What Does It Mean to Be a “Scratch” Kitchen?
A scratch kitchen is a kitchen where the food served is fresh and made with fresh ingredients. This also means that there are no frozen or processed foods used in preparing meals for customers. Some people prefer scratch kitchens because they want to know the ingredients that will be going into their food. These kitchens typically try to incorporate local, organic options whenever possible. Some scratch kitchens have started farm-to-table programs where they work with local farmers for a certain season to get the freshest produce they can.
Why Should You Choose Eating Scratch Cooking Over Processed Foods?
Processed food is made using frozen foods or no-longer fresh ingredients that are short on flavor because they have been sitting around for a while. This type of food often has high amounts of sodium and sugar added after being processed that can be unhealthy because it can lead people to overeat. The scratch cooking method means the food is prepared with fresh ingredients so there are no preservatives or additives added. It also means healthier eating because you know what’s going into your food before it’s served because all ingredients are scratch cooked from start to finish. Some scratch kitchens have recently expanded their menus to include farm-to-table offerings that feature deals with local farmers for the freshest kitchens and other restaurants.
A Healthier Choice for Your Diet
Uncle Julio’s typically uses fresh ingredients whenever possible. This is great for customers who want to avoid certain chemicals, toxins, and pesticides that are typically used in the growing process. For people trying to eat healthier, this means they know exactly what they are putting into their bodies. Scratch kitchens also incorporate the use of fresh fruits and vegetables. This is an excellent way to add variety to dishes while also adding different vitamins and nutrients for better health.
What Kind of Fresh Ingredients Are Used in A Scratch Kitchen?
In general, Mexican scratch kitchens use fresh corn tortillas, fresh chopped tomatoes, fresh herbs, and of course scratch cooked meat. The scratch cooking method is a popular trend among scratch kitchens, which means you will not find frozen foods being used to prepare meals.
Some Mexican scratch kitchens have special items that can be added to their menu based on what is in season, what is fresh at the market or even what they have grown themselves. Scratch cooking is a method that focuses on freshness and scratch kitchens, like Uncle Julio’s, go to great lengths to get the freshest ingredients possible.
The most common items found in a scratch kitchen include:
• Fresh herbs – basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, sage, chives, etc.
• Herbs – dill, parsley, mint, cilantro, tarragon, etc.
• Spices – ginger, garlic, chili powder, curry powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, pepper, etc.
Our Made-from-Scratch Mexican Dishes
Mexican food is one of the most popular cuisines in the world. It’s also a cuisine that has been given a bad reputation because it can be high in fat, calories, and sodium. This doesn’t have to be the case if you are eating scratch kitchen Mexican food, which means all of their dishes are cooked fresh from scratch with fresh ingredients instead of processed foods or frozen meals. At Uncle Julio’s we offer scratch cooked Mexican food because we want customers to know what goes into their meal before they even take a bite.
Uncle Julio’s scratch kitchens use fresh ingredients to preserve the taste, color, texture, and nutritional value. Other scratch kitchens may only scratch cook one or two days’ worth of food while preserving the freshness and nutritional value. However, Uncle Julio’s scratch kitchens go a step further by working with local farmers to be sure they get the freshest ingredients for customers to enjoy.
Eat Fresh Mexican Food at Uncle Julio’s
If you want to eat healthier while still enjoying Mexican food, try Uncle Julio’s today! Our scratch kitchens use fresh ingredients and work with local farmers for the freshest produce possible. This is a healthier choice because we know exactly what goes into our food before eating it! We also offer Mexican dishes with fresh ingredients that preserve flavor, color, texture, and nutritional value, without preservatives or additives added. Browse through our menu today to see why scratch cooking has become such an integral part of our restaurant’s success story in recent years.
Common Questions About Scratch Kitchens
What does it mean to be a scratch kitchen?
A scratch kitchen is a kitchen that uses scratch cooking methods. This means they will not use frozen meals, canned, or prepared foods. All scratch kitchens will use fresh ingredients to prepare meals and some scratch kitchens may claim to scratch cook without actually doing so.
What does scratch cooking mean?
Scratch cooking means preparing food using only fresh ingredients from scratch. It also means that scratch cooking methods are being used, which includes using fresh herbs and vegetables and scratch cooked meats.
Why is scratch cooking important for health and safety reasons?
Scratch cooking is important for health and safety reasons because scratch kitchens use fresh ingredients to prepare meals. This preserves the flavor, texture, color, and nutritional value of scratch cooking dishes. Kitchens that use processed foods or frozen meals are not considered scratch kitchens; scratch kitchens only use fresh herbs, fresh vegetables, and scratch cooked meats.
