My bestie who has made light fun of me for my overstuffed freezer and larger-than-it-ought-to-be pantry agrees although it’s all overstuffed, I can make a fantastic meal (or two or ten) for a large group without leaving the house.
I find it to be a money savings endeavor and a real convenience to have so many ingredients at the ready. It was also a huge benefit when covid struck. I’d already been stocked up…
A key principle of this approach is to buy those items that you use regularly, when they are on sale. Frozen corn on sale? Buy a couple of bags. Organic beans on sale – yep – time to stock up. Going to costco, are you? Time to ensure you have enough bacon in the freezer ! Doing the sale and stock up routine will, over time, reduce your grocery expenses significantly.
You get the idea, I’m sure… But – I hear some of you saying, Bridget – WHAT exactly ought I have on hand ?
As a consultant for many years in corporate America – execs would ask the questions – and you’d have to say, as you’d expect, well… it depends.
It depends on what YOU and YOUR Family like to eat
Of course that is the basis of what you should store! If someone insisted I keep Zatar or Yams or Okra or Olives in my pantry / freezer I’d tell them – that wouldn’t work for us….
Take the below as guidance / an outline / things to consider.
Think about your friends and families favorite meals – and then proceed to watch for sales and get your freezer and pantry stocked so that you are at the ready for a quick meal on a day when you have no time to get to the grocery.
Protein Basics:
- Chicken, Beef, Turkey, Ham, Bacon, Fish, Shellfish – whatever AND however you eat it – see about buying extra next time you see it on sale and vacuum sealing it and putting it into your freezer. Be sure to write the date on it – and pull it out oldest first. As an example Chicken – we are talking chicken breasts, chicken thighs, and ground chicken. I even buy chicken breasts and when time permits, I chop them into bite sized pieces (or ask the hubster to do it for me) and THEN freeze the pre-cut pieces of chicken breast. If you eat those things – no reason not to have a few packages in the freezer. If you are careful with your vacuum sealing you can save a ton of money stocking up on sales. Save that money for something special later ! I hear my organizer friend whispering in my ear – you can even get freezer containers and use them to separate your chicken from your beef etc. Organization can help you “SEE” what you have and cross reference when the weekly sales are advertised.
- Beans / Legumes : Do you eat black beans a lot with southwest food ? What about white chicken chili with great northern beans ? Do you make hummus – and need some chickpeas on hand? What about Lentils – do you make a lot with Lentis for soup or as a stew component? You have a lot of options for beans – canned or dried, or both?! When I’m “weekend cooking” meaning – having a lot of time and going from scratch – I like to use dried beans. When I’m hungry and need a meal or in a hurry for whatever reason – canned work great. Dried beans are even more cost effective than canned beans.
Grains and Pasta :
- Pasta : Besides those sticking to keto, pasta and such is a great item to have in your pantry – pick it up when you see a shape or a size or an interesting flavor you’d like to try and toss it into the pantry in a bin or section. I have a hard time finding LARGE shells for stuffed pasta – so when I find them – I buy a couple. When I’m at Trader Joe’s and I find the herb flavored fettuccine – I pick some up.
- Shelf Stable Gnocchi : Well – the shelf stable part should tell you something – but these have made their way into my pantry and can be used as a quick dinner component. Many recipes recommend roasting them with veggies. I’ve added them direct to one pot meals and been happy. Be mindful, tho. Something other than potatoes and flour allows them to be … shelf stable…
- Grains : White rice, brown rice, jasmine rice, arborio rice (risotto), farro, quinoa, rolled oats, steel cut oats – all kept in a cool, dry, dark place can last quite a long while. I always have oats (both ways) for eating (steel cut) or baking (rolled oats). I keep all kinds of rice and grains in a bin in my pantry. I’d focus on your top 3-5. Or go crazy like me and keep everything. Ha.
Condiments / Vegetables / Soups and Miscellaneous :
- Anchovies : I like to keep anchovies for making caesar salad dressing (primarily) and sometimes for use in a pasta sauce. Ever wonder what that umami thing is in pasta sauce ? My bet it’s an anchovie. I find the best to be either the small tin containers at trader joes or the italian glass bottle. Make sure they are in olive oil. The bottle is larger and needs to be refrigerated if not all used, and the tin has an important expiration date! In any case – you can dump the whole tin, olive oil and all into your homemade caesar dressing.
