How do you manage your pantry?
February 8, 2023 10:23 AM Subscribe
Background and the why of this question below. How do you figure out how much food to keep in your pantry and do you have any special way to manage that?
For example, if you use an ingredient like canned tomatoes every week or two, do you just buy them as you need them, do you stock up on sales, and if you stock up, how much is too much? Do you get antsy if you have fewer than 8 jars of olives in your pantry? How much of basics like rice do you keep on hand? Do you have an inventory or a plan? If you don't mind please include how many people you're feeding and any special considerations like if you have a strict budget, a long trip to the store, or limited storage space.
I'm setting a goal of going through an excess of things and I've completely lost the plot on what might be normal. If you feel this is cultural and want to comment on that, I'm all ears.
I grew up in a home where there was a large store of food, but it was very tightly controlled (an inventory list you had to initial if you used a box of Kraft Dinner.) For various reasons, there was also a scarcity mentality that came through food. As a result I have struggled to find a balance between having something resembling a Mormon One-Year Rule (except also with a 5 kinds of mayo, 8 kinds of pickles, spices for multiple flavour profiles, etc.) and something more rational for my post-war bungalow's cupboard space.
Covid and associated supply chains have contributed to my pantry expanding and as I start to use that food up and reframe my thoughts I am curious how you make these decisions and what's a usual amount of things to keep.
For example, if you use an ingredient like canned tomatoes every week or two, do you just buy them as you need them, do you stock up on sales, and if you stock up, how much is too much? Do you get antsy if you have fewer than 8 jars of olives in your pantry? How much of basics like rice do you keep on hand? Do you have an inventory or a plan? If you don't mind please include how many people you're feeding and any special considerations like if you have a strict budget, a long trip to the store, or limited storage space.
I'm setting a goal of going through an excess of things and I've completely lost the plot on what might be normal. If you feel this is cultural and want to comment on that, I'm all ears.
I grew up in a home where there was a large store of food, but it was very tightly controlled (an inventory list you had to initial if you used a box of Kraft Dinner.) For various reasons, there was also a scarcity mentality that came through food. As a result I have struggled to find a balance between having something resembling a Mormon One-Year Rule (except also with a 5 kinds of mayo, 8 kinds of pickles, spices for multiple flavour profiles, etc.) and something more rational for my post-war bungalow's cupboard space.
Covid and associated supply chains have contributed to my pantry expanding and as I start to use that food up and reframe my thoughts I am curious how you make these decisions and what's a usual amount of things to keep.
Best answer: There's two of us and storage space is semi-limited (as in, relatively generous kitchen cabinets, but no huge walk-in pantry or anything like that). I try to keep a slight surplus of things. So, for canned tomatoes where normally I would use a single can in a dish, I like to keep about three or four in the cupboard. That allows for cooking a couple of tomato-based dishes between grocery trips, but also doesn't take up more space than we have. When it gets down to one or two cans, we buy more on the next shopping trip.
Things that we use really slowly, like ketchup, we just keep the one bottle and then buy a new one when it gets low.
Even during the worst of the covid supply shortages, it was never hard to find most basic items though I sometimes had to be flexible on brand, size, or variety. So overall I try to keep some extras of staples that we use all the time, but I don't try to build out an extensive "just in case" prepper-style supply.
posted by Dip Flash at 10:59 AM on February 8, 2023 [1 favorite]
Things that we use really slowly, like ketchup, we just keep the one bottle and then buy a new one when it gets low.
Even during the worst of the covid supply shortages, it was never hard to find most basic items though I sometimes had to be flexible on brand, size, or variety. So overall I try to keep some extras of staples that we use all the time, but I don't try to build out an extensive "just in case" prepper-style supply.
posted by Dip Flash at 10:59 AM on February 8, 2023 [1 favorite]
Best answer: We grocery shop once a week, so most of metrics we keep in mind are one "regular" size package and one-week supply.
For example, I like to keep a 12-oz can of diced tomatoes in the cupboard. It would be an unusual week when we had two diced-tomato-based meals in one week, but some weeks we will not use canned diced tomatoes. So the rule is, keep one 12-oz can in the cupboard; if you use it, put it on the grocery list. However, we eat a lot of canned beans, so I keep 2 cans of several different types of beans in the cupboard and put them on the grocery list as soon as I use any.
For flour and sugar, we get 5-lb bags, which are a good compromise for us between smaller, higher-unit-price bags and big, cupboard-space-hog bags. It usually takes several weeks for us to go through a bag of flour or sugar, so once it is down to about 25% full, we put it on the list. Similarly, we get a medium jars of mayo, pickles, olives, oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes... we could go through a big jar before it went bad but all those huge jars take up a lot of room in the fridge, and with a medium jar, when it gets to ~1/4 full means we're unlikely to run out before the next grocery run.
I have a standard "stable" of herbs and spices that I use probably every month, and I automatically replace them when they are down to a couple teaspoons remaining (basil, oregano, thyme, dill, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, cardamom, cumin, coriander, fenugreek, black pepper, etc., etc., etc.) but then I also have a LOT of less-often used stuff that I don't automatically replace when I use them up (brown/black mustard, black cardamom, anise, asofoetida, fennel seed, fancier single-source cinnamon, white/pink peppercorns, Aleppo pepper, Sichuan pepper, etc.) I try to limit myself to buying this kind of stuff when I have a specific recipe to use them in, and I also go out of my way to use them when I've got some sitting around. (Mostly I fail and I should just buy the tiny jar instead of the big jar of the weird stuff and I have WAY TOO MANY SPICES, but, c'est la vive.)
posted by BrashTech at 11:01 AM on February 8, 2023
For example, I like to keep a 12-oz can of diced tomatoes in the cupboard. It would be an unusual week when we had two diced-tomato-based meals in one week, but some weeks we will not use canned diced tomatoes. So the rule is, keep one 12-oz can in the cupboard; if you use it, put it on the grocery list. However, we eat a lot of canned beans, so I keep 2 cans of several different types of beans in the cupboard and put them on the grocery list as soon as I use any.
