# Pantry basics?



## jd_1138

I try to keep the following in the pantry.

_starches_
egg noodles
spaghetti pasta
penne pasta
House of Autry breading for chicken, pork
potatos

_soups/sauces_
chicken noodle
vegetable beef
tomato
pasta sauce 
Sloppy Jane sauce (Manwich Bold)

_canned veggies_
mixed veggies, peas, corn, green beans

refried beans
tortillas


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## jd_1138

With some thawed out hamburg, it's easy to throw together something like spaghetti and meatballs, Swedish meatballs with egg noodles, etc..  Or with chicken, pound it flat, bread it, salt/pepper, fry in the cast iron in some EVOO and then top it with cheese and pasta sauce and toss in the oven.  Serve with penne pasta.  Chicken parm in one skillet -- and in an easy to clean cast iron (just wipe it out).  The better half loves chicken parm so I make that a lot.

Last night I rubbed some olive oil and salt/pepper on some potatoes and poked holes in them, wrapped in foil and tossed them on the charcoal grill an hour before I put the burgers on.  Burgers were just some olive oil, salt, pepper, grated cheddar cheese mixed in with the hamburg.  I did something different and popped the buns on top of the burgers about 10 minutes before I pulled them off.  That way the buns were sort of steamed/warmed -- sort of White Castle style.  Tastes better than grilling them on the grille, and no worries about burning them.


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## blissful

Peanut butter.
Olive oil.
Coconut oil.
Peanut oil.
Vegetable oil.
Herbs and spices.


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## skilletlicker

I've got stuff I'm not too proud of, mostly impulse purchases, but this is some of what I try not to run out of from the center of the store.

Canned

Tomatoes
Chicken broth
Beef Broth
Mayonnaise
Sardines
Tuna
Chicken
Olives
Peanut butter
Fruit jam
Oils

Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Peanut Oil
"Wesson"
Vinegars

Red wine vinegar
White wine vinegar
Balsamic
Apple cider
Distilled white vinegar
Pasta & Noodles, mostly Whole Wheat

Elbow macaroni
Spaghetti
Linguine
Rotini
Penne
Broad egg noodles
Dry Goods and Other Stuff

Various dried beans
Dried tomatoes
Dried blueberries
White whole wheat flour
AP flour
Course grind yellow corn for grits
Cornmeal
Sugar, white
Brown sugar
Long grain brown rice
Basmati rice
Dried milk
Instant yeast
Baking soda
Baking powder
Coffee
Cocoa Powder
Condiments

Dijon mustard
Whole grain brown mustard
Yellow mustard
Ketchup
El Tapatio hot sauce
Sriracha hot sauce
Sweet relish
Pickled jalapenos
Dill pickles
Pickled gherkins


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## CraigC

Way too many things to list.


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## GotGarlic

CraigC said:


> Way too many things to list.



Same here. Three kinds of rice, a dozen Asian condiments and about 15 kinds of vinegar, for starters


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## Aunt Bea

Canola oil
 Olive Oil
 Apple cider vinegar
 White vinegar
 Red wine vinegar
 Dried beans, peas and barley
 Splenda  
 Low carb baking flour 
 Baking soda
 Baking powder
 A dusty box of assorted food coloring
 Cornstarch
 Wondra flour
 Saltine crackers
 Dried mushrooms
 GOYA beef, ham and chicken bouillon
Durkee's hot sauce
Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce
  An assortment of dried herbs, spices and extracts
 Iodized salt
 Morton curing salt
 Dreamfields macaroni
 Sugar free Jello
 Smucker's natural peanut butter
 Assorted nuts
Assorted salad dressings and condiments
Mt Olive sugar free pickles
 Ripe olives
 Stuffed olives
 Sardines
 An assortment of canned tomato products
 Canned green beans
 Canned mushrooms
 Canned green chili peppers
 Canned pimentos  
 Canned anchovies
Canned tuna
Canned clams
 Assorted teabags
 Ground roast coffee
 Sugar free ginger ale
 An assortment of booze

I keep trying to reduce the length of this list! 

