To be honest, if we stick to our weekly meal plans, we won’t require excessive storage space. There’s no need to stock up on various pastas, canned tomatoes, or other unnecessary items. However, if we come across a good deal on canned or frozen foods, it’s financially wise to invest in such ingredients. Ultimately, the decision is yours to make.
Every cuisine relies on two staple aromatics, usually onion and garlic. These two are a must-have, but it all depends on your eating habits, religious restrictions, and personal preferences. Apart from basic ingredients like sea salt, whole black pepper, or even soya sauce, oils are also essential. I primarily use olive oil, but for high-heat pan-frying, sunflower or canola oil is better due to differences in their “smoke points.” I encourage you to learn more about oil’s smoke/burning point.
As for herbs and spices, everyone has their favorites, which usually depend on their cultural background. I advise against buying ready-made spice mixes as they often contain unnecessary ingredients such as salt, MSG, or potato starch. I typically use dried thyme, bay leaf, and lovage, but as someone who enjoys Indian cooking, I also keep a lot of Indian spices on hand. I try to keep fresh herbs in my fridge as well, but I only buy them according to my meal plan. A useful tip is to freeze chopped fresh herbs like parsley or dill.
I bake bread once or twice a month and always keep rye flour on hand to feed my sourdough starter. It’s also necessary to have regular plain wheat flour and some corn or potato starch.
Other essential ingredients include two types of vinegar: apple cider for salad dressings and brown or white distilled vinegar for mayonnaise. I recommend always having rice, oats for breakfast, flax seeds, dried fruits like apricots, figs, and raisins, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, high-quality honey, and nuts like walnuts and almonds.
The list above is just a basic starting point, and there are many possibilities. You need to determine which ingredients you use most frequently in your cooking.
Self-Prepared Pantry Products
Self-prepared pantry products are essential for time-efficient cooking. Consider what tasks are repeatable and what can be done in bulk to save time later. It’s a shortcut that makes cooking easier every time.
For example, when making Indian dishes that require aromatics like garlic and ginger, it’s best to make a homemade garlic-ginger paste, which lasts a long time. I make a batch once a month using the same amount of garlic and ginger and blend it with enough oil to create a paste. Adding lemon juice keeps it from turning dark. This paste is incredibly useful for Chinese dishes, marinating meat, and creating my own dishes.
You can also prepare sofrito, a Mediterranean, Spanish, Italian, or Latin American mix of aromatics like onion, garlic, peppers, and sometimes tomatoes, in advance and freeze it in portions. It’s a huge time-saver.
Another shortcut is mushroom sauce. In the autumn, I pick mushrooms and simmer them with onions to create a sauce that I freeze in small batches. Whenever I want mushroom risotto, I have the base ready to go.
Tomato sauce is another time-saving ingredient. It’s made with roasted vegetables such as zucchini, eggplant, and peppers but mainly contains tomatoes. I prepare it in batches and freeze it. It’s a great way to add more vegetables to your kids’ diet. Whenever I need a quick dinner, I defrost a portion of the sauce and use it with pasta or as a pizza sauce.
In autumn, baking a large pumpkin, pureeing it, and freezing it in portions to later use in a risotto for instance.
Another great self-prepared pantry product is homemade chicken stock. Whenever I roast a chicken, I save the bones and scraps in the freezer. Once I have enough, I boil them with some vegetables and herbs to make a delicious and flavorful stock. I freeze it in portions so I always have some on hand to use in soups, stews, and sauces.
Making your own pantry products not only saves time but also allows you to control the quality and ingredients used. You can avoid preservatives, additives, and excess sodium commonly found in store-bought products.
In addition to self-prepared pantry products, it’s important to have a well-stocked spice cabinet. Spices add depth and flavour to dishes and can make even the simplest meals taste amazing. Invest in high-quality spices and store them in a cool, dry place away from sunlight to maintain their freshness.
Finally, don’t forget to support your local farmers and producers whenever possible. Fresh, seasonal produce and locally raised meats not only taste better but also support your local community.
In conclusion, a well-stocked pantry and a little preparation can go a long way in making delicious and nutritious meals quickly and easily. Take the time to assess your cooking needs and habits, and invest in high-quality ingredients that will elevate your cooking to the next level.