An important part of cooking at home is managing an efficient pantry. Here’s what you need to start, with some tips about how to buy, store, and organize your stuff.
The basics
- Kosher Salt. A 3 lb. box is $3.49, that’s 15 cents per tsp, this will last you a while.
- Olive Oil. Find a bottle that works for your budget, it doesn’t need to be huge. If you’re not sure just get anything in a small bottle, if you don’t like it it will be gone soon.
- Vegetable Oil. Just get a basic oil that works for you, can be “canola”, “vegetable”, or “coconut”. Again, if you aren’t sure just get a small bottle until you find something you like that you can buy in bulk.
- Eggs. Get enough for your household for a few weeks, they will stay good and we can use them up quickly.
- Vinegar. Get one you know you like or mix it up, this will be your main source of acidity for both salad dressings and sauces. Taste them, if it doesn’t taste good to you on it’s own, you won’t use it. Learn to like the taste of vinegars it will help your cooking.
- Garlic. Keep it on the counter and rotate through it. I get usually 3 bulbs at a time and peel it as I go.
- Milk. If you like milk in your coffee or tea, or you eat cereal, then keep some milk around. Try to get enough for just one week, or try using alternative milks that don’t spoil quickly. I keep almond milk in my fridge and it takes a while to spoil.
Buying in Bulk
- Rice. I like basmati, because I can make it quickly and easily. Learn to cook rice then always keep this rice around for a quick starch for dinner.
- Pasta. Always have one long string noodle(spaghetti, linguini) and one short noodle (penne, ziti) on hand. Get what you like, mix it up from time to time.
- Sour Cream/Yogurt/Cottage Cheese. We may like adding some creaminess and tanginess, but we don’t want to throw away half a tub of sour cream. Use these ingredients interchangeably in your cooking and eat them on their own. They have a good shelf life.
- Coffee. I buy a pouch of ground coffee at a time and try different things. I keep it in a tin in the “Coffee & Tea” section of my storage.
There you go, that’s a quick trip to the grocery store with a backpack. I keep a small deli container of salt on my counter, and the garlic in a small basket on my counter. As it dries out it gets easier to peel.
cook for yourself! 