For flour and sugar, we get 5-lb bags, which are a good compromise for us between smaller, higher-unit-price bags and big, cupboard-space-hog bags. It usually takes several weeks for us to go through a bag of flour or sugar, so once it is down to about 25% full, we put it on the list. Similarly, we get a medium jars of mayo, pickles, olives, oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes... we could go through a big jar before it went bad but all those huge jars take up a lot of room in the fridge, and with a medium jar, when it gets to ~1/4 full means we're unlikely to run out before the next grocery run.
I have a standard "stable" of herbs and spices that I use probably every month, and I automatically replace them when they are down to a couple teaspoons remaining (basil, oregano, thyme, dill, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, cardamom, cumin, coriander, fenugreek, black pepper, etc., etc., etc.) but then I also have a LOT of less-often used stuff that I don't automatically replace when I use them up (brown/black mustard, black cardamom, anise, asofoetida, fennel seed, fancier single-source cinnamon, white/pink peppercorns, Aleppo pepper, Sichuan pepper, etc.) I try to limit myself to buying this kind of stuff when I have a specific recipe to use them in, and I also go out of my way to use them when I've got some sitting around. (Mostly I fail and I should just buy the tiny jar instead of the big jar of the weird stuff and I have WAY TOO MANY SPICES, but, c'est la vive.)
posted by BrashTech at 11:01 AM on February 8, 2023
Best answer: Two adults, no kids here.
I try to keep certain staples--pasta, canned tomatoes, coconut milk--in decent stock in our cupboards. We currently have way too many condiments, especially odd one-off things that strike our fancy at the time and then we go, "wait when did we buy this? why did we buy this?" a few months later.
Because we don't own our own car, we rely on a car share service to make bi-monthly trips to Costco for things we stash in our freezer or pantry: frozen veg, frozen fruit, maple syrup (I always make sure we have 3 of them because we seem to go through a lot), naan (frozen for future meals!). Cat litter also gets bought this way too.
My line of thinking often goes that one of us is too tired to make something especially complex or time-consuming on a work night, we usually have the staples in the pantry to put together something with protein/carbs/veg with relative quickness. (Last night was one of those nights. It was my turn to cook and the recipe I wanted to do would have taken too long.)
We did get to do a deep clean and purge over the summer when we renovated our kitchen, so I am better at keeping track of what we have and what we actually need. I am terrible at buying exotic ingredients or certain veg for recipes and then deciding not to make said recipe, and then I have those things just hanging out in my kitchen until it either goes bad or goes to waste.
posted by Kitteh at 11:13 AM on February 8, 2023
I try to keep certain staples--pasta, canned tomatoes, coconut milk--in decent stock in our cupboards. We currently have way too many condiments, especially odd one-off things that strike our fancy at the time and then we go, "wait when did we buy this? why did we buy this?" a few months later.
Because we don't own our own car, we rely on a car share service to make bi-monthly trips to Costco for things we stash in our freezer or pantry: frozen veg, frozen fruit, maple syrup (I always make sure we have 3 of them because we seem to go through a lot), naan (frozen for future meals!). Cat litter also gets bought this way too.
My line of thinking often goes that one of us is too tired to make something especially complex or time-consuming on a work night, we usually have the staples in the pantry to put together something with protein/carbs/veg with relative quickness. (Last night was one of those nights. It was my turn to cook and the recipe I wanted to do would have taken too long.)
We did get to do a deep clean and purge over the summer when we renovated our kitchen, so I am better at keeping track of what we have and what we actually need. I am terrible at buying exotic ingredients or certain veg for recipes and then deciding not to make said recipe, and then I have those things just hanging out in my kitchen until it either goes bad or goes to waste.
posted by Kitteh at 11:13 AM on February 8, 2023
(In other words, I have started keeping pantry lists on Remember the Milk; we share access to it)
posted by Kitteh at 11:19 AM on February 8, 2023
posted by Kitteh at 11:19 AM on February 8, 2023
Best answer: The Mormon one-year system relies upon eating out of your pantry regularly, which means a lot of canned or dried foods need to be staples in your diet. I prefer to eat fresh produce but live in earthquake country so strike a balance. I keep about two weeks of possible food for my household between my kitchen pantry and a shelf in the garage. Beans, tomatoes, soups, etc. We also stock a few boxes of granola bars and other ready to eat snacks that would tide us over in an emergency (can of beans, canned peppers, plus chips is emergency nachos) and a couple days of hiking/dried food that would do if we need to evacuate.
Every other week or so I'll make something out of the pantry, like a pot of chili or an egg scramble with canned peppers and beans. With use-by dates in the 2-year range that keeps things from expiring but also means I can mostly eat the good stuff.
posted by Narrow Harbor at 11:21 AM on February 8, 2023 [2 favorites]
Every other week or so I'll make something out of the pantry, like a pot of chili or an egg scramble with canned peppers and beans. With use-by dates in the 2-year range that keeps things from expiring but also means I can mostly eat the good stuff.
posted by Narrow Harbor at 11:21 AM on February 8, 2023 [2 favorites]
Best answer: As much as I hate to say "it depends"....well, it depends.
* I used to live in a place that was 5 blocks from a supermarket and had ample storage space; I also had a much bigger fridge. When I was there I had a crammed-full pantry, and would also get additional stuff once a week during the summer when the CSA was in gear. I'd go shopping as I needed it, and sometimes would make little pilgrimages to a market in Brooklyn's own Chinatown (yep, we have one) to stock up on stuff you couldn't necessarily get from our regular market.
* I had to move out of that place 2 years ago, and am now in a smaller space with a much smaller fridge - and I had to move all the food myself, because there's a New York State law that forbids movers doing that. But - I also live near THREE supermarkets; my old one is 4 blocks away in a different direction, there's another one on my route home from the bus stop, and there's yet another one half a block away. So I'm much more able to go make emergency "oh shit I'm out of butter" trips on the fly.
