Essential Pantry Items

[KariM]

I'm looking for advice regarding what you consider to be essential items to keep in your pantry at all times.

We're currently dairy free and trying to stay soy free (DD is sensitive).

--Kari

[tboroson]

Just off the top of my head,

Lots of olive oil. I buy the 3 litre Bionaturae cans, and use it to refill a smaller bottle that is easier to use.

Coconut oil

Assortment of spices that I know I use regularly, plus herbs when it's off-season for my garden.

Arrowroot powder

Dry beans, nuts, dry fruit

Chocolate chips (well, I try with this one, but my darling husband always finds them and eats them. So I try making them up into cookie batter and freezing it in balls for baking. He finds them and eats them... I can't win...)

Garlic (we use *lots* of garlic). Similarly onions.

Raw honey, maple syrup

Sprouted grain flour

Yeast

Peanut butter (addicts here, all of us)

I'll often make up dry mix for pancakes or scones and keep it in my refrigerator so I can just add the wet ingredients and get cookin'. With the scones, I put the dry ingredients in my food processor with the cold butter (you could do the same with coconut oil) and process it, then all I have to add is an egg and milk (you could do it with water, almond milk, goat's milk...)

Perishable stuff:
Yogurt (homemade or storebought)
Hummus (usually homemade)
Favorite veggies - broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, red peppers, sugar snap peas, so I can just throw some in a pan with garlic and olive oil or into the steamer at a moment's notice.
Eggs (we go through lots of eggs)

[girlndocs]

This should be an interesting thread!

Hmmm ... we are not soy or dairy free so our list won't be ...

whole wheat pastry flour (this is our "all purpose" flour)
rolled oats
un-degerminated cornmeal
lentils, a variety of beans
brown rice, usually basmati
white sugar :
molasses, honey
bulk popcorn
baking soda & aluminum-free baking powder
wheat germ
cold-pressed oil (usually canola or safflower)
active dry yeast
flax seed
natural peanut butter
jam (homemade)
whole grain bread (maybe I'll start making all our own, then the staple would be whole wheat bread flour)
cocoa powder
TJ's whole wheat pasta
TJ's marinara sauce
canned whole tomatoes (ours are homegrown)
coconut oil
chicken boullion
apple cider vinegar, red wine vinegar
wheat gluten
sesame seeds
sunflower seeds
raisins
parmesan-romano mix cheese

eggs
butter
organic milk
cheddar & mozzerella cheese
seasonal fruits
seasonal vegetables
potatoes
orange yams
garlic, onions
tamari sauce
TJ's barbecue sauce
mayo
some kind of seasoning meat in the freezer, bacon or smoked pork bones, when these are just too expensive I have a jar of bacon fat I use :

and spices: salt, rosemary, whole peppercorns, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, oregano, dill, curry powder, lemon-pepper salt, poultry seasoning, whole mustard seed.

With this assortment in stock I'm confident I can always whip something up.

[ladywolf]

flour (white, wheat)
salt
yeast
eggs
butter
sugar (white, brown)
oatmeal
grits
pepper
potatoes
rice
garlic
milk
jam (homemade strawberry)
onions
chicken
ground turkey
vanilla
dried orange
cloves
nutmeg
ginger
black tea (East Frisian TGFOP 2 kilos minimum, darjeeling, blackberry)
cinnamon
pine nuts
pecans
cheese (cheddar, monterey jack, mozzeralla (sp?), parmesan, feta, gorgonzola, .....)
soy sauce
maple syrup
ramen
peanut butter
apples
vinegar (red wine, apple cider)
olive oil

There is probably more but this is just off the top of my head. I do most of our own baking, as well as lately making all our own pasta, which is why flour is at the top of the list. Flour, sugars, and rice are all bought in 25 pound quantities.

Fresh fruit and vegetables are dependent upon what is in season.

[UUMom]

Fun thread. I love food threads. Oh--edited to add: You want only essentials. I'll edit.

Mine looks like a lot like the above. But anyway in the pantry cupboard--

Various oils (which go rancid fast if left in the light or are opened)
Vinegars
Mirin
Tamari
Rice
Dry beans & legumes, plus lots of canned beans for 'emergencies'
Various flours- whole wheat, unbleached white, corn meal etc
Oatmeal (bulk)
Popcorn (bulk)
Whole canned plum tomatoes (many of these lol)
Various pastas, all shapes & sizes
Canned tuna
Canned wild salmon
Whole wheat pretzles
Whole wheat crackers
Maple syrup
Almond butter
Peanut butter
Potatoes (stores well)
Garlic (stores well)
Onions (stores well)
Sweet potatoes (stores well)
Cabbage (stores well)
Butternut squash or other squashes- all store well)
Various seeds & nuts (some in the freezer as well)
Aspetic container of organic broths (I also have frozen homemade broth in my freezer, but I like to have them in the pantry in a pinch).

