There's nothing like stirring homemade pesto into pasta, mixing it in with fluffy gnocchi or drizzling over a fresh tomato salad. Homemade pesto is much more fragrant and flavoursome than ready-made jars and also contains a lot less preservatives. You can make your own pesto in less than 15 minutes by combining pine nuts, Parmesan, basil, olive oil and garlic.

Get the recipe for pesto here

You'll find that shop-bought pasta sauces, especially tomato sauce, contain a lot of sugar and salt to control the acidity. Luckily, making your own is really simple. The secret to the perfect sauce lies in a long and slow simmer that allows any herbs and aromatics to infuse and for the tomatoes' natural acidity to mellow (you may need to add a small pinch of sugar). It also freezes well so you can always have fresh tomato sauce to hand.

Use it to make this roasted vegetable bake or one-pan chicken Parmesan

A great way to cut your food waste and avoid buying overly salty stock cubes is using vegetable scraps for stock. Use an ice cube tray to freeze the stock, ready to be added to sauces and risottos or freeze in bigger batches to use as a base for nourishing homemade broth.

Take a look at more ice cube tray hacks and make the most of this underrated piece of kit

Baked beans are much loved across the world but the tinned stuff, although convenient, is loaded with salt and sugar. When making your own, you'll get a much tastier dish with more complex flavours – the pucker of vinegar, the rich sweetness of brown sugar and the heat of mustard. You can also take the recipe further to cook barbecue beans or cowboy beans.

Get the recipe for baked beans here

Wonderful drizzled over pizza, pasta and salad, chilli oil should be in everyone's kitchen cupboard. Although the variety of infused oils sold at the supermarket is vast, there's nothing like making your own to match your personal tastes or to give as a gift.

Find our guide on how to make your own chilli oil here

Shop-bought granola can be incredibly sugary even though it's branded as a healthy breakfast option. It's a lot easier making your own granola at home so you can control what goes into the mix. Roast oats, nuts, seeds and coconut flakes with coconut oil, a drizzle of honey or maple syrup and cinnamon, and combine with your favourite dried fruit. It'll keep for a month if stored in an airtight container at room temperature.

Get our recipe for granola here

Similar to granola, ready-made energy bars are usually laced with sugar so you're much better off baking a batch. Recipes can easily be adapted to include your favourite dried fruit, nuts and seeds, and you could also add a drizzle of melted dark chocolate or yogurt over the top.

Get the recipe for peanut butter and banana oat bars here

There's no need to get rid of stale bread – make homemade salad croutons which are much nicer and tastier than ready-made alternatives anyway. Control the flavourings and salt content by seasoning the chopped bread pieces yourself, give them a light toast in a dry pan or in the oven and add to salad immediately. Homemade croutons are much softer than shop-bought ones and will be great at absorbing the flavours of the salad dressing too.

Discover more ways to use ingredients you'd usually throw away here

Skip the preservative-laden caramel sauces from the supermarket and make it yourself – it's guaranteed to taste much better. It might seem like a daunting recipe but it's perfectly doable for cooks of all levels. Just make sure you don't leave the pot unattended while the sugar is bubbling away so it reaches the perfect golden colour and doesn't burn. Don't worry if it's rather runny, it will thicken as it cools down.

Follow this recipe for griddled pineapple with salted caramel or make this chocolate caramel tart

Generally, making your own salad dressing doesn't take more than a couple of minutes and will taste much better than the ready-made alternatives filled with additives and stabilisers. Best of all, most will keep in the fridge to have on standby.

Need some inspiration? Here are 31 delicious and speedy salad dressing ideas

Nothing compares to homemade old-fashioned lemonade. With a lot less sugar than shop-bought bottles and no preservatives, the homemade version is also healthier. Combine the juice of six lemons with six cups of cold water and one cup of sugar, and serve. 

For a fizzy, tropical twist on the classic, check out our lemongrass lemonade recipe

We're all guilty of occasionally buying ready-made pancake mix to save time and make cooking breakfast easier. However, a pancake mix is nothing more but a combination of flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Make your own store cupboard standby by combining these dry ingredients at home and storing in an airtight container or a zip-lock bag.

Get the recipe for fluffy buttermilk pancakes here

Quick-pickled vegetables are incredibly easy and (the clue's in the name) fast to make. Best of all, when you ditch the shop-bought jars, you can decide exactly what you want to preserve and how tangy to make the mix. Choose quite hardy veg (carrots, radishes and red onions are all great), slice them really thinly and add to a bowl with a vinegar, sugar and salt solution. They'll be ready in around 15 minutes.

