PANTRY STAPLES
There are so many items that make sense to have on hand - way more than just salt and pepper. Making sure you have at least this much on hand means you can make just about any dish you crave. You will add specialty pantry items when a particular dish calls for it, but these are the staples I always keep on hand.
If I find more in my kitchen I didn't think of as a staple but has become one, I will add but will mark NEW!
If I find more in my kitchen I didn't think of as a staple but has become one, I will add but will mark NEW!
Photo by Sarah Pflug from Burst
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Salt and Pepper
Salt and Pepper are a must for any pantry, but I often have more than one type in my cupboard. I keep Black Tellicherry and White Peppercorns on hand. My grinder will have the black peppercorns, but when I am making a cream sauce, I prefer the color of the white peppercorns so the spice blends in. As for salt, I keep Kosher Salt on hand for salting the water before cooking pasta, and when I want a large grain of salt like sprinkling on my potato tacos before baking them in the oven. However, I enjoy the flavor of sea salts for flavoring most dishes. I keep a few different ones on hand, like Hawaiian Black Lava Salt or black truffle salt. Different salts will give your dishes different flavors, so find ones you like! |
Photo by Sarah Pflug from Burst
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Dried Herbs and Spices
Having these in your pantry means you can add flavor to your dish quickly. Here's a list of the bottles I use frequently. The trick is to use them up, or you will have to switch them out periodically as they will lose flavor over time when exposed to light, heat or air. Buying small bottles of spices you don't use often will save you money in the long run on. If I can get the whole spices, I prefer to keep them on hand in that manner, as I can grind them up easily and their flavor is better when fresh ground, and they last longer in the cupboard.
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Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash
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Fresh Herbs
Most take so very little to grow, that I prefer to use them fresh from the pots on my porch. If you don't have a green thumb (Cilantro is one I have a hard time growing), then your local market probably has a fresh herb section as well to pick up what is needed for individual recipes. Otherwise, keeping them in a dried form is good in a pinch
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Other Staples
Here's the other items I like to have on hand in my fridge or in my cupboards. I tend to use up the fresh items before they go bad, and date the other jars when I open them so I keep track of how long they've been in my fridge. Pick up items as you need them for a recipe if they aren't already in your pantry so you aren't over spending on something you may not use for a while. |
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Refrigerated items:
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Unrefrigerated items:
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Other items:
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last updated 11/18/2020