It amazes me how the oldtimers got by with salt, flour and coffee!


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## Cooking Goddess

I live in the house neighbors know to call upon if they need an ingredient and don't have time/energy to run to the store...

Himself converted our back hall coat closet to a pantry. That holds the "grocery department" items I need frequently - oils, vinegars, some of my spice blends, dry baking items. And the necessary two boxes of wine - one red, one white.

Go down our basement steps and you'll find my personal convenience store: inventory stuff that I need regularly but not daily. It's mostly contained to a 5' by 18" by 6 foot tall metal shelving unit. As an endcap at one side is a baker's shelf with (you guessed it) baking supplies. Then there is another metal storage shelf, only 4' by 1' by 4 foot high that holds our beverages: pop, beer, coffee, assorted teas. Some fruit juices line up along the basement ledge, and the wine rack is on top of a metal bookshelf only 3' by 9" by 3 feet high.

One of my "must haves" that hasn't been listed is a jar or more of sauerkraut. You never know when you might need sauerkraut.


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## Dawgluver

Gotta have the kraut.

I have two cabinets dedicated to spices and blends.  One in the cupboard, one I built that's free-standing.  Plus my daily use stuff that sits out on the counter.

I built a floor to ceiling shelf unit that resides in the laundry room, and houses a bunch of dry goods and extra juices.


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## Domestic Goddess

Dawgluver said:


> Gotta have the kraut.
> 
> I have two cabinets dedicated to spices and blends. One in the cupboard, one I built that's free-standing. Plus my daily use stuff that sits out on the counter.
> 
> I built a floor to ceiling shelf unit that resides in the laundry room, and houses a bunch of dry goods and extra juices.


 
Dawgluver, you must be a kraut lover like me! If it weren't for my daughter, I wouldn't have jars of home-canned sauerkraut in my panty. Thank heavens she's a canner! And shares her kraut with us, as that stuff in the store, just cannot compare to the home-canned kraut made the old fashion way.

I've seem to of become a pat-rack with pantry stables, and never can pass up a good buy. I have a pantry in my kitchen, one next to my dining room, and now my oldest daughter's bedroom is where I also store many of my pantry items. 

Next to my fridge, and next to my stove, I have shelves which I store all my dried herbs and spices, boxed gelatins, boxed puddings, assorted teas and dry coffee creamers. 

When all my daughters moved out, I made sure the first gift they received for Christmas was, a box filled with all sorts of the dried spices and dried herbs, which I knew they could use, and I know they'd never buy for themselves. You can fill your pantry with plenty of boxed items, canned goods and assorted noodles, etc... but if you don't have these items in your pantry, you can't always complete your meal. I think it's a good idea to have plenty of dried herbs and spices stocked in your pantry.


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## Termy

Rice
Pastas
Beans
Split pea, barley

Canned goods;
Tomato sauce
Tomatoes
Cream of soups
Canned meat, not necessarily SPAM. Canned ham, corned beef

Potatoes
Onions
Garlic

Spice backup

Tomatoes and to save them wrap them in individual newspaper so the gases do not spread. Then you can pull them out later and sit them on a windowsill. 

All kinds of bottled goods, salad dressing, mayo, pickles, hot peppers, in my case a bunch of dill relish. (they aways got sweet relish all over the %$&#$$$# place ! There is a bag of sugar in the kitchen, I don't need anyone else's. 

If you get really salted or smoked ham and no water injected, that'll stay in there a while. 

T


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## GinnyPNW

I don't buy ready-made salad dressing anymore, unless you are referring to mayo.  I seem to remember that mayo was labeled "salad dressing" once upon a time?  Anyway, we've gotten spoiled with homemade salad dressings.  I have a recipe for all of our favorites, some I have more than one recipe.  There's just nothing like the homemade stuff on the store shelves or in their coolers either.  JMO.


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## taxlady

GinnyPNW said:


> I don't buy ready-made salad dressing anymore, unless you are referring to mayo.  I seem to remember that mayo was labeled "salad dressing" once upon a time?  Anyway, we've gotten spoiled with homemade salad dressings.  I have a recipe for all of our favorites, some I have more than one recipe.  There's just nothing like the homemade stuff on the store shelves or in their coolers either.  JMO.



