Talk to me about keeping a Pantry

[lil' maids in a row]

I hear this come up from time to time and I guess I really don't understand what it looks like. If maintaining a Pantry is important to you could you describe why and how it works in your house.

 

In recent years I have gone the opposite direction. I used to have extra food in my pantry, but I found that it often was wasted. The time and clutter of storing the extra stuff just didn't seem worth it. Now I try to keep my pantry down to what we will use in a week or two ( I do keep a good bit of beans, rice and oatmeal on hand though). I like that I use everything, I always know what I have and I hardly ever throw something out because it has expired. If I find a great deal on something or have extra money in the grocery budget, I try to donate all the extra to the local food pantry.

 

When I read the posts about people with a super stocked pantry I am always curious. Maybe I need to rethink my own plan a bit. Anyone care to share their thoughts on the subject.

[Dory]

My pantry is where I store the things I canned from my garden. It's where the freezer is that has all the other veggies and some of the meat. I keep a small (emphasis on small) amount of quick meal type of things like pasta so that if I've had a really bad day, I can just grab something easy and throw it on the stove. It's also where I keep a couple bags of wheat for grinding for bread and any of my other baking type of goods that are too large for my spice cupboard. Things like party cups, napkins for different seasons, paper plates and a few of my larger baking items (cake carry box thingy) go on my very top shelf in there. Kids chips and popcorn for movie night go on the second highest shelf so that my youngest is tempted to help himself.

[2squared]

I fill my pantry at the beginning of the month, and it's pretty bare by the end of the month. I know almost to a science how much of the basic staples we use in a month. Meal specific ingredients I buy by the week. My basic staples may not be the same as yours, though, since pasta is a pantry staple here.

[Ellie]

This is the first time I've had an actual "pantry." I just keep staples in there--spices, baking goods, vinegar/oil/shortening/etc., rice, canned goods, and so on.

[Guest]

I hear this come up from time to time and I guess I really don't understand what it looks like. If maintaining a Pantry is important to you could you describe why and how it works in your house.

 

In recent years I have gone the opposite direction. I used to have extra food in my pantry, but I found that it often was wasted. The time and clutter of storing the extra stuff just didn't seem worth it. Now I try to keep my pantry down to what we will use in a week or two ( I do keep a good bit of beans, rice and oatmeal on hand though). I like that I use everything, I always know what I have and I hardly ever throw something out because it has expired. If I find a great deal on something or have extra money in the grocery budget, I try to donate all the extra to the local food pantry.

 

When I read the posts about people with a super stocked pantry I am always curious. Maybe I need to rethink my own plan a bit. Anyone care to share their thoughts on the subject.

 

I do maintain stock of staples, but I've been striving towards what you state here: keeping foods for a few weeks and using it up. I have a section in the decluttering book I'm writing that talks about exactly this. If we're talking about a pantry stocked with 28 quarts of home-canned tomatoes, then I would agree, but not multiple bottles of ketchup and boxes of cake mix, kwim? The more foods I'm storing, the harder it is to remember what meal options I have and things get neglected.

 

Also, there are a few packaged foods I used to buy that I have decided I am only making from scratch now, like crackers. I resent that companies keep shrinking foods. Packaged crackers just...well, they suck now. They're fragile and too small. Try to spread them with something, they crumble in your hand. Stack salami on them, the salami is bigger than the cracker. :glare:

[gardenmom5]

we stock staples and we cook mostly from scratch. we buy them on sale, we know how much we use in a given time, and that's how much we stock. I like being able to grab what I need out of stock if I run out in the kitchen. or shampoo in the bathroom.

we've had difficult times when we've lived off of our stock that was built up in good times or good weather for months - so we will always keep stocked up on things.

[Lisa in SC]

To me, keeping a pantry means that I have the things on hand to make the meals I plan to make, plus what I need to make any extra dishes, bake, etc. These things may or may not be located in my pantry. For instance, I always have chicken broth or stock on hand, but it's homemade so I freeze it. I still think of that as part of my pantry. So, peanut butter, apple cider vinegar, grains, roasted red peppers, olive oil, artichoke hearts, etc. are in my actual pantry. Hummus, organic minced garlic, good quality eggs, kerrygold butter, etc. are in the refrigerator. Chicken stock/broth, wine for sauces, frozen fruits & vegetables, meats, etc. are in the freezer. I have these things pretty much all the time, so I consider them all to be part of my "pantry." Of course, it's quite possible that I have been wrong all these years...

