Plus, their hand-held convenience can help you pack in more nutrients from veggies, beans, and lean proteins. Choose a whole-grain or corn tortilla to add even more fiber to your plate.

You could simmer your own homemade marinara sauce from garden-fresh tomatoes and herbs, but for meals in a flash, jarred marinara is your friend.

Not only is it an obvious choice for spaghetti or other pasta, but it can also add tomato-y oomph to DIY pizzas , sliders, and subs. Elevate pizza night quickly with purchased garlic naan bread, a schmear of marinara, mozzarella, diced roasted red peppers, and olives.

Close the lid tightly on jarred marinara and pop it in the fridge. Everyone will wonder about the je nais se quoi ingredient that added such savory flavor.

With tomatoes as its first ingredient, marinara sauce features some of their health benefits, like ample amounts of the antioxidant lycopene. Vegetables like potatoes and squash take ages to soften in the oven. For a quicker route to veggie goodness, opt for jarred artichokes choose a marinated variety for pre-infused flavor.

An opened jar of marinated artichokes should live in the fridge for the remainder of its days. These veggies can stay good for up to 3 weeks. Artichokes are high in inflammation-fighting polyphenols , high in fiber, and low in fat. You can also try jarred garlic as the first step for a sautéed greens side dish or a surprisingly zesty pot roast.

Jarred garlic can make its home in your fridge as far as its expiration date, which may be as long as 3 months from purchase. A study correlated garlic with the potential prevention of cancer, cardiovascular, and metabolic diseases like diabetes.

It makes the garlic breath seem a little more worth it. Having them on hand in the freezer means veggies can color up your diet with just the shake of a bag. After cooking, you can preserve leftovers in the refrigerator for days. All these nutrients have a major impact!

Some research has shown that vegetable consumption is inversely related to death from any cause. Its creamy texture can serve as a mayo replacement in sandwiches and wraps or the base of sturdy salad dressings.

Refrigerated hummus can stay good in the fridge for weeks. Haul it out whenever you need a quick side dish, like crackers or crudites — or spread some on toast and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds for a healthy breakfast. This gift from the Mediterranean has become the centerpiece of healthy entertaining for good reason.

Tahini sesame paste provides healthy fats while the chickpea base comes packed with fiber and protein. People who eat more plant-based protein may have a longer life expectancy, according to research. Any time you need a speedy side dish, grab the bag from your freezer. Purchased mashed potatoes can chill out in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Once cooked, store them in the fridge. You can get creative with leftovers by stuffing them into samosas or enchiladas or frying them up as potato latkes. They have plenty of potassium, the mineral that helps your muscles and nerves contract properly, and their resistant starch might improve blood sugar control, according to a study.

Cheese can be frozen too. Leave a bag in the freezer for six to nine months. Cheddar is known for its calcium. A quarter-cup serving contains 15 percent of the Daily Value. Even more ideas: Use Greek yogurt to coat chicken or pork before breading or to make tzatziki sauce for falafel. Greek yogurt will keep in the fridge for about 2 weeks.

Technically, you can freeze it for up to 2 months, but this may change its consistency. Nutritionally, Greek yogurt has so many good things going for it. It offers ample protein, calcium, and gut-friendly probiotics to name a few.

Sarah Garone is a nutritionist, freelance writer, and food blogger. Find her sharing down-to-earth nutrition info at A Love Letter to Food or follow her on Twitter.

Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available.

Nutritionists share their picks for which long-lasting foods you may want to bring home on your next grocery trip, and which ones you should leave at…. The shelf life of dry rice varies from white rice to brown rice, but once cooked, all types of rice have the same shelf life. This article explains….

Cooking healthy meals at home is easier when you have the right equipment. We're rounding up the 15 best kitchen tools every home cook should own.

While they're not typically able to prescribe, nutritionists can still benefits your overall health. Homemade french fries are the best ever. When we run out of flour, the world stops turning and we have no idea what to do with ourselves!