....I think trying to adopt some awareness of your own actual habits is the best first step, along with doing that cheeseball "weekly meal planning" thing. You ask whether you should get more olives when you're down to eight jars of them - but, do you know how fast you use olives really? If you rarely eat them, you're probably good for a while - but if you make pasta puttanesca every week, you may want to look at how fast you go through them. Also, if there's something you notice that you always seem to be adding to your grocery lists because you're out, it may be worth doubling your usual quantity (we always seem to run through toilet paper quickly in my house, so my roommate and I have an understanding that every other grocery run we each make MUST include toilet paper).
Another thing this depends on is - how frequently you do your shopping, and how frequently you WANT to. I've gotten into a weekly habit - that's how often my CSA pickup is when that's on, and it's also a good rule of thumb for "most produce would be done by now" overall. If you prefer to do once-a-month, then that will also influence how much of a given thing you pick up.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:21 AM on February 8, 2023 [1 favorite]
* I used to live in a place that was 5 blocks from a supermarket and had ample storage space; I also had a much bigger fridge. When I was there I had a crammed-full pantry, and would also get additional stuff once a week during the summer when the CSA was in gear. I'd go shopping as I needed it, and sometimes would make little pilgrimages to a market in Brooklyn's own Chinatown (yep, we have one) to stock up on stuff you couldn't necessarily get from our regular market.
* I had to move out of that place 2 years ago, and am now in a smaller space with a much smaller fridge - and I had to move all the food myself, because there's a New York State law that forbids movers doing that. But - I also live near THREE supermarkets; my old one is 4 blocks away in a different direction, there's another one on my route home from the bus stop, and there's yet another one half a block away. So I'm much more able to go make emergency "oh shit I'm out of butter" trips on the fly.
....I think trying to adopt some awareness of your own actual habits is the best first step, along with doing that cheeseball "weekly meal planning" thing. You ask whether you should get more olives when you're down to eight jars of them - but, do you know how fast you use olives really? If you rarely eat them, you're probably good for a while - but if you make pasta puttanesca every week, you may want to look at how fast you go through them. Also, if there's something you notice that you always seem to be adding to your grocery lists because you're out, it may be worth doubling your usual quantity (we always seem to run through toilet paper quickly in my house, so my roommate and I have an understanding that every other grocery run we each make MUST include toilet paper).
Another thing this depends on is - how frequently you do your shopping, and how frequently you WANT to. I've gotten into a weekly habit - that's how often my CSA pickup is when that's on, and it's also a good rule of thumb for "most produce would be done by now" overall. If you prefer to do once-a-month, then that will also influence how much of a given thing you pick up.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:21 AM on February 8, 2023 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Four people in our house, including two teens, and we frequently cook for more (eg adult daughter and her boyfriend over for family dinner at least once a week). We have a smallish walk in pantry.
I try to keep at least one back up of what are frequently used or “essential” items. For us, that includes canned and dried beans in different varieties, olives, green Chiles, all kinds of tomato products, brown and white and Arborio rice, coconut milk, etc. I buy Costco cases of canned tomatoes in addition to the stuff we can ourselves-as we can easily go through four cans in a week (a midweek meal of sausage lentils and tomatoes and a big batch of weekend spaghetti sauce, for instance). What worked for us-and definitely still refining-is to think of what would stop me in the middle of making one of our typical meals and make me go to the store, which I never want to do midweek. If I rarely use something-say, black eyed peas-I may just keep a pound in the pantry. If I use it frequently-like garbanzo beans-I’ll keep several cans on hand.
posted by purenitrous at 11:22 AM on February 8, 2023
I try to keep at least one back up of what are frequently used or “essential” items. For us, that includes canned and dried beans in different varieties, olives, green Chiles, all kinds of tomato products, brown and white and Arborio rice, coconut milk, etc. I buy Costco cases of canned tomatoes in addition to the stuff we can ourselves-as we can easily go through four cans in a week (a midweek meal of sausage lentils and tomatoes and a big batch of weekend spaghetti sauce, for instance). What worked for us-and definitely still refining-is to think of what would stop me in the middle of making one of our typical meals and make me go to the store, which I never want to do midweek. If I rarely use something-say, black eyed peas-I may just keep a pound in the pantry. If I use it frequently-like garbanzo beans-I’ll keep several cans on hand.
posted by purenitrous at 11:22 AM on February 8, 2023
Best answer: For things like canned goods or dry goods, I try to shop for the pantry, not my table. So eg I want some 4-6 cans of diced tomatoes in my pantry at almost all times. So I buy 2-3 cans when I get down to 3. This way, even I mess up, I'm very unlikely to run out of anything, or be too sad if it happens to not be on the shelf at then grocer (which seems like it may be a new normal in the new Covid world, but who knows)
How much to keep is a function of how well it keeps, how often I use it, how good it is to have if there's another round of widespread disruption to grocery supply chains.
posted by SaltySalticid at 11:28 AM on February 8, 2023 [3 favorites]
How much to keep is a function of how well it keeps, how often I use it, how good it is to have if there's another round of widespread disruption to grocery supply chains.
posted by SaltySalticid at 11:28 AM on February 8, 2023 [3 favorites]
Best answer: I am fairly serious about emergency preparation so keep three to six months of food on hand, with some stored in the kitchen and some in the basement. Each time I use up something, it goes on the grocery list and a replacement is brought up from the basement. When the new one is procured it goes in the basement. There are a few different ways people ensure that the oldest stuff in the basement is being used first (writing expiration dates on the top of everything, using stuff on shelves back-to-front, etc.). I use a combination of methods, but for some pantry goods I have two bins: one I'm pulling stuff out of and one I'm putting "fresh" stuff into. As the second bin gets full, everything in the first bin gets moved upstairs and new stuff starts going into it.
posted by metasarah at 11:40 AM on February 8, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by metasarah at 11:40 AM on February 8, 2023 [1 favorite]
Best answer: We are two adults with a small kitchen. We use shelving in the basement as a pantry and have a second freezer.
I started with the second freezer when I was doing CSAs years ago but since lockdown, I’ve made sure that we have backups of everything. I do believe some of what drives this is unhealthy, based on the fear I developed then of running out.