[Carrie12345]

I feel vulnerable without a fully stocked pantry. My pantry has seen us through paycheck mishaps, the domino effect of the flu on 7 people, emergency surgery... Who wants to think about food in crisis?

 

The key is to not buy more than your family will eat before it expires, and not to buy food your family doesn't eat!

[justamouse]

I don't consider a full fridge/freezer a stocked pantry. That stuff is in constant rotation, and if the power goes....

 

My pantry is canned tuna, sardines, anchovies, tomatoes, EVOO, water, coffee, teas

 

Flours (many different kinds), yeast, sugars, molasses, baking powder, baking soda, cornstarch, arrowroot, various nuts in bulk, pwd chocolate, choc chips, muffin liners, parchment, cornmeal, oats, grits, popcorn, dried fruits, rices and grains, many kinds of dried beans, tahini

 

LOTS of spices, pastas, olives, vinegars (lots of different kinds, ) home canned veggies, and fruits, pickles

 

Condiments (I make my own and can them when I have the chance) ketchup, bbq sauce, hot sauces, Worcestershire,

 

Not just in amts for a week, but in large amounts.

[6packofun]

My pantry is well-stocked, but with essentials to create good, varied meals. Not meals in and of themselves, if that makes sense. We buy a month's worth of meat/poultry for the freezer, I buy dairy, bread/buns/tortillas, and produce weekly and any pantry items that I might run out of. Other than that, I'm usually good to make just about anything we want to make!

 

Essentials for us might not be for you. :)

 

Herbs, spices, oils, vinegars, soy sauce, etc. (I've really varied the herbs & spices we have. For example, we have 3 types of paprika and 4 types of ground chili powder. Things like that make it easy to try new recipes! I'd like to use more fresh herbs, but that's tough for my budget/space. I have 8 different vinegars sitting on my counter right now...lol)

Flours, sugars, corn meal, honey/agave, cold cereals

Rices, quinoa, pastas of many variations

Seasoned bread crumbs, panko, croutons, and stuffing bread cubes

Lots of pasta sauce

Lots of dried beans, canned beans, tomatoes, green beans and corn. (Other veggies are fresh or frozen.)

Some canned cream soups for the 2-3 dishes I make that require them

Some canned meal soups that particular people like

Broth/stock

Canned pastas because dh and ds like those for lunch

Tuna, canned chicken for quick meals or "emergencies"

Extra condiments and salad dressings

Boxed mac n cheese for dd

Udon noodles for other dd

 

We mainly eat out of our fridge and freezer! But I don't know how far ahead we have stocked. It depends on what time of the month an emergency would happen! lol I have a feeling that we could go about 3 weeks beyond the end of the month in an emergency. I can't keep much more than that on hand because we just don't have the funds.

[4kidlets4me]

My pantry is canned tuna, tomato sauce, tomato paste, home canned pickles, jam, peanut butter

 

pasta, rice(several kinds), oats, popcorn, dried fruit, spices, oils, vinegar, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, honey, olives, dried beans, coffee, teas, condiments, some canned beans, canned pineapple, applesauce, flour.

 

I keep at least a month's supply of most of this. Things like rice and flour end up being more like 2-3 months. Anytime I see a sale I grab a few even if I know I don't need it right that minute.

[redsquirrel]

My pantry keeps the kitchen, and other parts of the home, flowing smoothly. I only go shopping once a week and the pantry ensure that I don't have to run out and get something. It also allows me to take advantage of sales etc. I tend to keep three of things. So, one container of dishwasher soap in the kitchen and two in the pantry. That way, I have one to go when we run out and a little bit of leeway to buy the next one so I can wait for a sale. We have at least 3 boxes of cheerios in the house because my kids eat them every day. When the box is empty, we know there is one in the pantry.

 

I meal plan so I check my pantry for ingredients first. Then I make my shopping list for things I need and what needs to be replaced in the pantry. But, if something happens and I can't get to the store that week (things happen, as you know) we should be ok. yes, we will run out of a few perishables, but there will be cereal, pasta, black beans, toilet paper and shampoo.