Speaking of…we only have about a cup or two left right now! So, it is to our advantage to always have flour on hand. I used to buy flour at WinCo, but that was before we had a Costco membership. It keeps the cost of our bread way down, as well as anything else we make with flour.

As long as I have tomato sauce, tomato paste, and diced tomatoes on hand, I can make just about any kind of sauce, soup, or pizza we like. I usually buy these tomato products from Costco because they tend to be a bit cheaper, but I do have to buy a whole box at a time. One of the things I sometimes struggle with is using up a can of tomato paste, for example, before it goes bad.

Well, you can simply freeze it see my note below, though , but I would like to use it up in other ways. HOWEVER, if you do this, you may notice a stronger acidic taste. You can balance out the acidity of these tomato products by adding a bit of sugar to whatever you are making.

This is just what I have learned from my Italian foodie brother-in-law. If we have nothing in the house to eat except eggs, I can usually figure out something to make for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Eggs are so versatile and can be cooked in so many ways that they should be on the menu at least once a week, if not more, especially when you want to cut back on meat and save some cash money.

Cheese livens things up! We like to keep mozzarella, colby jack, and parmesan cheese around for all our meals. However, if you only buy it when it is on sale or use coupons if that is one way you save on groceries , you can save a lot on something that is really a luxury.

I like to buy my mozzarella at Costco because it is usually cheaper per pound than I can get it anywhere else. Although, sometimes you only have a small amount for groceries, and it might be better to just buy the smallest package even if you are actually spending more money.

You know? Here are all the ways we use cheese in our meals as well as some others you might like to remember. Before last year, I would buy chicken stock in the cans.

I had made chicken stock at home before, but it never seemed to turn out quite right. And then last year, I made it in the crockpot for the first time, and VOILA! It worked out much better! It made 8 cups of chicken stock from one chicken carcass and some leftover bones and vegetables we had lying around.

If you buy chicken stock, you know that 4 cups of chicken stock is 32 oz. How about 8 cups of chicken stock for maybe 25 cents?! I completely stopped buying chicken stock, and now I just make my own. Having your own chicken stock on hand is incredibly satisfying.

Chicken stock can be used in so many different ways. Just look at the list of everything you can make with it!

When a recipe calls for chicken broth, I always just use chicken stock in its place. The difference between broth and stock is that with broth, the chicken meat is cooked along with the water, veggies, and salt and pepper. Stock is made the same way but with just the bones and no meat.

You can even freeze your stock in ice cubes if you use a lot of recipes that just call for a small amount of chicken stock here and there. And, hey, you can even make beef stock and vegetable stock if you want!

The final pantry staple I believe is worth mentioning as one that should be in your frugal grocery budget is yogurt. It really depends on what kind of yogurt you buy whether or not it will be inexpensive, and you can even make your own as a cheaper alternative, but it is very versatile.

I stick to buying just one brand of Greek yogurt and always get the honey kind. You see, I am so set in my ways sometimes! In fact, these Salsa Ranch Chicken Wraps are one of my favorite quick meals! And these easy recipes with tortillas are also great as well.

ONIONS GARLIC I use both of these items regularly to inexpensively add extra flavor to lots of different recipes. Of course, you can always freeze them too , if you prefer. CARROTS These are not only a great addition to many soups, but they also make a healthy snack or side dish. POTATOES Super versatile!

You can use them in soups, casseroles, breakfast dishes or side dishes. A few of our favorite potato recipes are Creamy Sausage and Potatoes , Cream Cheese Potato Soup with Ham , and Country Potato Soup.

BUTTER This is probably the one thing that might seem iffy to put on a frugal pantry list. Plus, I love using it to make these easy Garlic Butter Swim Biscuits! SOUR CREAM I like to keep this on hand to use in soups, to make homemade dips and to use in several casserole recipes as well.

But , since I cook almost entirely from scratch, I do end up using it quite a bit even so. Just a little bit can make a lettuce salad, tuna salad sandwiches or refried bean quesadillas so much yummier!