In the fridge-

Milk
Cheese
Eggs
Hummus
ketchup
Mustard
Green Goddess Dressing
Tamari
Beer (i would call this essential lol)
Wine (for sure essential)
Yogurt
Chinese cabbage (not essential- but I buy it at least once a week- great in soups & stir frys- which go a long way in feeding a large family)
Lettuce
Arugula (I eat this everyday, but not essential)
Parsely
Cilantro
Carrots
Celery
Peanut butter
Flax seed oil
Cod liver oil
Organic milk & cream
Salsa
Butter

Freezer- If i keep the following in the freezer, I can pretty much make anything from a soup to a stew to a delish pasta sauce- anything. My kids like the veggie burgers crumbled and sauteed in soups, stews, sauces etc when we aren't grilling them, of course. Our grill is covered in snow presently. :

Cascadian corn
Cascadian green beans
" " " strawberries, blueberries & peaches
" " " Peas
Yogurt sticks
ground turkey
ground chicken chicken thighs
Small turkey breast
Amy's Chicago Bugers
Homemade borth
Various breads

In the fruit bowls- (Varies depending on season, availability & price. For whatever reason, organic kiwis have been so cheap)

Apples
Bananas
Tomatoes (I don't like the taste of refrigerated tomatoes)
Lemons
Avos (we use these in salads, sandwiches, mashed with salsa etc. One of my children eats them plain)

[isosmom]

I actually just recently made a list of food we should have in the house at all times, it has really come in handy.
olive oil and veg oil
peanut butter
rolled oats
rice milk
brown sugar
apple juice
frozen peas
steel cut oats
macaroni and cheese (Annie's)
sugar
plain fatty yoghurt
jam
bread
flour
coffee
tea
salt and pepper
butter
eggs
cheese
apples
carrots
bananas
onions
garlic
applesauce
pure maple syrup
dried fruit
nuts
It seems like a lot to me, but I can make a whole lotta meals outof that stuff by only having to add a thing or two, or nothing at all!

[Messac888]

First and foremost, I give you props for being dairy-free in Wisconsin. As a fellow Wisconsinite, I couldn't do it! Cheese is too big a staple in our diets! Anyway, here's a list of staples- ALWAYS in stock in our home- and then a second list of still pretty necessary items but we don't freak out without it for a few days. Ready?

List one- staples
Olive oil
Garlic
Tomatoes
Onions
Green peppers
Pasta, pasta, pasta!
Cheese (variety)
Spaghetti sauce, sometimes organic sometimes not
Organic Flour
Organic Cane Sugar
Organic sucanat
Canned veggies (when veggies are neeed in a pinch)
Peanut Butter
Eggs
Salt
Butter (I use real, dh uses veggie spread, ick)
Cereals
Fruit of any sort (must be fresh, no canned)
Salad dressing

List two- useful but not 100% necessary
Dry beans
Rice
Bread
Meat
Milk
Oatmeal
Flaxseed
Wheat Germ
Fish (including fishsticks : )
yeast


We are beginning to convert to a much more vegetarian lifestyle although we only eat meat 2 meals/week anyway. I'm beginning to do research on dairy-free, although I think we'll just end up buying organic milk for the kids and dh and I will drink the "regular" (bad) stuff ourselves. We couldn't live without cheese. Mind you, I didn't go downstairs and take inventory on our cupboard, this is off the top of my head after making an Easter dinner for 15 people on 4 hours of sleep and a full day (yesterday afternoon to this morning) of mega-cleaning. I'm sure there's more that I just can't think of right now.

[calpurnia]

Okay.

- museli
- oats
- milk
- dried fruit
- seeds
- bread
- cheese
- humus
- butter
- pickled vegetables (actually only capers & gherkins)
- red & puy lentils
- kidney beans, chickpeas, aduki beans & butter beans
- brown rice
- cous cous
- wholewheat pasta
- pesto
- wholemeal flour
- brown sugar
- vinegar
- soy sauce
- olive oil
- sunflower oil
- various spices
- garlic
- onion
- potatoes
- tinned tomatoes
- peanut butter
- honey (from my parents' bees)
- marmalade (made by my mother)



I bet I've forgotten something!

ETA: 1) oh, yeah, we're not dairy free, so the list isn't either. 2) speaking of which, I forgot yoghurt!

[my2girlsmama]

Question:

My pantry isn't much, very small side shelving in my kitchen....no dark large one in basement as I'd like.