[melmichigan]

We have been building a pantry as finances allow. This is the first year that I feel comfortable with our food stores, although I'm not quite there yet. A full freezer is a given, I now get nervous when we are down to about 100# of meat. My DH just put together that section of our basement we are calling a pantry. Given the size of our family it resembles a small grocery. Aside from milk, bread, eggs, and rarely fruit, I only shop twice a month. I'm also one who meal plans from my pantry and my shopping list starts with my pantry. We buy most things in bulk and try for a minimum of a months supply of everything at a given time, more when we are talking about basics. I am hoping to build on that this year. I only stock things we are sure to use.

 

My basics are flours, sugars, corn starch, baking soda/powder, salt, extracts, spices, broths, juices, bottled water, peanut butter, jams, syrups, oil, shortening, and paper products like toilet paper, paper towels, soaps, shampoo, and detergent.

 

I also stock canned fruits and vegetables, beans, pasta, sauces, crackers, cereals, some mixes, and snack foods for DH's lunches.

[DianeW88]

I have a year's worth of food storage and I rotate it regularly. I buy a little bit to replace stuff every week at the store, and when something is on sale, I stock up. It works really well, and I never have to scramble to make a meal. I also know people who organize their food storage BY meal. She these cute paper sacks with handles, and in each one are the ingredients she needs for a dinner. These are emergency meals, and not something you'd eat every night, but they do come in handy at times. http://preparetodaywardnewsletter.blogspot.com/2012/04/meals-in-bag.html If you just want general information on food storage (and a well stocked pantry would be food storage on a smaller scale), this is a great site: http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/ This site is helpful if you're stocking/organizing a pantry for the first time: http://organizedhome.com/kitchen-tips/organized-pantry-beginner-guide-pantry-pride Have fun!! Having an efficient pantry will save you time and TONS of money as well.

[lil' maids in a row]

Ahhhh, yes I think that it is Food Storage that I was curious about. Thank you all for your responses, it is so interesting to learn how everyone runs their kitchen.

 

BTW, how do you build up a year of food storage? Is there a specific reason for this, or is it "just in case"? Where do you keep it all?

[Guest inoubliable]

My "official" pantry is...small. But it's what I wanted.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50227973

I'll try to get a picture tomorrow for the small house thread and share the link here.

 

Our kitchen in this rental is horribly designed. There are three cabinets on one wall, above the oven. Nothing in them. They are inconvenient and too high up to be of any use. There are two other cabinets that are so out of the way or inconvenient that they stay empty, too. The only one that has food in it still, is being emptied out as we eat stuff from the pantry. Out of the four shelves inside, only two hold anything. We'll be getting another one of those RASKOG carts, I think. The one we have now holds all of my oils, flours, sugars, spices, basmati rice, a few other odds and ends. I'd like a second one to hold some potatoes, some pasta, and some cans of beans, maybe some soup for days when I just need an easy open-and-pour-then-heat option.

[xixstar]

I define my pantry as both the dry pantry storage and my freezer storage. But primarily in the pantry are stock ingredients like: home canned jams/jellies, applesauce, broth (lots of this, we use tons) and anything else I've canned like pickles or whatever(hopefully will be more next year).

 

I then also have lots of canned tomatoes in various forms - I have a shelf for tomato products it seems. Cans of coconut milk and then jars/can of seasoning items like hosin sauce, curry paste, soy sauce, etc. I also maintain a shelf of canned fruits, which we don't eat often but when the grocery budget is gone and all the fresh produce has been consumed, they get gobbled up. Also, some recipes I use need canned fruit - but that is like 1x a year or so. And canned beans but that isn't a lot. Also buy canned meats like tuna and chicken for quick last minute meals or often for food pantry donation too.

 

Then there is the pasta shapes, I don't like spaghetti so the shapes take up more room. And there is a storage of spaghetti sauce too - usually 10-12 jars at least (we use 2 per meal). And also stuff for my oldest like ramen when I'm feeling nice. Then there is the storage of rice, purchased 25# at a time (lasts a long time in a 5 gallon bucket) and all the sugars and flours that also take us a long time to get through. Oh and the other rices, though I try to just stick with one kind for 6 months or so, and all the dried beans.

 

Oh and snack items like nuts and dried fruit too, but I don't store too heavily on those because not everything lasts a long time - But there should always be another jar/bag in the pantry to replace what is open.