And we love these White Pizza Grilled Cheese Sandwiches! FROZEN VEGGIES Often much cheaper than fresh veggies, the other handy thing about frozen ones is that they last much longer!

I use them a lot as a side dish and also in recipes like my Easy Chicken Pot Pie , Cheesy Ham, Potato and Green Bean Bake and Easy Vegetable Beef Soup. CHICKEN Probably the cheapest kind of meat there is and super versatile too! A few chicken recipes that we enjoy: Herb Roasted Chicken and Potatoes , One Pan Chicken and Rice , Creamy Crockpot Mexican Chicken and Homemade Shake and Bake Chicken.

In casseroles or soups, I often can get by with using less than the amount called for. A few ground beef recipes that we really like: Crockpot Tamale Pie and Super Easy Sloppy Joes.

It helps me be frugal because I can buy in bulk when food is on sale becoming less and less, it seems, these days , portion it and freeze for later. Yes, I love stocking up and freezing items that are on sale too! Such a great way to save. I so agree with you.

We have worn out many vacuum food sealers over the years. Our son upgraded so he can vacuum seal whole chickens raised on his property. We opted for a slightly smaller model and use it daily. when canning diced tomatoes can I pressure can them in stead of water bath?

If so how long to pressure can? Yes, you can definitely pressure can them! As for how long, it will depend on your pressure canner and altitude. I would look in the instruction manual that came with the pressure canner and go by what it says there.

I would follow that. Tomatoes also freeze well! Either whole or diced or roasted. Consider that especially when your garden is at its peak.

I would add celery to that list as I use it in making stews. Onions, carrots and celery is your mirre poir for all basic stews. Yes, celery is a great pantry staple, for sure!

Never heard of strained tomatoes but canned tomato products of any kind are handy to have, I think. This is one of my favorite ways to save on cheese too.

Great list!

Lentils Black-eyed peas and split peas Black, pinto, and cannellini beans

Cheap pantry staples for busy cooks - Various types of rice such as: Arborio, long-grain white, medium- to long-grain brown, and basmati rice Lentils Black-eyed peas and split peas Black, pinto, and cannellini beans

So it may take a little bit of time for you to establish a well stocked pantry because stockpiling all of your grains, baking goods, spices and oils may be too expensive to do all at once. You may need to slowly build it over the course of a couple months but when done intentionally you will have a from scratch pantry built in no time.

It may take some time to establish your pantry because running out to the store and buying everything would be extrememly costly. I recommend over the next few months, taking advantage of any sales at the store. When an item on this list is on sale, grab two, one to use and one to keep on hand.

This is especially helpful when building up your spice cabinet because spices can be on the pricier side. My stores often have buy 2 get 1 free sales which I always take advantage of. After awhile you will get a better idea of some of the ingredients that you are using the most and can consider buying those in bulk to save even more money.

Grab the From Scratch Pantry Checklist and Pantry Inventory Sheets to get start building your well stocked pantry today! Having a variety of pasta and rice on hand is a necessity. Great for streaching meat or using as a side dish.

In my opinion, a good quality rice is necessary. While I usually purchase store brand when I can, there are a few things where quality does really matter. Cheap rice will be mushy and gross when cooked.

A variety of rice such as white rice, brown rice, jasmine rice, basmati rice, and long grain rice are a few that I like to keep on hand,.

Pasta, of course, can be homemade pretty easily and homemade pasta is always better than a dried store-bought version. The pastas that I always have are: spagetti, linguini, rontini, rigatoni, shells, egg noogles and tortillinis.

I make a lot of mac and cheese, chicken noodle soups, and pasta salads so I love have different kinds available. Many of these are very versatile and I use them not only in cooking, but also in making personal products.

Typically, I will bake, yes bake, bacon several times a month. Baking bacon is a really great option because it is easier and less messy. I then save the bacon grease in a bowl and freeze for later use. Vinegars are also a must have ingredient. Vinegar is very versatile and is can be used for cooking, cleaning, and personal products.

