This is the current state of my pantry. I want to move away from a lot of pre-packaged foods and begin making things from scratch (therefore buying raw ingredients in bulk). Some of the things here will go away and hopefully be replaced with healthier homemade alternatives.
I'm mostly in the research and collecting supplies stage. I joined a free food preservation class that starts in October.
I was wondering if you have any suggestions for things i can do to make my food last longer in this space- especially onions, potatoes, carrots, and squash. I often see vegetables stored in wire "market" style baskets, which i can do, but then I have heard you shouldn't store your onions near your fruit or potatoes.
I am in the process of getting curtains for the windows i know light isnt my friend.
by Accomplished-Cod8263
10 Comments
Onions: buy dollar store panty hose. Tie a loop out of the top. Cut the toe open. Tie a knot at the top of the leg and then push an onion up the leg. Knot. Onion. Knot. Onion…… hang them on a hook off the ceiling so they get air the whole way around. Cut the hose as you need them.
Potatoes: I store mine in wooden crates in our root cellar, layered between newspaper. They do best in cool, dry, and dark.
Dry goods: metal Lard Cans make excellent flour storage. I buy rice and cornmeal in bulk, divide it among quart or half gallon jars and affix the lids with a vacuum sealer (also a great method for make-your-own cake/brownie/biscuit mixes)
Not an ingredient, but pick up recipe books focused on recipes from the 70’s and earlier. They have a lot recipes that use simple ingredients and more innovative ways to use them up. It can help you stretch your pantry. Their deserts are also less sweater than our modern ones.
You have to choose what to do with your processed food. Personally, we just started throwing it all out by donating it. Then we went all in on real food and single ingredients. The only thing we eat from a can or jar is something that we personally canned ourselves. No more processed food will dramatically improve your health and eating will become more enjoyable
Take one of your commonly purchased foods and try home made recipes versions until you find a winning one that your family likes.
Also wouldn’t go cold turkey, wean off of it. Your taste will need to shift to prefer the whole food ingredients. That can take a while.
Heck yeah! As is, looks like many of my family members homes and I feel right at home in there!
Well, what do you like to cook? We are an “ingredient” house and man is it nice because it’s tailored to a variety of dishes we like to cook! Singapore curry noodles are only a few ingredients different from beef pho, and if you have al lthe ingredients for curry noodles plus a can of chick peas you have all the ingredients for curried chick peas and can easily make garlic naan to go with it!
All of the ingredients don’t matter if you have a limited palette either by medical need or flavor preference.
Spices. Once you start mixing and tweaking blends to your own taste it’s hard to go back to packets. You’ll figure out which ones to buy in bulk and which can stick to the small jars.
Why do you need to store onions and potatoes longer? Most who do that are doing it because it’s what they’ve grown. If you’re just going to the grocery store, you can buy a 5 pound bag and go through it before it’s bad.
For onions, you will go through a Costco sized bag in 1-2 weeks. Same for potatoes if that’s something you usually eat.
What I’ve noticed from myself and my family who are ingredient households — most bulk storage is dry goods like rice, flour, or pasta which can be stored in large jars. Otherwise, the fruits and veggies occupy a bowl or two and are replenished regularly (weekly or more) as needed.
I personally wouldn’t go all in buying stuff until you see what it’s like. Cooking will take longer and you may find it’s not worth it for you.
Scary…but I don’t eat most of what’s in your pantry
In addition to curtains, consider tinted reflective film for the window if they allow heat into the room. You want your pantry dry and cool.
If you like pickles buy them in 1 gallon jars,those jars will keep b-peppers good for 2 months in the fridge. A vacuum sealer is great to portion out leftovers in the freezer..or dry goods. Its always good to have a ready to ho meal when you don’t feel like cooking.
Pasta ,beans and rice can be vacuum sealed in glass jars.
A 25lb bag of rice or beans are very cheap food.