I shop in bulk and keep probably six months of dry goods. That means a lot of pasta, beans, grains, and cereal. I buy meat on sale and pack it and freeze it. I will not run out of frozen spinach. I have six cartons of egg whites and 3 of milk in the freezer at all times.
I put flour on the grocery list when I’m down to a pound or two. I have six bottles of shampoo. I buy bulk spices and decant them into small jars in my he kitchen. I buy eight packs of canned tomatoes, but my freezer also has ziplocks of tomatoes I bought fresh.
I cook 4-6 servings of most meals and freeze two, so we have a variety of leftovers to choose from.
I still shop every week, for produce and cheese, ingredients specific to this week’s menu and anything we’re “low” on.
posted by OrangeVelour at 11:53 AM on February 8, 2023
I started with the second freezer when I was doing CSAs years ago but since lockdown, I’ve made sure that we have backups of everything. I do believe some of what drives this is unhealthy, based on the fear I developed then of running out.
I shop in bulk and keep probably six months of dry goods. That means a lot of pasta, beans, grains, and cereal. I buy meat on sale and pack it and freeze it. I will not run out of frozen spinach. I have six cartons of egg whites and 3 of milk in the freezer at all times.
I put flour on the grocery list when I’m down to a pound or two. I have six bottles of shampoo. I buy bulk spices and decant them into small jars in my he kitchen. I buy eight packs of canned tomatoes, but my freezer also has ziplocks of tomatoes I bought fresh.
I cook 4-6 servings of most meals and freeze two, so we have a variety of leftovers to choose from.
I still shop every week, for produce and cheese, ingredients specific to this week’s menu and anything we’re “low” on.
posted by OrangeVelour at 11:53 AM on February 8, 2023
I also think that there's an important thing to ask yourself:
5 kinds of mayo, 8 kinds of pickles, spices for multiple flavour profiles, etc.
I think a good thing to ask yourself might be, "do I really actually use 5 kinds of mayo and 8 kinds of pickles? Or do I only use 2 kinds of mayo, while the other 3 are taking up space?"
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 12:06 PM on February 8, 2023
5 kinds of mayo, 8 kinds of pickles, spices for multiple flavour profiles, etc.
I think a good thing to ask yourself might be, "do I really actually use 5 kinds of mayo and 8 kinds of pickles? Or do I only use 2 kinds of mayo, while the other 3 are taking up space?"
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 12:06 PM on February 8, 2023
Response by poster: I love the answers, and invite more. This is all helpful for my brain and I appreciate it!
For the mayo question - we do use them, but sequentially - one plain, one different open at a time. We use 2 jars or cans of olives a week, so having 8 is about where my comfort zone is.
The things we have will all get used, pretty much - maybe the odd impulse mango pickle not so quickly.
It's more that I used to have X and now I have say, 2-4X and although managing the 4X is a lot more work because there's some in the basement and some upstairs and some tucked away in a closet, but my brain is all like "supply chain! inflation! existential crisis from when there was no flour on Canadian grocery shelves for like, a week!" I have a second freezer I bought for a CSA too back when we were eating meat.
posted by warriorqueen at 12:14 PM on February 8, 2023 [1 favorite]
For the mayo question - we do use them, but sequentially - one plain, one different open at a time. We use 2 jars or cans of olives a week, so having 8 is about where my comfort zone is.
The things we have will all get used, pretty much - maybe the odd impulse mango pickle not so quickly.
It's more that I used to have X and now I have say, 2-4X and although managing the 4X is a lot more work because there's some in the basement and some upstairs and some tucked away in a closet, but my brain is all like "supply chain! inflation! existential crisis from when there was no flour on Canadian grocery shelves for like, a week!" I have a second freezer I bought for a CSA too back when we were eating meat.
posted by warriorqueen at 12:14 PM on February 8, 2023 [1 favorite]
Best answer: i think it really depends on how many people are in your household?
i live alone. i have the condiments that are in the fridge and if they're running low i buy more. there are few "must have" items that i am picky about so buy whenever they're on sale or if i'm down to just a few days worth (my morning breakfast cheesestick, fage 2% yogurt in the giant container which is too hard to find, squirt zero, etc.).
i live in a 1br apartment built in the early 80s, so there is no pantry and really only one cupboard for food storage, so i have like spices and stuff and then not much else because there just isn't room.
i also have no room for 24 packs of toilet paper or whatever, so for pretty much everything i have a "just in time" supply chain mentality, which screws me sometimes, but what can you do.
posted by misanthropicsarah at 12:20 PM on February 8, 2023 [1 favorite]
i live alone. i have the condiments that are in the fridge and if they're running low i buy more. there are few "must have" items that i am picky about so buy whenever they're on sale or if i'm down to just a few days worth (my morning breakfast cheesestick, fage 2% yogurt in the giant container which is too hard to find, squirt zero, etc.).
i live in a 1br apartment built in the early 80s, so there is no pantry and really only one cupboard for food storage, so i have like spices and stuff and then not much else because there just isn't room.
i also have no room for 24 packs of toilet paper or whatever, so for pretty much everything i have a "just in time" supply chain mentality, which screws me sometimes, but what can you do.
posted by misanthropicsarah at 12:20 PM on February 8, 2023 [1 favorite]
Another question, then - how often do you grocery shop? I ask because if you go weekly, maybe that would be a good way to also pay closer attention to whether there are such shortages, or - more likely - to reassure yourself that "oh, okay, there aren't empty shelves all over any more." The more often you go to the market and see the abundantly full shelves, the more comfortable you may feel that "oh, okay, we are actually NOT having supply chain issues on things at the moment."
(Also, note that if I had a second freezer I would be filling it with a crapton of home-frozen CSA vegetables and homemade ice cream, but that's more a function of "I am a single person and I am unable to go through this much kale but I don't want to waste it oh god").
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 12:22 PM on February 8, 2023
(Also, note that if I had a second freezer I would be filling it with a crapton of home-frozen CSA vegetables and homemade ice cream, but that's more a function of "I am a single person and I am unable to go through this much kale but I don't want to waste it oh god").