I definitely recommend having these vinegars on hand:. Baking ingredients is another area that I buy in bulk. If you do a lot of baking, you definitely want to make sure you have plenty of these ingredients available. White all-purpose flour is a must, I use it for everything from making pizza crust, bisquits, cookies, cakes, thickner agent, etc.

You can also choose to use a substitute for all-purpose flour such as wheat, rye, almond flour, spelt, or amaranth flour to name a few.

Spices and condiments are typically where I tend to cut corners and favor convenience over homemade. Preserving my own herbs is something that I am really focusing on this year with my herb garden. We typically grow herbs and I dry what I can but this year I am planting a ton of extra so that I can actually dry it and then just have our own dried spices.

Building a spice cabinet may take a little bit of time to build up, but I know the grocery stores have sales like buy two get one free that really help with this. Definitely try to use these sales to your advantage to quickly build your spice pantry.

Nuts and dried fruits are another pantry staple because of how versatile they are as an ingredient. These ingredients are not only really great for baking, adding to cakes and cookies, but also really great for just eating as snacks.

I use these ingredients for healthy snacks, make granola bars with them. They can be self stable, for a long time, so I like to transfer most of these ingredients into mason jars for easier storage. Canned goods are something else I keep on hand, vegetables, fruit, beans, etc.

If you can can your own that is really great as well. I like to have these on hand:. As we work to improve our self-sufficiency skill, I am trying to increasing the amount of food we preserve each year. We typically do tomato sauce and diced tomatoes.

I also keep a variety of frozen vegetables and canneg vegetables. Frozen are must better for some meals, while canned is good for other recipes.

Canned fruit such as fruit cocktails, jellies, jams, and preserves are also a must for our pantry. Lastly for this section is a variety of broths. Beef, chicken, and vegetable broth is something I always have on hand. I use a crazy amount of chicken broth when I am making pasta or soups.

Therefore, to make sure I have enough whenever I need it, I keep store-bought broth on hand. Onions and potatoes are also on the list because I use them so much in cooking and baking. I make sure I have white and red onions on hand, as well as, russett potatoes, and usually either white or red potatoes.

While I use a lot of plain white sugar in my baking, I also like to stockup on other sweetners like honey, brown sugar, molasses, and maple syrup. Lastly, there are some ingredients that do not fit into any other category but are still really important to have on hand.

These are all of the most essential ingredients to have stocked in your pantry! Stock your pantry with these ingredients and you will be well prepared to make a home cooked meal any day of the week.

My name is Stephanie Leaf. This month we're centering on something we're going to be doing a lot of in the kitchen next week, what to do with your unripe and green tomatoes. So we have a whole lot of great recipes in there. So make sure you check this out. I'll put the links down in the description.

If you're not already a subscriber to the In the Homestead Kitchen magazine, you're going to want to check it out. There are actually, I think I just looked and there's nearly 4, subscribers to the magazine right now.

So you guys will be in good company if you jump in. Josh: Well, and for those of you that would love to see it in print, the larger we can grow the subscription base, the closer we get to being able to put it into print. Print's obviously a lot more expensive and takes a lot more work and a bigger team.

And we'd love to be able to do that one day, and you guys supporting the magazine helps it get there. Carolyn: Absolutely. So anyways, we've been wrapping that up. And then just the harvest season, really. We've been doing a lot of harvesting, like you said, the peppers came in yesterday and today, so we have found our absolute favorite pepper preservation method now is to dice them with onions, leaving them both raw, the onions and the peppers raw, and freeze drying them.

They just are phenomenal for quick grabbing and throwing in just about anything, topping pizzas, all sorts of stuff. And it's just been a great way to go with the peppers. Josh: Easy to preserve and easy to use that way.

Hey, just I got to say it now because I'm going to forget. I think you need to check out the onions that have been drying for a while.

I think we need to get those in here pretty quickly. Carolyn: The onions are up in the barn in their curing station right now, so that they will be all ready to bring in and get in crates and get into storage for the year.