Miracle Whip is the one that was (is?) called salad dressing. That's because it isn't mayo. I have made mayo, but Hellman's (Best Foods, out west) is good stuff and it's much more convenient.

I am trying to remember if I have ever bought a store bought salad dressing. I don't think I have. It's just far too easy to make my own and I know what's in it. Of course I have had store bought dressing at other people's homes. Nothing special. I have a few recipes written down, but most I just do by what I feel like adding. I used to whisk a vinaigrette together in a bowl and add different garlic, anchovy, herbs, according to my mood. Now, I make a batch of a dead simple vinaigrette once every week or two. When making a batch, I only use dried herbs. For garlic and onion, I use powder. That way it keeps longer. I make it in a cruet that has measurements on the side.

3/4 cup EVOO
1/4 cup cider or wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon of dried herbs
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
about a tablespoon of smooth Dijon mustard.

Once all the ingredients are in the cruet, I attach the lid and shake the heck out of it. It could also be made in jar. It's fine in the fridge for several weeks. Yes, I do have to shake it before each use. If I was planning on using all of it with a day or two, I would probably use fresh herbs and fresh garlic and minced onion. I only actually measure the EVOO and vinegar. I eyeball the rest or measure with the palm of my hand.


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## pepperhead212

I don't have enough time to list even my essentials!  Suffice it to say, some might label me as a survivalist, looking at all the food I have, for just one person!  Came in handy when this pandemic started - I barely made a dent in it, in over 4 months of non-shopping.  All those spices, grains and legumes I have in storage, along with freezer goods and canned goods, I have in an inventory notebook, so it's easier to find, plus, if I get to the last of something that I consider essential, I have to get some or make some!

I buy very few prepared foods, except for all those basic Asian ingredients, which I never run out of! Mustards and ketchup, the latter kept more as an ingredient, when called for, are two I can think of.


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## GinnyPNW

<<It's just far too easy to make my own and I know what's in it.>>

I couldn't agree with you more, taxlady!  I like to switch up the vinaigrettes with "designer" (for lack of a better word) vinegars too.  Apricot Vinegar, Huckleberry, etc.  Generally, I use dried herbs too, unless it is a holiday or company dinner and I expect to use most of it at one sitting.  

Hubby complained too much about using mason jars and such for my homemade dressings, so I invested in some mason jar lids with a flip cap over a pouring spout.  That and the cruets for vinaigrettes, and complaints stopped!


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## taxlady

GinnyPNW said:


> <<It's just far too easy to make my own and I know what's in it.>>
> 
> I couldn't agree with you more, taxlady!  I like to switch up the vinaigrettes with "designer" (for lack of a better word) vinegars too.  Apricot Vinegar, Huckleberry, etc.  Generally, I use dried herbs too, unless it is a holiday or company dinner and I expect to use most of it at one sitting.
> 
> Hubby complained too much about using mason jars and such for my homemade dressings, so I invested in some mason jar lids with a flip cap over a pouring spout.  That and the cruets for vinaigrettes, and complaints stopped!



Sometimes, when I have a lot of fresh herbs on hand, I make up the vinaigrette with no herbs. Then I just chop up the fresh herbs I want to use that day and add them to the salad. That way I get the convenience of my big-batch-vinaigrette and the fresh herbs.


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## pepperhead212

I like that idea of the flip lids for the mason jars!   I have these 3 containers that came with immersion blenders - 2 from the models that died, and one from the current one, and they all have lids, and pour well, so I use them for vinaigrettes.  I also put different fresh herbs on, as I want them (one of the reasons I started growing herbs in the off-season way back) - I only flavor a whole batch when using it all at once on something.  

Making a vinaigrette may actually cost a little more than some bottled dressings, using good olive oil and flavorful vinegar, but it is soooooo much better!