 

So with things stocked, the only things at the store I need to buy are dairy products and produce (not so much in summer when garden is producing). I buy meat in bulk as well and often cheese too for freezer storage. I stock up when things run low and try to just keep a usual stock level, I start feeling panicked when our food stores are low. I spent many years being food-insecure without enough to eat, so I just feel emotionally better when we have more. Also when something comes up like unexpected expense or whatever, we have several weeks worth of food to eat without feeling it and we could easily drop our grocery budget to almost nothing for a month and be fine.

 

I would love to have a year of food storage for possibilities of natural disaster but more so as backup for job loss or other economic issue - like an illness or injury. One thing to have savings in the bank, but I'd feel much better if I also knew we'd eat well. I've seen some great videos and resources online for building food storage based on how you eat - so no buying 50# bags of wheat berries if you don't eat wheat or wouldn't grind flour and don't have 50# of black beans if you don't eat them now. But instead look at any pantry meals you eat now (lentils and rice? bean soup? spaghetti?) and make out a 3-month, 6-month, 12-month plan for how many meals and much food you'd need on hand to eat that long. Also realize that canning can offer a lot too like canned soups and such to deal with lack of product and you can dehydrate produce too, which I've done a little of but haven't been impressed with reconstituted items from it yet.

[Sahamamama]

I don't consider a full fridge/freezer a stocked pantry. That stuff is in constant rotation, and if the power goes....

 

My pantry is canned tuna, sardines, anchovies, tomatoes, EVOO, water, coffee, teas

 

Flours (many different kinds), yeast, sugars, molasses, baking powder, baking soda, cornstarch, arrowroot, various nuts in bulk, pwd chocolate, choc chips, muffin liners, parchment, cornmeal, oats, grits, popcorn, dried fruits, rices and grains, many kinds of dried beans, tahini

 

LOTS of spices, pastas, olives, vinegars (lots of different kinds, ) home canned veggies, and fruits, pickles

 

Condiments (I make my own and can them when I have the chance) ketchup, bbq sauce, hot sauces, Worcestershire,

 

Not just in amts for a week, but in large amounts.

 

Yes, for us a "stocked pantry" is something like this. Justamouse, you gave me some new items for my list! :) LOL. Gotta get out and get those chocolate chips tomorrow!

 

We don't really eat a lot of canned foods on a regular basis. But how do you stock salad ingredients for an emergency? Or fresh fruit? If there's a crisis -- we got through Superstorm Sandy with no power for a week -- I'm not thinking about the arugula, KWIM? I'm thinking about the canned food in the basement pantry.

 

Here's what we work towards keeping well-stocked:

 

Water :)

 

Canned tuna

Canned chicken

Canned ham

Canned corned beef

Canned sardines

 

Peanut butter (lots of this, we rotate this out to use it)

Peanuts

Almonds

Walnuts

Sunflower seeds

Granola bars (these rotate out quickly, the girls do eat these)

Cereal bars (ditto)

Oatmeal (lots of this, we rotate this out to use it)

 

Canned evaporated milk

Canned sweetened condensed milk

Dried whole milk powder

Cocoa powder

 

Canned pineapple (crushed, chunks)

Canned peaches (light syrup)

Canned pears (light syrup)

Canned mandarin oranges

Canned fruit cocktail (which we never eat, but would in a crisis)

Applesauce (no sugar)

Jam (all fruit)

Dried apricots

Dried prunes

Dried cranberries

Raisins

Dates

Figs

 

Canned beans (white, kidney, black, pinto, chili, etc.)

Canned vegetables (corn, peas, green beans)

Canned tomatoes (diced, crushed, with chilies)

Pasta sauce

Tomato sauce

Tomato paste

Canned soup

 

Dried legumes (chickpeas, lentils, orange lentils, split green peas, split yellow peas, small white, black, lima, navy, pinto, black-eye, etc.)

Rice (brown, basmati [this needs to rotate out faster], white sticky)

Pearl barley

Pasta

[The thing to consider with these is that they are not really "emergency" foods -- you must have safe water and power to prepare them. Unless you have backup plans, you can't cook dried beans or brown rice for hours when the power is out, or at a shelter, or on the road if you're heading out, but a can of beans can be opened in the dark and eaten cold, if necessary.]