So it's about time to get them in. Carolyn: The garlic came in the other day. We went through those and got the garlic all stashed away. So lots of good stuff.

Josh: Oh, you know. Just harvest and winter prep. We got all of our grain in, and usually I buy all the grain for the winter, and in the spring this year I purchased all of the grain for the year, I think, that we're going to need. Even our meat layers, which generally I try not to do because the quality does degrade sitting there.

But I'm definitely concerned-. Josh: Our meat chickens for next year. So we've actually bought all of the grain for them, at least what we think we're going to do next year.

And I usually wouldn't do that, but I'm just really feeling the need to get ahead. I just feel the environment that we're in, that money sitting there is better than money in the bank. Josh: In the grain sack, in the hay sack, in the food barrels.

Lots of places like that and the animals on the hoof. I think that's a real good place for our money right now. So really a lot of strategies like that, just really thinking about gearing up for winter prep but kind of extending it and looking a little bit more into longer term crops here both for winter and in the next year to just build in a little bit of security and get some of that money out of the bank and onto real things, real assets right here on our property.

Carolyn: And a key to doing this, I know we've talked about this a bit and we'll probably talk about this a little bit more in today's topic, is make sure you're stocking up on things you're going to use, and then you're not going to lose out because you're going to use it eventually one way or another.

So it's not like, "Oh, go buy all that freeze dried food that you'll probably never use and just stash it down there. But if you're going to use it anyways, you're just buying it early when it's cheaper. Josh: Yeah. And real quick, I know this can be difficult for people to do.

You hear that and like, "Oh yeah, well, okay, you must have a great bank account or whatever to be able to stock up like that. But the strategy is just slowly shifting and taking little steps to get from week to week to month to month, and then month to quarterly, and then month to six months.

And it takes, because it's very hard to do all at once obviously, but it doesn't take more money. That's definitely helpful. But it takes changing how we use our money in whatever form it's coming in to allocate it differently, and maybe pulling back on things in the near term so that we can start to get ahead and make larger purchases that are in bulk that we can then get a better price on.

So just a little tip there for those of you are wondering how do you get there? How do I do that? Because you're right, you can't just go from where you're at maybe to buying a year's worth of something.

You might be able to buy a year's worth of one something, but to do this consistently, it does take a shift in money management more than just making more money. Carolyn: Yeah, it absolutely does. And the good news about it though is that as you start buying bulk, you usually do save money.

So as you take those steps, kind of slowly moving to buying a month's worth, you end up saving money that helps you get ahead faster.

So that's a really good part of it, but it's really those initial moments of how do I go from going to the grocery store and buying what I need for the week to buying what I need for the month? Those are the painful moments. And those you may have to simplify your diet for a few weeks, simplify something to save a little money so that you can do that big stock up where you are saving money.

Now of course, the big caveat to this is once you get that big stock up, don't go spend all the money you just saved. You have to put that towards your groceries the next time so that you're getting ready to stock up again for the next month.

But yeah, it's a good way to go once you get over that initial hump. Josh: Well, it's interesting, you say that and it kind of makes me think of just investing in compound interest really. It kind of works like that compound interest.

In the beginning it's such a tiny amount, it doesn't seem like much. But you keep adding to it, you keep building on it and it grows and then it starts to get momentum and then the return that it gives you and the growth that you have starts to accelerate. But it does take a while and it takes that discipline of just doing a little bit at a time, day by day, week by week.

But it works a lot like that. And then eventually you get that momentum going, could mean a larger investment account or bank account or whatever that you're earning interest on, though that's hard to do with a bank account these days.

Carolyn: Well, and then it becomes significant, it becomes a significant amount, so that's a good way to go. Josh: Good stuff. We should probably do a whole Pantry Chat on that, but that's not the topic of today.

Hopefully that's helpful to some of you, though. Let's get into a question of the day so that we can then tackle stocking up the pantry. Josh: Okay. I'll read it.