- Vegetables : When I was in grad school (full time – University of Chicago) and working also full time I used to do grocery shopping once a month (!). Eating strategically the fresh food and vegetables first, and then the frozen or pantry vegetables second – elongating the duration of time I could go without grocery shopping. This time in my life taught me which vegetables are good which ways…. So I urge you to think about which veggies you like, which ones you use as components of casseroles or one pot meals (canned corn?) and which ones you prefer frozen (peas ?). I’ve found that broccoli – for me and mine – can only be fresh. Peas seam to be best out of the freezer – no matter the preparation the only way to eat fresh corn is IMMEDIATELY – and corn from a can vs. freezer seems rather interchangeable to me. Consider your preferences and off you go to stock up.
- Containers of chicken broth (consistent costco purchase), vegetable broth for the occasional visiting vegetarian, and beef broth. If Thanksgiving – for sure 2 containers of TJ’s Turkey broth! Maybe you just need a container or two or three of chicken?
- Canned diced tomatoes / fire roasted tomatoes / tomato sauce / tomato paste etc etc. I have a ton of each in my pantry and use them ALL THE TIME. The least used is the sauce – especially since I feel like you can turn a can of paste + equal amounts of water into sauce in a pinch. Get yo’self some cans of tomatoes. Don’t forget the Rotel tomatoes also!
- Chiles – speaking of Rotel and thinking about mexican food – get a stack of green chiles next time they are on sale. I like the larger can – sometimes I feel that the smaller can is, well, too small. If you are with me on the green canned chiles then you ought to also get some chipotle chile in adobo – a can or two of that ought to do you for a while !
- Vinegars : I’d consider at least one vinegar mandatory after plain white vinegar which I’m assuming (!) you already have for cleaning and laundry. Maybe a red wine vinegar or alternately a white wine vinegar. I have lots – because of salad dressings and marinades. I also am a sucker for special white vinegars for dressings – like pear white balsamic vinegar. So I have a bin of vinegars… You probably should have one or two on hand.
- Olive Oils: I have a bunch of flavored olive oils. Love finding the cute little shops with the flavored vinegars and olive oils — these are not really mandatory – more on the fun and interesting side of things…
- Spices : I buy a LOT of spices and mix my own spices so therefore I buy them in bulk and have a container of backup spices in my pantry. (Ok, two large containers, but no one needs to know that – and certainly no one needs to replicate that!). As you cook and consider your family you will know which ones you use regularly. If you come along with me on my cooking journey I’ll share my favorites and see if they become yours too.
- Extra Soy Sauce / Mustard (Edmund Fallot only) / honey (local is always best for you) / jarred salsas (used in a pinch – prefer homemade (of course we do!)) / peanut butter (do I even have to mention this?!) / enchilada sauce (I make a LOT of enchiladas and mexican casseroles) / large container (5 litres) of ‘good’ olive oil from Chile (Trespontas) – I make all my own salad dressings and marinades etc – many that call for 1/2 C of oil…. I also buy my soy sauce from costco – it literally lasts forever – and I do make plenty of asian food and marinades that call for Soy sauce. Get the less sodium one!
- I have a few cans of campbell’s soup (celery / mushroom / chicken). – sometimes you need to make your mom’s green bean and mushroom soup casserole or chicken and rice casserole… I’m from the midwest – some things can’t be undone.
- I have a few cans of somewhat healthy-ish soup – in case of an immediate need for lunch.
Baking :
- Flour : Do I have any bakers out there ? I make 95% of our bread, all of our pizza dough, probably half of our tortillas (corn) and flatbreads (flour). I have a LOT of flour in the pantry. White whole wheat, whole wheat, organic AP, regular AP, Rye, pastry flour, cake flour, semolina, duram, cornmeal, chickpea flour (we tried keto), almond flour (macaron anyone?), …. you get the point. This is where I most often get into trouble since I have so much. Your nose is the control point on this stuff. Flour goes rancid. If it smells off – you didn’t use it quickly enough. Dates on flour, in my humble opinion, are more reliable than on some other products. Many say to store your flour in the freezer. Yeah, my stand alone freezer is already full. I’d need a whole other freezer for my flours…. ha (only half joking). Probably you could get by happily with regular AP flour – depending on how often you are coming with me on a baking adventure!