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 12:22 PM on February 8, 2023
Best answer: Good question!
I live in two different homes, and I never know how much time I spend in each place so they are both fully stocked. But they have very different challenges.
First of all, I first started stocking a pantry when I was very young, because I was very poor. So I bought pantry staples like pasta, rice, flour, oil, yeast, tinned tomatoes, olives, etc. when I noticed they were on sale. This ingrained habit has done me well in the last seven years, where I have been living precariously because of PTSD. I may run out of cash, but I always have food. Back then, 40+ years ago, I often had friends over spontaneously, and it was a great luxury to be able to cook a meal for a large group even when I was broke and the stores were closed.
Anyway. In the city, I live in the densest area in the country, food is always available and there is a lot of choice. Also, I love shopping, and often go down to shop twice a day. The main reason for even having a pantry (which is mostly one deep 60x60 cm drawer, with a bit of extra nooks here and there and a small fridge and freezer) is the sense of precariousness, and also the joy of being able to cook up something delicious at any time. We are 3-4 adults, but the others are young -- my daughter and her friends. We have flours (various wheats, cornmeal, potato, buckwheat), most types of grains, many forms of noodles, Italian and Asian, many forms of rice, couscous and oats. Then we have a lot of dried fruit and vegetables, from cranberries to seaweed over two-three types of dried mushrooms, and all the seeds. Sugars and syrups. Honey. Tinned beans and tomatoes. Lots of vegetables in the freezer and also soups, stocks and dumplings in there. In the fridge are always eggs, oat milk, and peanutbutter, mayo and several other condiments from all over the world. I bought a lot of Dijon mustard recently because apparently there is a shortage. We also have a wide assortment of dried herbs and spices. There is more, but this is the overall idea. The young enjoy coming home from town late at night and being able to cook up a snack.
There is a big turnover in this kitchen and it is fine.
In the remote rural area where I am the manager of our family farm, there is a different rationale, and the store-cupboard is larger, though not much larger. Mostly, I'm there alone, but suddenly many people can arrive all at once.
The stores are far away, they have shorter hours than in the city, and they don't stock all of the items one can get in a big, diverse city. Delivery is practically impossible, in the sense that it exists, but half of the items on their websites are never available for the area. And most importantly, weather is a thing. Storms can cover the roads in snow, or flood them, or topple over trees so they are blocked. I need to always have food for a week for about six people, and optimally I should be able to cook the food over open fire or outdoors grill if the electricity goes out as it does at least once a year. The electricity issue also means I can't rely on the freezer during an emergency, though it is well-stocked.
Mostly, the emergency stuff is the same as above, except more: in the city, I always have one or two tins of tomato, and when I use the last one, I buy another. In the country, I always have four tins of tomatoes, and if there is a good offer, I will buy 12. Instead of three different packages of rice, I have three of each type. And so on. I did cull the flour when I discovered I had ten kilos (after the COVID panic), I don't need that much.
But also, I need all the stuff that isn't available outside the big cities. I can get nori seaweed in the village, but not kombu or any other types, and the miso I can get locally is inedible. There are many condiments and spices I can't get in the village. I can get things like tins of fish and pate, but in the city I don't stock them, while in the country I have a very wide assortment, because imagine you are locked up with all of your family for several days and food is your only joy. That is why I also have a lot of good chocolate, both for snacking and baking. And dog food of course.
Here, we have a challenge in getting through it all, because some winters will be very stormy, and we'll go through everything, and then the next winter (like this one), the weather will be wintery, but without emergencies. (Knocks on wood). We don't want to chew through a lot of pantry staples through summer, so some things have to go out. With the current refugee situation I might be able to donate some things this spring.
Airtight storage is incredibly important in a full pantry. You don't want any vermin, and the best way to keep them out is to keep the food out of their way.
Recently I have added instant soups to both pantries, because I have a thing where I can't eat solid food when I have anxiety attacks, and my therapist said I have to eat something. So now I have like twenty soup cups in each house, or more, and some instant miso packages. I can see the kids are eating them too, so they are good to have.
TLDR: Keeping two households with different challenges has made me realize that the first question to ask yourself is why? What is the purpose of your pantry? From there you can plan it according to your needs.
posted by mumimor at 12:44 PM on February 8, 2023 [2 favorites]
I live in two different homes, and I never know how much time I spend in each place so they are both fully stocked. But they have very different challenges.
First of all, I first started stocking a pantry when I was very young, because I was very poor. So I bought pantry staples like pasta, rice, flour, oil, yeast, tinned tomatoes, olives, etc. when I noticed they were on sale. This ingrained habit has done me well in the last seven years, where I have been living precariously because of PTSD. I may run out of cash, but I always have food. Back then, 40+ years ago, I often had friends over spontaneously, and it was a great luxury to be able to cook a meal for a large group even when I was broke and the stores were closed.
Anyway. In the city, I live in the densest area in the country, food is always available and there is a lot of choice. Also, I love shopping, and often go down to shop twice a day. The main reason for even having a pantry (which is mostly one deep 60x60 cm drawer, with a bit of extra nooks here and there and a small fridge and freezer) is the sense of precariousness, and also the joy of being able to cook up something delicious at any time. We are 3-4 adults, but the others are young -- my daughter and her friends. We have flours (various wheats, cornmeal, potato, buckwheat), most types of grains, many forms of noodles, Italian and Asian, many forms of rice, couscous and oats. Then we have a lot of dried fruit and vegetables, from cranberries to seaweed over two-three types of dried mushrooms, and all the seeds. Sugars and syrups. Honey. Tinned beans and tomatoes. Lots of vegetables in the freezer and also soups, stocks and dumplings in there. In the fridge are always eggs, oat milk, and peanutbutter, mayo and several other condiments from all over the world. I bought a lot of Dijon mustard recently because apparently there is a shortage. We also have a wide assortment of dried herbs and spices. There is more, but this is the overall idea. The young enjoy coming home from town late at night and being able to cook up a snack.