I love your thinking. I've already butchered my meat chicks for the year, but turkey processing will be coming up. Carolyn: Ooh. So let's go backwards just a little bit for those of you guys who have missed the lead up conversation to this.

And we've been talking about using more and more parts of butchered animals, getting more use out of it, and the health benefits of getting heads into the stock. There's no way of saying that that doesn't just sound kind of funny. Josh: Well, it does sound funny to us and to our modern ears, but Sally Fallon and I were talking about this while we were filming for the school, and she's the one that got us thinking about this, particularly using the heads.

And if you're familiar with [inaudible ] and just the study of past cultures, it's actually been very normal for most of human civilizations.

They've had to utilize everything. And so this isn't a weird concept. It's a little weird for us maybe to talk about in our culture because we've gotten separated from things, but most of human history has had to get every little bit of value out of what you have.

And really that's part of the homesteading ethos is maximizing value with what you have. Carolyn: And just to call out the elephant in the room, the real weird part is to open your pot and have something looking back at you.

I just got to say it straightforward because we're all dealing with that. We're all thinking about it. Oh, wow, okay, there's a head in there. But it's like everything else, you do get over it and you do get used to it.

And honestly, I feel better and better about the butchering process the more use I make out of the entire carcass, body. I don't know how to put that in polite butchering terms.

But yeah, the more I get out of it, the more I feel better about it because we're really not wasting the part that honestly, in a lot of places, even people, even homesteads, households that are trying to make the use out of everything because it's so abnormal to use those parts, they're just getting kind of tossed and composted or something.

Josh: It's really a wasteful attitude and it's not good stewardship. We should be making good use of what we have regardless of, say, our income level, whether we're poor or not.

So when you're poor, you're forced to do more of these things. And it's easy and of course in our wealthy society we've gotten used to, we don't need a lot of that and we can do without it.

But is that good stewardship of what we've been given and what we have? Or is it good stewardship even regardless of our financial situation or station or whatever to use everything that we have? And I think that's better and that we can always be looking for ways to do that, though it is a big paradigm shift, and there's things we don't do yet that we probably could.

But it takes more work so little bits at a time. Carolyn: Yeah. So to get back to Shannon's questions, can you use the turkey heads? Yes, you can. And duck heads and guinea heads and if you are butchering a pig, you can use the pig head or the cow head or Josh: Yep.

That's a whole nother Pantry Chat. It's easier with chickens and turkeys, that's for sure, than getting to a larger animal.

That's a whole different project. But anyways, yep. Keep on. Love your thinking and keep it up. Rules for stocking up.

Rule number one, backups. What do you mean by backups? Carolyn: I just want to frame this discussion a little bit because we are specifically talking about pantry, meaning shelf stable items, not your food collection in general, which would include maybe your freezer and other things like that.

We're diving into pantry. And so when you're talking about the pantry, there's really two different ways to look at it, like major categories. One is your backup food.

This is kind of your emergency, it all falls apart food. And then you have your daily rotation food. And this is what you're living off of and hopefully you're building that up to be a good backup.

But the reality is, like we were talking about with the finances, it takes a while to build that up. And so you do want to start with some amount of just backup food.

And I always want to qualify this. This is not just for the apocalypse, this is not just for the big what if scenarios out there in the world at large. This is for you lose a job, somebody gets sick, something happens and you can't make it to the grocery store, your finances get messed up, whatever it is.

There are a lot more people, in my opinion, in our modern Western civilization that have had to depend on their pantry because of personal emergencies than because of some big broad disaster of some sort. And it's just as valid of a reason. In fact, it might be more so because things happen to all of us.

So make sure you get something. My recommendation: beans, rice, salt, some basic seasoning so you can mix up the flavors of it and some canned meat. Go to the store and get tuna or chicken or something like that. And that's just your basic backups, keep you going. You can survive off of that for a really long time.

So I just want to separate out these two before we dive into the discussion of our regular pantry because it is kind of a different thing. Question for you on the items, the list of backups though that you're recommending.