How do you all store eggs and cheese without it going bad? And how are you all storing veggies??? Ok I do store my potatoes and oinons there but eventually they too go bad if not used.

I am really not up there in this whole thing but I am so interested in this thread.

[guerrillamama]

You don't keep eggs and cheese in the fridge?

[KariM]

I keep my eggs and cheese in the fridge, but most hard cheeses can store just fine in a cool dry dark place. I've also read that farm eggs store just fine in a similarly cool dry dark place but that the store eggs (because they've been washed) should be stored in a refrigerator.

My pantry is an old fashioned one since our house was built in the 1880's and has open shelves. We store dried foods, grains, flours, and canned foods in the pantry.

The onions and potatoes are stored in wire baskets hanging from the pantry wall. We only buy them in small quantities so they keep fine there. We have an old basement that is part dirt/part concrete floor so I suppose we could store potatoes and onions down there in larger quantities. The basement is heated, but the dirt areas around the perimeter really don't get very warm.

--Kari

[mysticmomma]

what a great thread

[Mihelinka]

Various shapes of pasta
Arborio rice
polenta/corn meal
all purpose & cake flour
porcini powder
capers
lemons
canned tomatoes & beans & artichoke hearts
garlic
hot pepper flakes, whole peppercorns
various jams
maple syrup
frozen pastry dough
whole wheat wraps
eggs
parmigiano reggiano cheese
various types of nuts & dried fruits
tahini
almond & penut butter

[Cinnamon]

Let's see...

On the shelf:

Pasta (5 different types)
Rice
Sugar
Brown Sugar
Flour
Yeast
Cocoa Powder
Spices (lots of them)
Herbs (lots of them)
Capers
Green Peppercorns
Sirup (maple and sugar beet)
Honey
Hot Sauce
Sambal Oelek (we like things spicy )
Apple Sauce
Peanut Butter
Jams (different flavors)
Green Beans
White Asparagus
Rooibos Tea (about 10 different flavors at a time)
Fennel Tea
Peppermint Tea
Chamomille Tea
Baking Powder
Baking Soda
Vanilla
Vanilla Sugar
Chicken and Veggie broth
Onions
Garlic
Vinegar (white, red, balsamic)
Olive Oil
Veggie Oil
Lemons
Fruits




In the fridge:

Milk
Eggs
Butter
Juice
Cheese (Havarti with Dill, Feta Cheese, Gouda...)
Fruits
Veggies (Tomatoes, Lettuce, english cucumber)
Whipping Cream
Sour Cream
Sandwich Meats

In the freezer:
Meat
Broccoli
Corn
Fish
Bread
Ice Cream (can't live in GA without it )
Juice
Butter


Those are my essentials. At least the ones I can remember right now. I'm sure I forgot some things.

Cinnamon

[eightyferrettoes]

Pantry:

Dried beans, lentils, etc
Flour, white and whole-wheat
canned tomatoes
Oatmeal
Sugar, white and brown
Potatoes
Sweet potatoes
Onions
Garlic
Canned beets
coconut milk
flaked sweetened coconut
olive oil
Whole wheat pasta
Baking chocolate
Any kind of nut
Spices (red pepper flake, peppercorns, seasoned salt, etc,)
Pancake mix-- that Krusteaze wheat variety, I'm lazy in the morning.
Cornmeal
Horseradish
Baking soda
baking powder
Apple cider vinegar
Expensive vanilla :LOL

Fridge
Eggs
Bacon
Buttermilk
Cheddar
butter
Spinach
Sour cream
Collards or kale
Whatever other veggies looked good that week

Freezer
Wild salmon
Halibut
Ground beef
whole cut up chicken
broth from the previous chicken.

I'm getting MUCH better at buying foods that we will actually EAT, instead of buying tofu burgers (no offense to tofu burger lovers) and then winding up at Taco Bell. We haven't eaten out in a long time, and the only thing was getting into the swing of keeping simple foods stocked.

[PrettyBird]

We always have:

Dried Beans (a few different types)
Rice, both brown and wild
Whole wheat pasta
Canned tomatoes
Sugar (which I usually only use to make cookies for DH)
Olive oil
canola oil
sesame oil
Whole wheat pastry flour
Yeast
Baking soda and powder
cornstarch
zillions of spices (really too many to count)
vinegars
Honey
Raisins
Salt
Rolled Oats and Rye
Barley
Flax seed
Peanut butter
almond butter
Jams
almonds and walnuts
dark chocolate
teas
coffee
canned salmon

In the fridge/freezer
Eggs
Milk
Soy milk
Pomegranate juice
Several different veggies
apples
spinach
frozen berries
meats
cheese

There's probably more but that's all I can think of off the top of my head!