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## GinnyPNW

<<Sometimes, when I have a lot of fresh herbs on hand, I make up the vinaigrette with no herbs. Then I just chop up the fresh herbs I want to use that day and add them to the salad. That way I get the convenience of my big-batch-vinaigrette and the fresh herbs.>>

I like to add herbs from the garden straight to the salad or topper for a main dish too, taxlady.  Basil, cilantro, parsley, thyme...whatever seems to compliment the meal.  Or the pizza...;-)


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## GinnyPNW

pepperhead212 said:


> I like that idea of the flip lids for the mason jars!   I have these 3 containers that came with immersion blenders - 2 from the models that died, and one from the current one, and they all have lids, and pour well, so I use them for vinaigrettes.  I also put different fresh herbs on, as I want them (one of the reasons I started growing herbs in the off-season way back) - I only flavor a whole batch when using it all at once on something.
> 
> Making a vinaigrette may actually cost a little more than some bottled dressings, using good olive oil and flavorful vinegar, but it is soooooo much better!



Pssst, the lids that come on jars of "grated" parm are a perfect fit for the NON-wide mouth mason jars.  They are great for homegrown, dried herbs...for your shelf or to gift.


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## GotGarlic

GinnyPNW said:


> Pssst, the lids that come on jars of "grated" parm are a perfect fit for the NON-wide mouth mason jars.  They are great for homegrown, dried herbs...for your shelf or to gift.


Lids from mayo/salad dressing jars fit, too.

And there is an amazing variety of special purpose lids available for canning jars. I've bought storage lids through Amazon as well.
https://www.fillmorecontainer.com/closures.html


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## GinnyPNW

I have a selection of those purchased lids too.  Somehow, I like my "recycled" ones more?  And hubby keeps the jars from Pub Cheese to recycle into drinking glasses.  

I guess we're both a little on the cheap side...;-)


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## GotGarlic

GinnyPNW said:


> I have a selection of those purchased lids too.  Somehow, I like my "recycled" ones more?  And hubby keeps the jars from Pub Cheese to recycle into drinking glasses.
> 
> I guess we're both a little on the cheap side...;-)


Sure, recycling lids and jars is great. Those lids don't have the special features of some of the commercial lids, though, which is where this started.


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## pepperhead212

I can relate to that, *Ginny*!  However, I buy few things in jars - kalamata and other olives, and some Asian ingredients are all I can think of in glass jars.  Mom and Sis used to save them for me, and would even have larger ones than I ever bought anything in - my source for all those gallon and other larger jars, plus countless others.  I learned early on that plastic simply doesn't seal well - dried peppers would loose their crispness after a few months, even when tightened as tight as possible.  I used to use them for some things, still, but eventually, I had so many glass jars, I stopped using them.


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## GinnyPNW

GotGarlic said:


> Sure, recycling lids and jars is great. Those lids don't have the special features of some of the commercial lids, though, which is where this started.



Oh, but the Parmesan Cheese jar lids do have some special features!  That is why I mentioned them.  And, they are EXACTLY like the ones they sell on Amazon --  "Shaker & Pour Spice Caps for Mason Jars"  -- 6 for $13.99.  (I would post a link, but I'm too new, so not allowed that yet.)  

I came across them on Amazon, and had that lightbulb moment.  Went to the fridge and tried one of the Parm lids on a (non-wide mouth) mason jar and it was a perfect fit.  So, now I save those lids and use them or share them.


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## GotGarlic

GinnyPNW said:


> Oh, but the Parmesan Cheese jar lids do have some special features!  That is why I mentioned them.  And, they are EXACTLY like the ones they sell on Amazon --  "Shaker & Pour Spice Caps for Mason Jars"  -- 6 for $13.99.  (I would post a link, but I'm too new, so not allowed that yet.)
> 
> I came across them on Amazon, and had that lightbulb moment.  Went to the fridge and tried one of the Parm lids on a (non-wide mouth) mason jar and it was a perfect fit.  So, now I save those lids and use them or share them.


Yes, those particular ones do, but there are several other types of lids that don't come with commercial jars. And not everyone uses pre-shredded or ground Parmesan cheese. It's been at least 20 years since I've bought it.


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