- Sugar : Brown sugar, powdered sugar, ultra fine baking sugar, regular organic sugar bought in costco sized 5 lb bags, oversized crystal sugar (think sparkly crunchy bits on top of a muffin or scone), colored sugars for decorating etc etc … I’ve never seen sugar go bad. I’ve seen plenty of hard as a rock brown sugars but there are ways to revive it !
- Lard / Crisco. Crisco is one of those things I try to use and eat in VERY small quantities. I’d be much more apt to make / purchase organic lard. (Yes, I’ve rendered leaf lard before…). But Grandma’s famous (or should be famous) snickerdoodle cookies are ONLY made with 1/2 butter and 1/2 Crisco. So again, some things can’t be undone.
- Gluten. See first point above – I bake a lot and with hearty grains. You need gluten if your bread is to rise…
- Dutch processed and/or regular cocoa powder. One word. Brownies. Know your recipe!
- Chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, huge container of sprinkles ? (ha)
- Dried potato flakes. Sounds odd, doesn’t it ? Let me just say Alton Brown’s favorite cinnamon roll includes yukon gold potatoes. Same principle applies to other yeasted bread / rolls. Short cut == dried potato flakes! (Yes, I’ve been to Santa Barbara to eat that cinnamon roll….)
- Yeast. 1 lb container of yeast kept in the fridge – with expiry date on it – at all times.
- All other : baking powder / baking soda / vanilla etc – you probably have that all if you bake ?
Last items in the pantry?
- Potatoes – not always stored, but I have a bin where they go. Our family goes on and off potato kicks. Right now I have a large portion of leftover russets and am thinking to myself – which soup should I make that includes potatoes to use up a bunch?
- Onions – always always always have onions on hand. A bunch. I’ve said numerous times – if I were ever to have a restaurant it would be called the melted onion. Onions go in EVERYTHING. Usually have a handful of yellow onions and maybe one – hardly ever 2 purple onions.
- Garlic. Wow. Can barely imagine life without Garlic. You should have some on hand. You can store your garlic with your onions…
- Do NOT store your onions AND your potatoes together. They have never liked each other and will do nothing but help each other rot.
How long does everything last ?
Well, it depends. First – would recommend you go to foodsafety.gov to see the recommendations from our government. Then I’d recommend you temper in the fact that those are the same people who let us eat Red 40 food dye and think that BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) is fine and dandy in your frosted flakes and trans fats like partially hydrogenated soybean and cottonseed oils are equally fine. (pillsbury biscuits, coffee mate etc.).
Second realize that many of the freezer / pantry items can be kept longer – and eaten happily – provided they are not rotten, do not smell, have the same appearance as when initially stored and (importantly) have been consistently and properly stored. Quality and texture is what will come into question well before actual food safety. Example: Dried beans are safe to eat (properly stored) well after 5 years on your shelf (not that I recommend that) but the nutritional value starts to decline after 2-3 years. Ground meat / poultry frozen guidance is 3-4 months. I call boulderdash on that – properly vacuum sealed, frozen consistently – you can readily get a year (or more?).
Third – knowing what type of person you are ought to drive your purchase and storage patterns. Are you the type of person who is religious on tossing ingredients when the expiry date or the best by date arrives? If you are that type – then you should have a slimmer pantry, fewer packages of chicken breast and more arduous pantry and freezer review / inventory processes in place. Making sure you are eating what is coming up for expiration etc.
In my very humble opinion, the key is to use your nose and eyes. You can tell quickly when you ought not eat something. And, if you are questioning it – maybe it’s best to toss it and purchase less next time?
Conclusion:
I hope this ever so long post on pantry storage has been helpful. Hopefully if you spend time considering your favorite recipes, your family preferences, how much and how often you bake – you can readily save a lot of money on the regular purchases, ease the number of times you grocery shop, and add ultimate flexibility to your cooking and or baking.
Lastly, just imagine what a MESS my pantry is ?! Below picture is for dreaming purposes only…
