Building a pantry

Mini Horses

Herd Master
Joined
Sep 4, 2015
Messages
10,417
Reaction score
33,779
Points
758
Location
S coastal VA
MUCH depends on purpose and length of storage. If you're talking just yr to yr or two "normal"...or a SHTF prep. :idunno

First, make a list of what you will eat. Next look at nutritional value of those. Look for proteins, carbs, vit/ min...balance. I look for 2yr use for most veg types & a year on meats -- for what I'll eat. Guess we're not considering the freezers :lol:

Next I try to grow most popular eating for me. But will buy if value there with expense of time/material to can is there. This being my normal, yearly method. Plus I can some convenience things.
 

Baymule

Herd Master
Joined
Aug 22, 2010
Messages
35,101
Reaction score
107,483
Points
893
Location
East Texas
1. Tomatoes in all forms. Whole, peeled and cored, sauce, spaghetti sauce, salsa, etc.
2. Vegetable Soup from whatever is in the garden.
3. Chicken-home raised
4. Broth
5. Jams and jellies
6. Fruit
7. Green beans
8. Pickles-you have my recipe!
9. Peas although I like them better when frozen.
10. Pinto beans because I want beans now and didn’t think ahead enough to soak them overnight and simmer all day.
 

canesisters

Herd Master
Joined
Aug 29, 2012
Messages
1,397
Reaction score
6,166
Points
433
Location
South Eastern VA
I've been seeing alot of those sheet pan soup recipes lately. The ones where you roast a bunch of quartered tomatoes & onions, a whole garlic, some herbs & probably other things. Then toss it all in a blender, add a little liquid (milk or broth or whatever) & tahdah, soup!
I'm thinking that several jars of a tomato base & several versions of a squash/pumpkin base would be good to have.
Tomatoes in several forms are a given.
Beans - plain as a base, with ham 'better than bouillon' & onions, & baked beans.
Chicken/turkey & broths. Beef : cubed & ground & broths. Pork.
I keep a gallon bag in the freezer for all the veggie scraps & make broth when it's a cockpot full.
Corn. Potatoes. Butter beans & string beans.
A few meals in a jar would be handy. Beef stew, chili.
 

SageHill

Herd Master
Joined
Aug 27, 2022
Messages
4,102
Reaction score
15,288
Points
553
Location
Southern CA
Tomatoes
Potatoes
Jams/Jellies/Preserves
Chicken

I've done the roasted veggie soups - and roasted tomato soups - DEEEEELISHHHHHH - but I put those in freezer ziplocs, and freeze laying flat (easier on freezer space). I'm a bit of a stickler on safe canning practices so when I can I follow the recipe exactly (changing only dried herbs and spices).
There's a few FB groups that are safe canners Safe Canners for Beginners and Experienced and Canning and Preserving With Love With Bernadette nice people in both groups and willing to help.
 

Ridgetop

Herd Master
Joined
Mar 13, 2015
Messages
7,215
Reaction score
25,007
Points
743
Location
Shadow Hills, CA
I love makng jam,s, je;;ies, and pckles, but you can oly eat so much f that. When the kids were little I went through a pt of jam daily. Now mainly tomatoes, tomato sauce, spaghetti sauce without meat, and vegetables if I can grow them in TX. I also canned a bunch of meat out of the freezerv preoar=tory to moving the freezer to Texas.
 
Top