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THE WELL-STOCKED KITCHEN PANTRY

I remember when I first ventured out on my own. There were so many things to buy, including groceries to stock the pantry. I wanted it all but was, of course, on a very tight budget. I had to get the most basic of items and gradually stock the others. Well, that was a long time ago. My opinion on what is essential has changed and the pantry is a lot bigger than it used to be. It is important to have food items in storage especially for spontaneous, quick, easy, healthy and creative cooking. There are items that are basic to almost any cooking. Other items are dependent on the type of cooking you do most often and the amount of storage space available. Obviously, the list below is based on my preferences and space. You will want to omit some items and add others. On the subject of space, there are ways to expand at no cost. In a previous house, my pantry closet was just too small, so I used a small area of a big walk-in closet in the master bedroom, and a cabinet salvaged from an old kitchen that I placed in the garage. If you have the space, invest in a stand-up freezer. In the long run, you save money on meats and freezable items when they are on sale. If you have a large garden, you know a freezer is essential. Some staples below are listed under more than one category, such as bottled condiments that must be refrigerated after opening. By the way, make certain you are familiar with the recommended shelf life for perishable items. There are several good resources on the Internet that provide that information.

Refrigerator Freezer Produce Dry Goods

Canned/Bottled Vinegar/Oil/Spirits Dried Herbs Spices

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REFRIGERATOR Eggs Butter or margarine Milk Whipping cream Sour cream Cream cheese Mild cheese Sharp cheese Mozzarella Parmesan cheese Romano cheese Mayonnaise Yellow mustard Dijon mustard Worcestershire sauce Steak sauce Horseradish Ketchup Pickle relish Hot pepper pickles Green olives Ripe olives Assorted pickles Salsa Jellies or jams Apple butter Refrigerator biscuits Bacon (For longer shelf life, store in freezer) Fat back (For longer shelf life, store in freezer) Pancetta (For longer shelf life, store in freezer)

FREEZER Ice Vegetables Ground beef Whole chicken Boneless chicken breasts Boneless pork chops Link and/or bulk sausage Bacon Breads and rolls Prebaked pizza shells Fresh breadcrumbs Bread cubes Puff pastry Pyllo dough Flour tortillas Corn tortillas Pierogies Stuffed pasta Hors d'ouevres Beef stock Chicken stock Fish stock Non-dairy topping Walnuts Pecans Almonds Ice cream or frozen yogurt Sherbert Frozen fruits

PRODUCE White potatoes Sweet potatoes Onions Garlic Sweet peppers Hot peppers Fresh mushrooms Dried mushrooms Lettuce Cucumbers Tomatoes Carrots Celery Apples Oranges Lemons Limes Parsley Bananas

DRY GOODS All-purpose flour Whole wheat flour (Keep in freezer for longer shelf life) Cake flour Cornmeal Cornmeal muffin mix Granulated sugar Confectioner's sugar Brown sugar Baking soda Baking powder Yeast (Keep in freezer for longer shelf life) Cornstarch Unsweetened cocoa Unsweetened chocolate Semi or bitter sweet chocolate German chocolate Biscuit mix Minute tapioca Vegetable shortening Oatmeal Cereal Crackers Dried breadcrumbs Pasta (such as):     Penne or ziti     Spaghetti     Angel hair     Fettuccini     Linguini     Ditalini     Lasagna     Orzo     Elbows Egg noodles Long grain rice Brown rice Wild rice Arborio rice Barley Kidney beans Great Northern beans Lentils Split peas Onion soup mix Dried corn

CANNED / BOTTLED Whole tomatoes Tomato paste Tomato puree Tomato sauce Crushed tomatoes Chicken broth Condensed cream of mushroom soup Canned fruits Pie fillings Worcestershire sauce Soy sauce Dijon mustard Tuna Anchovies Anchovy paste Green beans Asparagus Chick peas Kidney beans Creamed corn Whole kernel corn Evaporated milk Peanut butter Canned chiles Assorted pickles Olives Capers Chopped pimentos Hoisin sauce Sesame oil Salsa Light corn syrup Dark corn syrup Pure maple syrup Pancake syrup Honey Pure vanilla Almond flavoring Bouillon Hot sauce Grated cheese

VINEGAR / OIL Olive oil Extra-Virgin olive oil Canola oil Peanut oil Olive oil spray Cooking oil spray Red wine vinegar Balsamic vinegar White distilled vinegar Cider vinegar SPIRITS Dry red wine Dry white wine Port wine Vermouth Brandy or Cognac Dry sherry Gin Rum Assorted liqueurs Dark beer

DRIED HERBS Parsley Oregano Basil Rosemary Thyme Rubbed sage Marjoram Cilantro Bay leaves Chives Savory Tarragon Dill weed Dill seed Onion powder Minced onions Garlic powder Minced garlic Note: It is true that dried herbs and spices lose flavor after about 6 months. However, they do not spoil. If they have been in my pantry longer than that, I just taste as I am cooking and add more if needed.

SPICES Peppercorns Coarse salt Iodized salt Cinnamon sticks Ground cinnamon Ground and/or whole nutmeg Ground cloves Whole cloves Ground turmeric Ground allspice Ground mace Pickling spice Mustard seed Dry mustard Cayenne pepper Celery seed Caraway seeds Fennel seeds Ground ginger Ground cumin Ground sweet paprika

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