Give this cucumber pickle a try, this radish recipe a go or make a pickled slaw with cabbage and carrot

Rather than spend money on lots of pre-made spice mixes, it's much better to have a well-stocked spice cupboard with all the essentials so you can mix and match depending on what you're cooking.

Take a look at this comprehensive guide to what spices you should always have on hand

Once you've tried making your own ketchup, we promise that you won't go back to ready-made bottles. It's also worth keeping in mind that the homemade stuff will be considerably lower in salt and sugar, and you can play around with different flavour profiles by adding anything from chilli and roasted garlic to more out-there options like mango and sriracha with lime.

Get the recipe for homemade ketchup here

An unnecessary purchase that only creates food waste, plastic waste and costs a lot more, fruit salad is never worth buying at the supermarket. Most stores sell loose fruit so leave the plastic bags behind and choose exactly what you want to include in the mix. Tinned fruits are also excellent for this.

Get the recipe for tropical fruit salad here

Making homemade refried beans is a lot easier than you might think and they're far more superior in flavour and texture. Fry chopped onions and garlic until soft, then add a sprinkle of paprika and cumin with a squish of tomato purée. Tip in a tin of kidney, black or pinto beans and a splash of water. Mash gently with a fork and warm through.

Forget about loading your fridge full of pre-mixed smoothies. They're one of the easiest things to make – just blitz different fruit, veg, nuts, seeds, spices, milk or yogurt and find your perfect combination.

Find our top smoothie recipes here

Homemade mayonnaise can be a tricky thing to master but once you've done it, you'll have the necessary skills to make similar sauces like aioli and hollandaise. The key is to continuously whisk while adding the oil and making sure it reaches the creamy texture you're after. You will immediately taste the difference as homemade mayo is much richer and creamier than ready-made versions. It'll keep in a jar in the fridge for about a week.

Get the recipe for mayo with a ginger and watercress twist here

Who doesn't love a creamy guacamole to go with their tortilla chips? Skip the preservative-loaded ready-made tubs and make your own – it will taste much fresher and you'll reduce your plastic waste as well. Combine ripe avocados with finely chopped red chillies, coriander, tomatoes and red onion. Season with lime juice and salt, then serve – you can adjust the quantities according to your personal preferences.

Get the recipe for guacamole here

Speaking of tortilla chips and guacamole, salsa (or pico de gallo) is the ultimate accompaniment to this duo. Supermarket salsas are often bland as well as loaded with salt and preservatives. Like guacamole, you only need a few ingredients to make at home. Finely chop tomatoes, onion, coriander and jalapeños, and season with lime juice and salt. 

Now discover simple three-ingredient dips you can make in minutes

Incredibly easy to make, peanut butter takes no longer than five minutes in the food processor and can be stored in the fridge for several weeks or at room temperature if you know you'll go through it fast enough. To make a jar, blitz 400g (14oz) of dry roasted peanuts for around five minutes until they reach a smooth, creamy texture. Add a couple of teaspoons of groundnut or peanut oil, whizz again, then stir in a sprinkling of salt to balance the flavour.

Check out our top sweet and savoury peanut butter recipes

Another way to use up leftover bits of bread is to save them in a freezer bag and once full, defrost and blitz in a food processor until the bread forms fine breadcrumbs. Add a sprinkling of salt and dried herbs for a touch of flavour and store in the freezer for when you need it.

Use them in smoked salmon fish cakes, halloumi crouton salad or in our best-ever mac 'n' cheese

Making hummus at home couldn't be easier and it's also cheaper than buying it pre-made. All you need is canned chickpeas, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, tahini, water and olive oil. Combine all these ingredients in a food processor and mix until smooth. For an optional final flourish, serve it topped with a few whole chickpeas and a light dusting of paprika.

Get the recipe for hummus here

Yes, we all love frozen pizza from time to time, but let's be honest, it never tastes that good anyway. For a special treat, it's actually a lot easier and quicker to make your own pizza than you might think, plus you're free to experiment with a variety of toppings.

Get the recipe for easy pizza here

Iced tea is one of the most refreshing drinks on a hot summer's day. Next time you fancy a refreshing glass, combine a tea bag per every cup of boiling water and brew for five minutes with a few strips of lemon peel. Remove the bags and chill the tea until ready to serve over ice with slices of lemon.

Now discover the cooking advice you should never believe