 

Iodized salt

Dehydrated minced onions

Dried garlic powder

Dried chili powder

Dried parsley

Dried oregano

Dried sweet basil

Dried rosemary

Black pepper

Curry powder

Cinnamon

Nutmeg

Baking powder

Baking soda

Flours -- well, I haven't found a great way to keep these yet. Still working on this one.

[We keep the herbs and spices all sealed. These rotate out, but we always replace the stocked item.]

 

Oils (canola, olive)

Vinegars (white [for cleaning], apple cider)

Salad dressings

Barbecue sauce (vital food for husband)

Other condiments

Honey

Maple syrup

Sugar -- We haven't stocked this yet. Not sure about it, we don't really use sugar. Would we, if life stopped being so sweet?

 

Coffee

Teas (herbal/medicinal, chai, decaf, regular)

 

We do rotate all of this, it doesn't just sit there for years and years. For the items we don't regularly use, we donate these canned goods to our local food pantry, well before the expiration date.

 

Not exactly "pantry," but good to have on hand:

 

Trash bags (multiple uses)

Bleach

Scouring powder

Dish soap

Bath bar soap

Ivory bar soap (can be used as laundry detergent, also floats)

Laundry detergent

Borax

Wash tub

Clothes line

Clothes pins

Toilet paper

Feminine pads

 

Storm candles

Lighters

Flashlight batteries

Radio (battery-powered)

 

There are under the bed food storage systems. We don't use them, but I think they're neat for people without lots of pantry shelving. Hope that helps.

 

http://www.shelfreliance.com/under-the-bed-harvest-food-rotation-system.html

[redsquirrel]

I used to keep a lot more, but then we had a really hot summer and my whole house got infested by pantry moths. I had to throw out so much food. I did have lots of it in containers, but the heat caused any eggs etc that was in the grain, beans, flour etc to hatch so everything really did get infested. Stuff that was in sealed plastic bins, everything.

 

I do put lots of things in the chest freezer now. I put bags of flour in the freezer for a couple weeks to kill off any eggs, boxes of cereal, bags of dried beans etc. But, after that I just don't keep as much in the house as I used to. The risk of loss is just too great.

 

Oh, and last winter we had a terrible mouse infestation. We got rid of it quickly, but I was surprised at how much damage they did in a short amount of time. I need to get another cat. I never had mouse problems until the cat died.

[somo_chickenlady]

My pantry is well-stocked, but with essentials to create good, varied meals. Not meals in and of themselves, if that makes sense. We buy a month's worth of meat/poultry for the freezer, I buy dairy, bread/buns/tortillas, and produce weekly and any pantry items that I might run out of. Other than that, I'm usually good to make just about anything we want to make!

 

Essentials for us might not be for you. :)

 

Herbs, spices, oils, vinegars, soy sauce, etc. (I've really varied the herbs & spices we have. For example, we have 3 types of paprika and 4 types of ground chili powder. Things like that make it easy to try new recipes! I'd like to use more fresh herbs, but that's tough for my budget/space. I have 8 different vinegars sitting on my counter right now...lol)

Flours, sugars, corn meal, honey/agave, cold cereals

Rices, quinoa, pastas of many variations

Seasoned bread crumbs, panko, croutons, and stuffing bread cubes

Lots of pasta sauce

Lots of dried beans, canned beans, tomatoes, green beans and corn. (Other veggies are fresh or frozen.)

Some canned cream soups for the 2-3 dishes I make that require them

Some canned meal soups that particular people like

Broth/stock

Canned pastas because dh and ds like those for lunch

Tuna, canned chicken for quick meals or "emergencies"

Extra condiments and salad dressings

Boxed mac n cheese for dd

Udon noodles for other dd

 

We mainly eat out of our fridge and freezer! But I don't know how far ahead we have stocked. It depends on what time of the month an emergency would happen! lol I have a feeling that we could go about 3 weeks beyond the end of the month in an emergency. I can't keep much more than that on hand because we just don't have the funds.

 

 

This is exactly how our pantry is. We lived in the middle of nowhere for two years, so we had to have a stocked pantry at all times in case something happened and we weren't able to make it to the store for however long. Where we lived, even big rain storms would prevent us from going to the store b/c the roads were so twisty turny, and sometimes would go over a creek (the issue was the creek parts, when it would overflow, then cars couldn't get past).

