Pantry Slideshow 1 

 

One of the blessings of having a full pantry is that I never have to run to the store to make dinner. There is always something on hand. I can buy things when they’re on sale, and when I go to

make dinner, I can choose by what I feel like making in the time I have. Variety is truly the spice of life; have a good variety of things on your shelf from which to choose.

You can frugally build up a food storage, saving money while building up a storage at the same time.

Canning what you grow in your own garden is another way to frugally build your storage.

The other blessing of storing food is that we have food. Despite 8 months of no income in 2007, we have had food to eat because I filled the pantry.

Here’s how we have done it and more of our story.

The menus and recipes on this site come from items I have had stored and that I have grown in my garden.

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Want to be prepared against rising prices, job layoffs, etc? Build up a good food storage.

Wondering what you might be missing in your food storage if you found yourself unable to go to the store? I guest posted on that subject over at The Simple Pen.

Buy in Bulk

Buying in bulk can save you a lot of money. You can buy bags, buckets, or #10 cans full of bulk items, such as wheat, oats, milk, dried fruits and vegetables, beans, barley, rice, etc.

For some items, I buy in bulk at Sam’s Club (50lbs of long-grain rice is under $17 ). For other things, like wheat, barley, oats, milk, etc., I have bought from other places. See the Bulk Foods and Grains page for links to bulk sellers.

Buying herbs and spices in bulk really helps to cut the cost of these items.

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Pantry Items:

These are the items I regularly keep on the shelf, and are the items needed to make the recipes on this site, along with those listed in the Fridge and Freezer sections. Anything else comes from my garden.

 

Grains

Basmati Rice

Oats

Hard Red Wheat

Hard White Wheat

Long Grain White Rice

Pearled Barley

Popcorn

Soft Wheat

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Baking Supplies

All-Purpose Flour

Bread Flour

Corn Meal

Whole Wheat Flour (home ground)

Baking powder

Cocoa Powder

Cornstarch

Cream of Tartar

Kosher Salt

Salt

Shortening

Vanilla

Yeast (in bulk from Sam’s Club)

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Dairy

Cheese Powder

Powdered milk

Evaporated milk

Powdered whole eggs

Powdered egg whites

 

Sugars

Brown sugar

Powdered sugar

Granulated sugar

Maple syrup

Dark corn syrup

Molasses

Honey

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Oils

Vegetable or canola oil

Olive oil

Meats

Canned chicken

Canned tuna fish

Hormel Bacon Bits

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Canned Fruits and Vegetables

(including Home Canned)

Applesauce

Apple juice

Black Olives

Corn

Cranberry Sauce

Green beans

Diced tomatoes

Tomato sauce

Mandarin oranges

Peaches

Pears

Pineapple

Green chilies

Mushrooms

Peach nectar

Pickles

Cream of mushroom soup

Cream of chicken soup

Beef Stock

Pasta

Alphabet Letters

Egg Noodles

Farfalle

Penne

Ramen Noodles

Rotini

Shells

Spaghetti or angel hair noodles

Dried Fruits and Vegetables

Raisins

Golden raisins

Dried cranberries

Dried apricots

Dried figs

Dried apples

Peanut butter

Potato flakes

Dried potato slices

Dried carrots

Dried celery

Dried onions

Dried apples

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Nuts

Almonds

Peanuts

Pecans

Pine Nuts (I keep these in the freezer)

Walnuts

Dried Beans

Alfalfa (for sprouting)

Black Beans

Great Northern Beans

Pinto Beans

Kidney Beans

Lentils (for sprouting)

Mung Beans (for sprouting)

Vinegars

Apple Cider vinegar

Balsamic Vinegar

Distilled vinegar

Red Wine vinegar

Rice vinegar

Sauces, Jams, etc.

Apricot Vanilla Jam

Apple Butter

BBQ sauce

Ketchup

Mayonnaise

Pear Butter

Pomegranate Jelly

Salsa

Soy Sauce

Giardiniera

Fun things to have on hand

Chocolate

Chocolate Chips

Chocolate Syrup

Hard Candy

Hot Chocolate

Nutella

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Herbs and Spices

I keep a spice cupboard in my kitchen, with extra spices in my pantry.

Basil

Black Pepper

Cinnamon

Curry powder

Dill

Garlic (powdered or granulated)

Ginger

Lemongrass

Marjoram

Mustard (dry)

Mustard Seeds

Nutmeg

Onion Powder

Oregano

Paprika

Parsley

Poppy seeds

Red Chile Pepper Flakes

Rosemary, ground

Sage, rubbed

Tarragon

Thyme

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Other Seasonings

Cajun Seasoning

Cinnamon and Sugar

Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix (bought in bulk from Sam’s Club)

Lemon Pepper

Knorr Powdered Chicken Bullion

Knorr Powdered Tomato Bullion

Pumpkin Pie Spice

Taco Seasoning (bought in bulk from Sam’s Club)

Canning Supplies

Ascorbic Acid (Powdered Vitamin C)

Rings and lids

Pectin(liquid, low sugar and regular)

Pickling Salt

Lemon Juice