❤️Pantry Staples❤️
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❤️Grocery Lists & More❤️
 My grandmother, shopping in Mobile, Alabama in the 1930's or '40's. I often think about the “old days” when I make my grocery list. I can remember my grandmother talking about the “staples” they went and bought about once a month.
Not only is a full pantry convenient, but saves extra trips to the grocery store making it frugal as well!
I use the same list, with a few others added:
Amazingly, they “got by” with these simple items…(These are just the ones I can remember, perhaps they bought a few other basic items, as well.) And they grew everything else they needed. They had a garden in the summer and fall, canning it all to last through the winter until Spring arrived and they would plant again. They also had milk cows that provided milk and she made their butter; they raised chickens for eggs, meat, etc. The ice truck came by ever so often and they had the ice wrapped in burlap, and they placed it in something similar to a pie safe. It was called an Icebox. This is where they kept items such as leftover food, pies, cakes, etc. It was lined with mesh screen inside, to keep out insects, mice, etc. They placed milk in jugs and bottles in the spring* to keep it cold. (*A cold stream of water that naturally poured out of the ground, and they dug a hole and dammed it up with a small spillway, to keep some of the water there.) To give you a real good picture of their way of life, they even had to haul water from the spring and it was quite a ways from their house. They washed some of their clothes in another stream as well. This excerpt is from an article written by Rachel McSwain Fullilove, for the WPA. About her life in Augusta, Mississippi circa 1860-1870. “Syrup was made from cane, and to get the sugar, the syrup was boiled low and then dripped through a sack. The sugar left in the sack was brown, but had a good flavor.” Well, back to My Pantry List. I do try to be very frugal and attempt to mimic these “old ways” as best I can. Not just to be frugal, but because I actually like living this way. My GOAL is to simplify by making some of these from scratch, such as mixes, dressings and such; and also growing MORE things! I also want to get a few goats for milk, cheese, and making goat milk soap. UPDATE on the goats: We now have goats! Although no milkers right now. ANOTHER UPDATE: We now have a milk goat that will have a little one in about March of 2022. YET ANOTHER UPDATE: We now have two female goats a Nannie and her female kid, already weaned and old enough to be bred. UPDATE: Over the past few years, my list has changed somewhat to include more organic products. MY PANTRY:
PERISHABLES:
A.C. Legg, Inc. I was happy to see that this company uses only natural ingredients in their products. INGREDIENT STATEMENT ON BAG: Blend of Salt, Red Pepper, Sage, Sugar, and Black Pepper. Recipe from their website: FRESH PORK SAUSAGE INGREDIENTS: 25.0 Lbs. Boneless Pork (35-40% fat)*(we used venison and beef tallow)* 1 Bag #25 Old Plantation Pork Sausage Seasoning Blend 10 MANUFACTURING PROCEDURE: 1. Grind pork through a 1/2 inch plate. 2. Transfer to mixer, add seasoning and mix for 2 minutes. 3. Regrind through a 3/32 inch, 5/12 inch or 1/8 inch plate. 4. Package in bulk or stuff into casings. We also put up some venison meat/burgers in the freezer. It makes me feel a lot better knowing my ground meat and sausage hasn't been "gassed" or doesn't have growth hormones in it. http://www.foodproductiondaily.com/Quality-Safety/More-calls-for-carbon-monoxide-treated-meat-labeling Yes, a butcher told me about this practice, and in his own words: "Nowadays we don't know what we are eating"...
This is a reprint of one of my old articles from way back.
*New notations. |
Bare NecessitiesWhat is it you MUST have to get by, feel comfortable, safe, and survive?
Firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and tea. One can’t live without salt.丨~Liziqi Ingredient KitchenI'd never heard this term until a few weeks ago, and realized that is BASICALLY what I have. That's how I cook! That's how my mother, grandmothers cooked! Wow.