[Melissa in Australia]

My pantry includes the following;

fruit bottled from my trees (canned)

a year's supply of homemade ketchup

pasta

sultanas

choc chips

20kg sack of bread flour * hard wheat)

20 kg sack of self-raising flour

20 kg sack of plane flour

10kg sugar

spices

tin of tuna

unopened bag of coffee

unopened bag of tea leaves

2 packets of UHT milk

rice

15 kg sack of rolled oats

jars of mustard

tinned pineapple

tomato paste

home made dried fruit

home made soap

home brewed wine

home brewed beer

4 packets of wraps (flat bread for emergency meal)

unopened jars of mayonnaise

 

there is more in there, I just cannot think of it off the top of y head.

we also have 2 chest freezers. one full of home grown meat, one full of fruit pies (home grown fruit). plus we have a year round veggie garden that is slightly larger than a tennis court

[Wildcat]

. 

 

[Wildcat]

My pantry includes the following;

fruit bottled from my trees (canned)

a year's supply of homemade ketchup

pasta

sultanas

choc chips

20kg sack of bread flour * hard wheat)

20 kg sack of self-raising flour

20 kg sack of plane flour

10kg sugar

spices

tin of tuna

unopened bag of coffee

unopened bag of tea leaves

2 packets of UHT milk

rice

15 kg sack of rolled oats

jars of mustard

tinned pineapple

tomato paste

home made dried fruit

home made soap

home brewed wine

home brewed beer

4 packets of wraps (flat bread for emergency meal)

unopened jars of mayonnaise

 

there is more in there, I just cannot think of it off the top of y head.

we also have 2 chest freezers. one full of home grown meat, one full of fruit pies (home grown fruit). plus we have a year round veggie garden that is slightly larger than a tennis court

 

 

I'm so jealous of your homegrown stuff. That is fabulous for you and your family!!

[DianeW88]

Ahhhh, yes I think that it is Food Storage that I was curious about. Thank you all for your responses, it is so interesting to learn how everyone runs their kitchen.

 

BTW, how do you build up a year of food storage? Is there a specific reason for this, or is it "just in case"? Where do you keep it all?

It's for self-sufficiency, peace of mind, the ability to buy and store when things are on sale, therefore saving money, etc. We also live in one of the biggest earthquake zones in the country, and everyone here is encouraged to prepare for that kind of a natural disaster, where help and food might not be available for some time. It is NOT a doomsday mentality though. I don't think we're going to need to hunker down in our basements for a zombie apocalypse or anything like that. :D I do know friends who've gone through periods of unemployment, sickness, and underemployment, where their food storage was literally the only thing that got them through. Because they had food, they were able to spend what money they had elsewhere, and so didn't lose their homes. It's a great system and works well, but you have to use what you store and you have to rotate. You also build it up slowly. My dh and I have been married for almost 25 years, and we haven't had a year's supply for all that time. Here are a few resources on how to get started: https://www.lds.org/...cs/food-storage http://www.deseretne...age.html?pg=all Feel free to ask me more questions if you have them, and I apologize about the one giant paragraph in my response. :banghead: Windows 8.

[celticmom]

:lurk5: I keep some things in our pantry but I would like to keep more stocked. I will definitely look at some of the resources on this thread.

[nmoira]

I don't keep an extensive pantry...

 

various DeLallo whole wheat pastas (always spaghetti, linguine, and orzo; others I let run out then generously restock when needed in a recipe)

canned/tetrapacked tomatoes, tomato paste and beans

emergency tuna

evaporated milk

water chestnuts (for crunch in an egg salad or similar when I don't have celery on hand)

molasses

an extra box of kosher salt

wine for drinking (yes, I consider this pantry :D )

 

On hand, but not really pantry... or maybe it is?

