs.”

Use a rice cooker: While slow cookers are a money-saving go-to when cooking in the kitchen, especially if it is for multiple people who eat at different times, one lesser spoken about friend of the slow cooker is the humble rice cooker.

Air fryers may be healthier than fat-fryers but they’re also a good way to save money too. People use these instead of an oven too.

Use a Microwave instead of an oven: If you don’t have an air fryer it is cheaper to use a microwave than an oven too.

Buy Wonky Vegetables: Not only is it cheaper with the likes of Yorkshire-based Morrisons selling off cheap wonky vegetables but with the summer droughts, farmers say that smaller and wonkier vegetables are expected as a result of lack of rainfall.

Buy from a reduced aisle and freeze it: Instagram chef Freda Shafi loves creating a dish around her bargain buys.

Batch cooking eg create simple sauces in a jar: Freda said: ”A base sauce can be put in a jar in the fridge and can be reused for simple things such as on pizza bases or home-made ones, complex things like chilli con carne.”

Spice up cupboard basics: Inspired by his single mother who lived on the breadline but made the most of her empty fridge by spicing up baked beans and scrambled eggs, Dave Singh set up Go Indian Spice with his wife Lucky Kaur. The Leeds-dwelling pair hope their affordable blend will help other families like theirs to batch cook and eat healthily on a budget while donating a portion of their profits to charity.

· More families are struggling to make ends meet with a rise in fuel and energy prices “but that doesn’t have to mean bland food,” said Lucky Kaur who has donated a large number of sachets to the Salvation Army.