There is a big turnover in this kitchen and it is fine.
In the remote rural area where I am the manager of our family farm, there is a different rationale, and the store-cupboard is larger, though not much larger. Mostly, I'm there alone, but suddenly many people can arrive all at once.
The stores are far away, they have shorter hours than in the city, and they don't stock all of the items one can get in a big, diverse city. Delivery is practically impossible, in the sense that it exists, but half of the items on their websites are never available for the area. And most importantly, weather is a thing. Storms can cover the roads in snow, or flood them, or topple over trees so they are blocked. I need to always have food for a week for about six people, and optimally I should be able to cook the food over open fire or outdoors grill if the electricity goes out as it does at least once a year. The electricity issue also means I can't rely on the freezer during an emergency, though it is well-stocked.
Mostly, the emergency stuff is the same as above, except more: in the city, I always have one or two tins of tomato, and when I use the last one, I buy another. In the country, I always have four tins of tomatoes, and if there is a good offer, I will buy 12. Instead of three different packages of rice, I have three of each type. And so on. I did cull the flour when I discovered I had ten kilos (after the COVID panic), I don't need that much.
But also, I need all the stuff that isn't available outside the big cities. I can get nori seaweed in the village, but not kombu or any other types, and the miso I can get locally is inedible. There are many condiments and spices I can't get in the village. I can get things like tins of fish and pate, but in the city I don't stock them, while in the country I have a very wide assortment, because imagine you are locked up with all of your family for several days and food is your only joy. That is why I also have a lot of good chocolate, both for snacking and baking. And dog food of course.
Here, we have a challenge in getting through it all, because some winters will be very stormy, and we'll go through everything, and then the next winter (like this one), the weather will be wintery, but without emergencies. (Knocks on wood). We don't want to chew through a lot of pantry staples through summer, so some things have to go out. With the current refugee situation I might be able to donate some things this spring.
Airtight storage is incredibly important in a full pantry. You don't want any vermin, and the best way to keep them out is to keep the food out of their way.
Recently I have added instant soups to both pantries, because I have a thing where I can't eat solid food when I have anxiety attacks, and my therapist said I have to eat something. So now I have like twenty soup cups in each house, or more, and some instant miso packages. I can see the kids are eating them too, so they are good to have.
TLDR: Keeping two households with different challenges has made me realize that the first question to ask yourself is why? What is the purpose of your pantry? From there you can plan it according to your needs.
posted by mumimor at 12:44 PM on February 8, 2023 [2 favorites]
Best answer: 2 adults, 1 toddler, 1 baby, we live in a rowhome but have decent storage for that setting.
We recently had to shift everything while finishing our basement, and you know what? I have like 8 bags of flour. WHY??
So I've been re-framing how I do things and trying to base meal plans around a couple ingredients we already have.
Moving forward, I'm cool with buying extras of stuff on sale, within reason. I'm trying to do a max 2-month pantry -- so if it's not something I feel like I'll definitely open in the next 2 months, I'm not getting it. This helps prevent things like how I have 2 jars of cream of cauliflower soup because it was on sale and seemed like a good ingredient... or how when I went through the pantry, half of my canned goods were expired and some had been through at least one move and sat for 3 years in our new house, untouched.
In terms of tracking, I have yet to re-organize everything but ideally it would be a first-in, first-out approach without actual tracking. Put similar items together, move the old ones to the front so they get used, and keep mental notes about what you're not actual using up.
posted by DoubleLune at 12:50 PM on February 8, 2023 [1 favorite]
We recently had to shift everything while finishing our basement, and you know what? I have like 8 bags of flour. WHY??
So I've been re-framing how I do things and trying to base meal plans around a couple ingredients we already have.
Moving forward, I'm cool with buying extras of stuff on sale, within reason. I'm trying to do a max 2-month pantry -- so if it's not something I feel like I'll definitely open in the next 2 months, I'm not getting it. This helps prevent things like how I have 2 jars of cream of cauliflower soup because it was on sale and seemed like a good ingredient... or how when I went through the pantry, half of my canned goods were expired and some had been through at least one move and sat for 3 years in our new house, untouched.
In terms of tracking, I have yet to re-organize everything but ideally it would be a first-in, first-out approach without actual tracking. Put similar items together, move the old ones to the front so they get used, and keep mental notes about what you're not actual using up.
posted by DoubleLune at 12:50 PM on February 8, 2023 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I live alone and have a bad habit of buying food I think I should eat, and also a small/poorly designed pantry.
I am experimenting with organizing by year. Food that expires in the next year gets shelf space. Anything that doesn't have an immediate use and is good until 2024 or later, goes into a bin instead. I'm hoping that will give me a rough rotation of stock and priorities for what gets cooked first.
posted by mersen at 1:43 PM on February 8, 2023 [2 favorites]
I am experimenting with organizing by year. Food that expires in the next year gets shelf space. Anything that doesn't have an immediate use and is good until 2024 or later, goes into a bin instead. I'm hoping that will give me a rough rotation of stock and priorities for what gets cooked first.
posted by mersen at 1:43 PM on February 8, 2023 [2 favorites]
Best answer: To help figure out how much we can keep in the pantry without wasting food, I’ve started putting a (masking tape) label on big containers when we open them and then noting when we finish them. I have a little spreadsheet of quantities/time. Compare that to how long whatever it is keeps well, and I have a maximum quantity to store.
posted by clew at 2:09 PM on February 8, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by clew at 2:09 PM on February 8, 2023 [1 favorite]
Best answer: One person, shopping once or twice a week to replace what I've eaten. I don't keep extra food around.
I do keep a small emergency stash in case there's a blizzard and the power goes out, small meaning for three days. When I lived in California or Northern Japan, I kept ten days of emergency food & water because of earthquakes, but here in Brooklyn, they don't have earthquakes, and most of the food I stocked up on in February 2020, I gave away to the community pantry six months later.
