Keeping these pantry staples on hand allows you to have quick meals within your reach every day. Get the master list of pantry staples.
For the most prepared pantry, it’s best to store a combination of frozen, dehydrated, and canned food. Use this list to inventory your current pantry and make plans to round out your current stock with missing items.
Storing your food in three different ways is smart. We recommend canning, freezing, and dehydrating. That’s the smart thing to do. Now, if the power goes out or the canning jars break, you’ll still have part of your food storage available and the loss will not be as great.
Do you constantly run to the grocery store? That can be a money waster. If you are trying to save money on your grocery bill, making several trips to the store to get supplies defeats the purpose to save money. You’ll use extra gas and set yourself up for impulse items that were not your list.
Instead, follow this list and keep a pantry of select staple items on hand. You’ll be able to make quick meals in minutes.
Keeping these pantry staples on hand allows you to have quick meals within your reach every day. Get the master list of pantry staples.
For the most prepared pantry, it’s best to store a combination of frozen, dehydrated, and canned food. Use this list to inventory your current pantry and make plans to round out your current stock with missing items.
Storing your food in three different ways is smart. We recommend canning, freezing, and dehydrating. That’s the smart thing to do. Now, if the power goes out or the canning jars break, you’ll still have part of your food storage available and the loss will not be as great.
Do you constantly run to the grocery store? That can be a money waster. If you are trying to save money on your grocery bill, making several trips to the store to get supplies defeats the purpose to save money. You’ll use extra gas and set yourself up for impulse items that were not your list.
Instead, follow this list and keep a pantry of select staple items on hand. You’ll be able to make quick meals in minutes.
Basic Pantry Staples –
These are the basic items that post pantries already have. If you feel that you have this covered, take a look at expiration dates on the items on your shelves and see if it time to rotate.
- Unbrominated white flour
- Sugar
- Yeast
- Wheat or Spelt in grain form (if you have a grinder)
- Salt
- Cornmeal
- White Rice
- Stock – chicken, beef, vegetable, bouillon cubes
- Brown Rice
- Tomato paste, sauce, or powder
- Noodles
- Powdered milk
- Powdered eggs
Baking Ingredients –
Baking ingredients have a longer shelf life, in most cases up to two years. These are the items that bring extra flavor to otherwise bland staples.
- Vanilla extract
- Maple extract
- Condensed milk
- Cornstarch
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Evaporated milk
- Honey
- Molasses
- Cream of tartar
- Bakers unsweetened chocolate
- Powdered sugar
- Cocoa powder
- A variety of nuts
Spices and Seasoning –
Do you have a variety of spices at home? Our spice and herb cabinet is HUGE and I consider to be the secret of our pantry. If you have a variety of spices and herbs on hand you can make an endless variety of flavor from the same meat and vegetable dish.
We purchase spices in bulk once or twice a year in bulk from The San Francisco Herb Company and Spices for Less. They both have individual herbs and spices, plus spice blends. I use these vendors when I cannot grow my own.
- Onion – powder and dehydrated diced pieces
- Rosemary
- Oregano
- Cayenne pepper
- Pepper
- Cinnamon
- Allspice
- Thyme
- Dill
- Nutmeg
- Paprika
- Garlic
- Apple cider vinegar
- Soy sauce
- Worcestershire sauce
- Garlic (fresh and dried)
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Mustard –various prepared flavored mustards or mustard seed to make your own
- Lemon juice
- Apple cider vinegar
- Lemon zest or dried lemon peel
Oils & Fat –
- Olive oil
- Vegetable Oil
- Shortening or coconut oil
- Butter
Protein –
- Dried and canned beans
- Frozen or canned chicken
- Canned tuna
- Frozen or canned beef
- Jerky
Dehydrated Fruit & Vegetables
I find it helpful to keep a stock of dehydrated food on hand. It makes quick meals extremely easy. Plus, I know the ingredients because I dried them myself.
- Dehydrated green pepper
- Dried onion
- Dehydrated tomato
- Dehydrated celery
- Dehydrated carrots
- Dehydrated apple slices
- Mixed vegetables – peas, carrots, green beans, etc. Add to soup or powder with dried onion to make vegetable powder.
- Your family’s favorite vegetables – zucchini, sweet potatoes, sweet corn. Whatever you eat the most.
In summary, stock a variety of canned, dehydrated, and frozen, fruit and vegetables, that you can use to make quick meals and that your family will eat. Rotate this list of pantry staples every year or two, so you have the freshest ingredients on hand.
What other items would you add to this list of pantry staples?
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