Here is an AI description: An "ingredient kitchen" is a kitchen well-stocked with fundamental, versatile food items and pantry staples, like grains, spices, canned goods, and fresh produce, rather than primarily pre-made meals. The goal is to provide the building blocks for various dishes, offering flexibility in cooking and adapting to different budgets and dietary preferences. Key ingredients typically found in such a kitchen include staples like flour, sugar, salt, cooking oils, rice, pasta, beans, canned tomatoes, and a variety of spices. [1, 2] Examples of Ingredients for an Ingredient Kitchen • Grains & Legumes: Rice, pasta, oats, flour, lentils, and dried beans. [1, 2] • Pantry Staples: Sugar, salt, honey, vinegar, and various cooking oils (like olive, vegetable, or canola oil). [2] • Canned & Jarred Goods: Canned tomatoes, tomato paste, broths, canned beans, tuna, and pasta sauce. [2] • Herbs & Spices: Salt, pepper, garlic powder, cinnamon, oregano, and chili flakes are essential for flavor. [2, 3] • Fresh & Refrigerated Items: Milk, butter, eggs, cheese, and fresh produce like garlic and lemons are common. [2] How to Start an Ingredient-Based Kitchen [1] 1. Identify Your Staples: Look at the ingredients you already use frequently in your existing meals. 2. Start with Basics: Begin stocking your pantry with these common staples. 3. Focus on Flexibility: An ingredient-based kitchen provides the raw materials to create different meals, allowing you to adapt to various recipes, preferences, and constraints. [1] https://oryana.coop/how-to-become-an-ingredient-household-a-beginners-guide-to-cooking-from-scratch/ [2] https://simonejonestyner.com/75-ingredients-you-should-always-keep-in-your-kitchen/ [3] https://www.kichking.com/blogs/news/the-ultimate-kitchen-ingredients-checklist-stocking-your-pantry-like-a-pro Not all images can be exported from Search. ~🌱🥕Seeds🥒🌱~
Pixabay photo
I HAD A BRAINSTORM, and figured a vegetable seed cache might as well be part of my pantry staple list too.
UPDATE-SEE: Gardening for a list of seeds to sustain a family for a year. PLASTIC ALTERNATIVES
*You can freeze food without plastic using glass jars and containers, silicone bags, beeswax wraps, stainless steel containers, aluminum foil, and waxed paper. For certain foods, freezing them individually on a baking sheet before transferring to a container is effective, or you can use methods like ice cube trays for small portions. [1, 2, 3]
Here's how to use these plastic-free alternatives:
[1] https://club.shopetee.com/blogs/sustainability/freeze-without-plastic [2] https://www.forceofnatureclean.com/how-to-keep-your-freezer-plastic-free-without-sacrificing-your-food/ [3] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRyGDD0CRnA [4] https://www.meghantelpner.com/5-ways-to-store-food-without-plastic/ [5] https://www.treehugger.com/how-freeze-food-without-plastic-4858805 [6] https://sweetpeasandsaffron.com/plastic-free-freezer-storage-ideas/ [7] https://www.reddit.com/r/ZeroWaste/comments/nge30p/freezing_food_without_plastic/ [8] https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/blog/freezing-food-tips-tools/ [9] https://www.shopetee.com/blogs/sustainability/freeze-without-plastic [10] https://utopia.org/guide/freezing-food-without-plastic-smart-houshold-hacks/ [11] https://www.biomestores.com/blogs/eco-home/freeze-food-without-single-use-plastic-waste A Few
PINEOLENE I personally knew the elderly woman from New Augusta, Mississippi that had the original recipe. I wish I had known at the time what a treasure it was, and got a copy of it. It can be purchased in some feed stores, farm supply stores, etc. locally.
PINEOLENE, L.L.C. of PO BOX 47, HURLEY MS 39555-0047 CLEANING CLOSET: Please, do not store store-bought toxic cleaning supplies with or near your food items. And do not use your pantry as a space for trash, food scraps, garbage, or even recyclables. It is unhealthy, attracts pests, varmints, and can release toxic fumes. MORE ON THIS SUBJECT HERE. I try to use more natural products:
¹Bulk *Medicine Cabinet: I'm learning more and more to depend on food, herbs, spices and other natural remedies for healing and medicine. MORE HERE *In 2007, Chinese authorities pulled a batch of imported snack chips from store shelves because they believed the chips contained potassium bromate, a food additive banned in China. ... Potassium bromate is also illegal in the European Union, Canada, Brazil and elsewhere because it causes cancer in rats and mice. Mar 16, 2012
The Truth About Potassium Bromate | Bromated Flour - Live Science https://www.livescience.com/36206-truth-potassium-bromate-food-additive.html *The Non-GMO Project: Home
https://www.nongmoproject.org/ |