[Toilet paper, otoh, I hoard because I don't ever want to be that person scrapping in theFairway Food Bazaar parking lot over toilet paper.]
posted by betweenthebars at 2:44 PM on February 8, 2023
I do keep a small emergency stash in case there's a blizzard and the power goes out, small meaning for three days. When I lived in California or Northern Japan, I kept ten days of emergency food & water because of earthquakes, but here in Brooklyn, they don't have earthquakes, and most of the food I stocked up on in February 2020, I gave away to the community pantry six months later.
[Toilet paper, otoh, I hoard because I don't ever want to be that person scrapping in the
posted by betweenthebars at 2:44 PM on February 8, 2023
Best answer: managing the 4X is a lot more work because there's some in the basement and some upstairs and some tucked away in a closet
Can you keep certain categories in the closet, certain ones in the upstairs storage, and all other categories in the basement? That is, keep your current/in-use item in your kitchen, but all the extra cans go in the closet and the extra boxes go upstairs. Anything extra in a bag goes in the basement or whatever groups make sense for you? That way you don't have to check all 3 storage areas to verify how many X you have.
We keep all the extra toilet paper, tissues, and paper towels in the front closet, for example. If we had extra tinfoil, plastic wrap, or parchment paper it would also go in there.
posted by soelo at 3:10 PM on February 8, 2023 [1 favorite]
Can you keep certain categories in the closet, certain ones in the upstairs storage, and all other categories in the basement? That is, keep your current/in-use item in your kitchen, but all the extra cans go in the closet and the extra boxes go upstairs. Anything extra in a bag goes in the basement or whatever groups make sense for you? That way you don't have to check all 3 storage areas to verify how many X you have.
We keep all the extra toilet paper, tissues, and paper towels in the front closet, for example. If we had extra tinfoil, plastic wrap, or parchment paper it would also go in there.
posted by soelo at 3:10 PM on February 8, 2023 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I also have some in an upstairs pantry and more in the basement. Still, I don't have the disposition to keep it ALL exactly in my head, nor will I keep detailed spreadsheets/databases.
For me, building in fault-tolerance is crucial. I also have a nice small notepad for multiple simultaneous shopping lists: mostly grouped by preferred store, sometimes by theme. Then when I go to a store or put in an order, I can do a quick cross-check of the lists and get things that aren't urgent but I had noted are getting low.
I do still mess up sometimes, but if I happen to be out of a given good, then I'm usually running deep on a few others, so I base my meal plans on those until I get to the store.
Related: I now check the pantry/freezer the day before or in the morning. That way it's easier to alter the plan if I do happen to be out of something.
posted by SaltySalticid at 4:26 PM on February 8, 2023
For me, building in fault-tolerance is crucial. I also have a nice small notepad for multiple simultaneous shopping lists: mostly grouped by preferred store, sometimes by theme. Then when I go to a store or put in an order, I can do a quick cross-check of the lists and get things that aren't urgent but I had noted are getting low.
I do still mess up sometimes, but if I happen to be out of a given good, then I'm usually running deep on a few others, so I base my meal plans on those until I get to the store.
Related: I now check the pantry/freezer the day before or in the morning. That way it's easier to alter the plan if I do happen to be out of something.
posted by SaltySalticid at 4:26 PM on February 8, 2023
Best answer: Getting comfortable with substitutions and improvisation really let me chill out about the pantry. Maybe they won't have pasta when I'm out of pasta, but I won't be out of rice and ramen and brown rice all at the same time. Maybe I won't have kidney beans for that one soup and will have to sub black or cannelini beans, or make a different soup instead, that still sounds pretty delicious. Maybe I won't have green olives, I'll have to either run to that store or do something else with the chicken I bought.
This is making me realize though, I have a really varied diet - we eat any one thing at MOST once a week and more likely every two+ weeks. So I keep "one of everything I use regularly" (and sometimes it takes me a year to go, no, you aren't making Thai curry often enough to justify it having a space, use up the last coconut milk and then stop replacing it unless you have an actual plan)
posted by Lady Li at 5:05 PM on February 8, 2023
This is making me realize though, I have a really varied diet - we eat any one thing at MOST once a week and more likely every two+ weeks. So I keep "one of everything I use regularly" (and sometimes it takes me a year to go, no, you aren't making Thai curry often enough to justify it having a space, use up the last coconut milk and then stop replacing it unless you have an actual plan)
posted by Lady Li at 5:05 PM on February 8, 2023
Best answer: Background: chef/RD who's accumulated many many spices over the years in different quantities in many different ways. Generally cooking for 2 although in the next few months when OhHaieSpawn starts solids it'll be 3-ish.
I have a pantry cabinet dedicated to spices, organized by shelf into: "top 15 spices" alphabetically, semi-frequently used spices in the shelf above, bulk chilies and such in the tall shelf above that.
Main L-shaped pantry organized as follows:
Top left shelf - pastas, s'mores infrastructure, dried mushrooms
top right shelf- vacuum sealer, extra food wraps
Next left shelf- snacks & peanut butter, Bisquick
Next right shelf- SPICES PART 2 (again... I am weak when Penzey's has a sale, and have taken home homeless post-cooking-demo barely touched herbs that would otherwise be thrown out; I also have my college stash in tiny square containers from the dollar store when I used to buy in bulk)
Next left shelf- canned goods (mostly beans & veg & tinned fish, curry paste), instant potatoes, pickles
Next right shelf- TEA and tea infrastructure
Next left shelf - Kombu & seaweed gallon bag of bags, sauce packet bin, breadcrumbs and grains
Next right shelf- - Chocolate stash, vinegars, oils, hot sauces (OhHaieSpouse is a hot sauce fan)
Next shelf (entirely) - bakery and refurb blender
Floor level in bins/on shelves Spouse built LEFT - canned tomato bin (I keep a lot on hand bc that's how I grew up and I cook with a lot, I have certain levels of certain types, will always consider buying just one more), overflow fancy vinegars
CENTER - liquor, this will need to be moved/used soon-ish
RIGHT - Cambro's, salt, misc equipment bin.