 

a bit of light brown sugar

baking powder, soda, etc.

regular sugar (though I've gone all Ingalls on my family and this, our 'boughten' sugar is off-limits except for very special occasions)

maple syrup

honey

chicken stock

garlic

spices

grains: a month's worth of brown rice and quinoa, the rest purchased as needed

cornmeal

popcorn

vinegars: white wine, apple cider, red wine or sherry, balsamic, white vinegar

oils: grape seed, EVOO, flaxseed, sesame, walnut

fish sauce (nobody should be without this)

soy sauce

mustards

gomasio

fancy salt for table (usually pink)

onions

wine cheap enough for cooking

noodles

[Kari C in SC]

I shop sales cycles. If soup is on sale, I buy enough to last till I think the next sale is. I do this for everything i use that goes on sale buy one get one free at Publix. I rarely pay full price for anything. I go to Sam's Club for meat, cheese, produce in bulk. I really hate grocery shopping. By shopping this way for about 4 years, I have gotten to where some weeks I just need to pick up produce. I love having weeks where I don't have to shop. I also love knowing that I have many different meals on hand.

[Slipper]

We live in the country. For us, a stocked pantry is a must. A couple of years ago, a horrible tornado came through wiping out sections of land and electricity. With the trees down, trucks couldn't even deliver to our area (and that was for those lucky enough to make it to town to get to the store). Electricity to the grocery stores was out. Shelves were literally bare. Nobody was in danger of starving in our town, but it was creepy to see how little it took to bring our community to it's knees.

 

When we moved here, I insisted that we purchase a separate small storage building for a pantry (and storage for winter clothes, etc). We keep an extra deep freeze and refrigerator in there. We have special diets here (especially a gluten free diet in a town that doesn't sell specialty gluten free items). I purchase many items on amazon by the case (and if it's on sale, I purchase more than one case). I keep a few items in bulk (toilet paper, cleaning items).

 

We can/preserve our own food and plan to increase that this year. We have shelves built and hope to can several items and dehydrate more.

 

Many people here do similarly and it's not uncommon to find a small storage shed with extra canned goods in it. My goal for this summer is to increase our items for when storms hit our area. We have flashlights/lanterns and other small things. A few months ago we installed a storm shelter. I hope to outfit the storm shelter with chairs, blankets, first aid kit, etc.

[justamouse]

Yes, for us a "stocked pantry" is something like this. Justamouse, you gave me some new items for my list! :) LOL. Gotta get out and get those chocolate chips tomorrow!

 

We don't really eat a lot of canned foods on a regular basis. But how do you stock salad ingredients for an emergency? Or fresh fruit? If there's a crisis -- we got through Superstorm Sandy with no power for a week -- I'm not thinking about the arugula, KWIM? I'm thinking about the canned food in the basement pantry.

 

Here's what we work towards keeping well-stocked:

 

 

 

 

THAT is an awesome list. I'm going to write that one out.

 

Added to mine, almond flour and coconut flour-which are awesome. :D

 

Adding jams, jellies

Tapioca

tapioca flour

PB

Almond butter

coffee filters

maple syrup

evap milk

cond sw milk

[Wildiris]

My pantry has evolved as our food needs change.

For decades I kept canned food from the garden and bulk items bought in large quantities and stored in food grade 5 gal. buckets in my pantry/closet. But now we eat less grain, so the need for storage is less. Now most of what I keep in my pantry are canned fruits and jams. I try to keep enough basic staples that I can make something out of nothing and call it dinner.

[Sahamamama]

THAT is an awesome list. I'm going to write that one out.

 

Added to mine, almond flour and coconut flour-which are awesome. :D

 

Adding jams, jellies

Tapioca

tapioca flour

PB

Almond butter

coffee filters

maple syrup

evap milk

cond sw milk

 

 

Brilliant! Coffee filters have many uses beyond making coffee. Added to my list. :)

 

We went maple sap collecting today at our local living history farm -- 40 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of syrup. This helps us to appreciate the maple syrup we put on our pancakes. :)

 

Added to list: Pancake mix

 

Tapioca flour -- do you use this for puddings? What is arrowroot flour? I want a tutorial, LOL.

 

I have yet to find a dried milk powder that reconstitutes to something palatable. I know, we're spoiled with fresh milk. Has anyone found a good alternative to fresh milk, something that could be stored on a shelf. Anything that doesn't need water for reconstitution? I suppose we don't have to have milk, though. We're just used to it.

[melmichigan]

I used to keep a lot more, but then we had a really hot summer and my whole house got infested by pantry moths. I had to throw out so much food. I did have lots of it in containers, but the heat caused any eggs etc that was in the grain, beans, flour etc to hatch so everything really did get infested. Stuff that was in sealed plastic bins, everything.