----
Early pandemic, Spouse loaded up on stuff (largely dry beans and tinned tomatoes) and bought two 2-bin Target shelving units to store the extra because we had no idea what to expect. This has now become 3 shelves. I placed a nuts.com order for dry beans and grains, and got some vendor samples, and I'm still working through them bc it got a lot harder to cook magical fun things once I was back to work in person. These bins: snacks, Bean Bin, bakery bin, breakfast bin (coffee, bulk tea, cereals), pasta & sauce bin, misc bin.
----
Inventory management is complicated by things like people giving me food/tea/snacks as gifts (appreciated!), so I'm in the middle of doing a thorough inventory check including "best by" dates. My current job is WFH, and my childcare arrangement & supportive spouse allows me time to think up ways to use these ingredients. I'm on week 3 of this project, and it's a great creative outlet.
---
I will always keep on hand: tortillas, rice, peanut butter, canned tomato, canned fish, canned veg and sometimes fruit, dry and canned beans/lentils, flour, sugar, salt, cereal of some kind, Spouse's hot sauce stash, Mac & cheese shapes. I will also make sure my Top 15 Herbs and Spices are stocked. Everything else is just bonus nachos.
Now back to coming up with uses for 7oz of matcha...
posted by OhHaieThere at 6:27 PM on February 8, 2023 [1 favorite]
I have a pantry cabinet dedicated to spices, organized by shelf into: "top 15 spices" alphabetically, semi-frequently used spices in the shelf above, bulk chilies and such in the tall shelf above that.
Main L-shaped pantry organized as follows:
Top left shelf - pastas, s'mores infrastructure, dried mushrooms
top right shelf- vacuum sealer, extra food wraps
Next left shelf- snacks & peanut butter, Bisquick
Next right shelf- SPICES PART 2 (again... I am weak when Penzey's has a sale, and have taken home homeless post-cooking-demo barely touched herbs that would otherwise be thrown out; I also have my college stash in tiny square containers from the dollar store when I used to buy in bulk)
Next left shelf- canned goods (mostly beans & veg & tinned fish, curry paste), instant potatoes, pickles
Next right shelf- TEA and tea infrastructure
Next left shelf - Kombu & seaweed gallon bag of bags, sauce packet bin, breadcrumbs and grains
Next right shelf- - Chocolate stash, vinegars, oils, hot sauces (OhHaieSpouse is a hot sauce fan)
Next shelf (entirely) - bakery and refurb blender
Floor level in bins/on shelves Spouse built LEFT - canned tomato bin (I keep a lot on hand bc that's how I grew up and I cook with a lot, I have certain levels of certain types, will always consider buying just one more), overflow fancy vinegars
CENTER - liquor, this will need to be moved/used soon-ish
RIGHT - Cambro's, salt, misc equipment bin.
----
Early pandemic, Spouse loaded up on stuff (largely dry beans and tinned tomatoes) and bought two 2-bin Target shelving units to store the extra because we had no idea what to expect. This has now become 3 shelves. I placed a nuts.com order for dry beans and grains, and got some vendor samples, and I'm still working through them bc it got a lot harder to cook magical fun things once I was back to work in person. These bins: snacks, Bean Bin, bakery bin, breakfast bin (coffee, bulk tea, cereals), pasta & sauce bin, misc bin.
----
Inventory management is complicated by things like people giving me food/tea/snacks as gifts (appreciated!), so I'm in the middle of doing a thorough inventory check including "best by" dates. My current job is WFH, and my childcare arrangement & supportive spouse allows me time to think up ways to use these ingredients. I'm on week 3 of this project, and it's a great creative outlet.
---
I will always keep on hand: tortillas, rice, peanut butter, canned tomato, canned fish, canned veg and sometimes fruit, dry and canned beans/lentils, flour, sugar, salt, cereal of some kind, Spouse's hot sauce stash, Mac & cheese shapes. I will also make sure my Top 15 Herbs and Spices are stocked. Everything else is just bonus nachos.
Now back to coming up with uses for 7oz of matcha...
posted by OhHaieThere at 6:27 PM on February 8, 2023 [1 favorite]
Oh and clarification, none of these shelves are especially deep, and I don't have them super stacked because otherwise it's impossible to get at stuff.
posted by OhHaieThere at 6:46 PM on February 8, 2023
posted by OhHaieThere at 6:46 PM on February 8, 2023
Response by poster: Thank you all! I think this thread is going to help as I kind of sort out "how much is too much" and "how to manage what's enough efficiently."
posted by warriorqueen at 7:14 AM on February 9, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by warriorqueen at 7:14 AM on February 9, 2023 [1 favorite]
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We have an additional "pantry" area downstairs near the laundry room where we keep additional stuff. This is for things that are backups or have a longer shelf-life or are less often used, like cans, bulk rice, many more pasta choices, refills on the stuff we eat the most (extra mayo, mustard, etc.). We also keep a certain amount of easy-make meals with long shelf lives that are handy to buy in bulk, such as various ramen/noodle packs, mac & cheese, etc. (This is helpful when the teen says there is nothing to eat.)
Even within that area, we don't like to go overboard, though. For canned tomatoes, for instance, I would not keep around more than I might need for a single big batch of chili or pasta. There is some variety in the types of noodles down there, but not a large quantity of each... more like an array of choices so that when we have meat and/or veggies that we need to use or lose, they can quickly get turned into a pasta dish.
I also built a canned food shelf that is at a 45 degree angle so we can see everything we have at once without having to move things around. That has been helpful for not overdoing the cans.
The goal is to keep what we use the most or need to eat the soonest right at hand, but to have backups of things and a healthy supply of shelf-stable staples downstairs.
(I don't even want to get into how we handle spices, as me being a southerner with a collection of bbq rubs, my spouse being Eastern European with spices/seasonings specific to that (Vegeta, 5 kinds of paprika, savory, etc.), our family loving to cook, and our recent fascination with cooking various international foods, that whole situation is kind of over-the-top.)
posted by DirtyOldTown at 10:47 AM on February 8, 2023 [1 favorite]