 

I do put lots of things in the chest freezer now. I put bags of flour in the freezer for a couple weeks to kill off any eggs, boxes of cereal, bags of dried beans etc. But, after that I just don't keep as much in the house as I used to. The risk of loss is just too great.

 

Oh, and last winter we had a terrible mouse infestation. We got rid of it quickly, but I was surprised at how much damage they did in a short amount of time. I need to get another cat. I never had mouse problems until the cat died.

 

 

Ok, this scared me enough to order gamma lids and buckets for all my sugars and flours. It's been on my list as money allows but just moved up in priority.

 

Sometimes it's cheaper to buy smaller packages in bulk, is there any reason I can't put flour or sugar in a bucket with a gamma lid without taking it out of the package? Especially if I just want to prevent bugs and it will be used within a year?

[Carrie12345]

 

Brilliant! Coffee filters have many uses beyond making coffee. Added to my list. :)

 

We went maple sap collecting today at our local living history farm -- 40 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of syrup. This helps us to appreciate the maple syrup we put on our pancakes. :)

 

Added to list: Pancake mix

 

Tapioca flour -- do you use this for puddings? What is arrowroot flour? I want a tutorial, LOL.

 

I have yet to find a dried milk powder that reconstitutes to something palatable. I know, we're spoiled with fresh milk. Has anyone found a good alternative to fresh milk, something that could be stored on a shelf. Anything that doesn't need water for reconstitution? I suppose we don't have to have milk, though. We're just used to it.

 

 

I've been grabbing boxed milk (Parmalat, etc.) here and there. Nowhere near the shelf life of dried, but it'd serve us well in a power outage.

[melmichigan]

 

 

I've been grabbing boxed milk (Parmalat, etc.) here and there. Nowhere near the shelf life of dried, but it'd serve us well in a power outage.

 

 

This looks promising.

[Melissa in Australia]

UHT milk. it keeps on the shelf for a very long time. and you can just open it and drink. though it is better chilled before serving

[stripe]

I buy things like jam, nut butters, crackers, pasta, baking items, and keep them around. I have a box of tomato paste in cans, some canned pineapple and pumpkin, and one or two evaporated milks, but I do not have my grandma's pantry, which is mostly canned stuff. I grew up with very nice parents who went to the store for everything. I prefer to have things around that I know I will use, for example toilet paper, feminine hygiene products, etc. I don't like emergencies. I cannot run to the store for those. It is too time consuming and difficult with little kids around.

[Ottakee]

I try to keep in enough of the basic food stuffs to get us through until the next sale (or time I go to a discount food store). I might have 3 ketchup, 2 mayo, an extra bag of flour and sugar, the basic spices, etc.

 

I very rarely go to the store with a menu planned and shop for specific items. Instead I notice that mexican stuff is on sale that we so I buy that (and a few extra for the pantry). I can make lots of meals from stuff in the house already and I rarely pay full price for most items.

[justamouse]

Brilliant! Coffee filters have many uses beyond making coffee. Added to my list. :)

 

We went maple sap collecting today at our local living history farm -- 40 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of syrup. This helps us to appreciate the maple syrup we put on our pancakes. :)

 

Added to list: Pancake mix

 

Tapioca flour -- do you use this for puddings? What is arrowroot flour? I want a tutorial, LOL.

 

I have yet to find a dried milk powder that reconstitutes to something palatable. I know, we're spoiled with fresh milk. Has anyone found a good alternative to fresh milk, something that could be stored on a shelf. Anything that doesn't need water for reconstitution? I suppose we don't have to have milk, though. We're just used to it.

 

We actually tapped our trees and just had our first maple syrup this morning. It was great!

 

Tapioca four is made from the cassava root, so for me (who can't use gluten thickeners) arrowroot (which makes dense almond flour lighter for GF 'baked' foods) and tapioca works as my thickening agent. I tend to stick with arrowroot, though.

 

I don't use it all the time for ME, but when, say I'm making a chicken casserole, I'll use it to thicken the gravy/veggie/chicken mix, then take out my portion before adding the pasta for the rest of the family. That way I'm not making 20 different meals.

 

When we can't get dairy, we just don't use it. I'm allergic to dairy, and the worst thing about it is no butter, but other than that, there are ways around it.