What about vegetables? Just kind of rounding that out, is that I mean, none of us are really excited about store bought canned vegetables, but as far as the strategy of getting things on the shelf and getting that kind of backup started, I mean, would vegetables make sense, or fruits or anything else?

Carolyn: It would be great to have and any diversity you can add to that is always great, but the reality is that this is a basic survival ration.

You can survive off of this for a really, really long time without adding those extra things in. So add them in if you can. But honestly, what I would rather see and what I prefer in my own household is the backups are the basics for basic survival. And then start putting into your everyday living, the rotations of the extras and start building that out.

Rule number two, everyday pantry. Got a couple points here on this one. Carolyn: So first of all, we have to really dive into what's the purpose of our everyday pantry. Why are we doing this? Because again, that can get a little convoluted. But one of your main purposes is to decrease your trips to the store.

That always takes time, it takes money, it takes not buying in bulk because like we were talking about earlier, you're buying just as you need it, maybe a week's worth of meals or something like that. But even if you live right next door to the store, it takes pre-thinking and it takes time.

And we need to start being efficient with what we're doing and that's where our pantry starts to become our own grocery store is really what it is.

It's also a way to help keep you prepared for any last-minute changes of schedule so you don't have to default to, "Hey, let's somebody go get takeout pizza," or, "Somebody, let's run to the restaurant," or let's do that, because you have that supply of everything you need.

You can just start pulling meals right out of your pantry and you can make it pretty quickly. So that's really important. It's also going to save you money because you're going to be able to start stocking up.

You're going to be able to start taking advantage of the sales that are happening and stocking up when there are sales. It's really important. And then of course, like we talked about, this also starts to become that hedge against life's challenges, whether they're big gigantic ones or they're your own personal problems or they're just even a sickness in your home where you don't want to run out to the grocery store.

That starts to hedge it. So I think it's important to start thinking about why you're building a pantry so that you can really put it into context of what's important to you to build out. So that's what you're talking about here with starting to get ahead on shelf stable items, buying two or three at a time?

So when you start stocking up your pantry, you just want to start making sure you're just buying extra of what you're already buying and start using that. You're already buying it so you know that you're going to use it and that's really important.

It's easy to start being like, "Oh look, lentils are on sale for 50 cents a pound. I think I'll get a year's worth of lentils right now and stick them in the pantry.

So just start stocking up and buying extra of what it is that you are already buying. And then as you do that, you want to start changing your zero out amount. Now, I know when I was taught originally about keeping my checking account, somebody told me, "Make sure you don't zero out at zero when you're doing your banking.

You always have a little bit more in your account than you think you do. You want to start doing that with your pantry. Instead of saying, when you pull the last ketchup off the shelf, "Oh, I need to go buy more ketchup," you start saying it when you pull the second to last ketchup off your shelf.

Now I need to go buy more ketchup. Better start looking for a deal and stock up again. Josh: I like that, crisis aversion. It's a crisis at our table when the ketchup is gone, especially when there's french fries on the table.

And this is important because you don't want to buy something like a whole bunch of something then have it go bad before you can use it. Because that again doesn't do you anything positive.

Carolyn: So if you're buying some of these, I kind of put together a list just off the top of my head. This is things like flour, sugar, canned goods, noodles, whole wheat berries, the whole berries not the whole wheat flour, beans, white rice, baking soda, salt, whole oats, green coffee beans, vinegars, honey, molasses, freeze dried foods.

Things like that, they're going to last a really long time in storage if they're stored properly. And so you can really start stocking up in those.

That's where you can be like, "Hey, I'm going to get two years worth of this stuff on my shelf," and start putting those up. Now I always get a little pushback from people who live in really humid areas when I mention flour. And when I mean flour, I mean white flour.

You can't stock up this much on whole wheat flour because it'll go rancid. But if it's kept dry and it's handled properly, we're going to talk about that in just a moment, white flour will last for a long time, as long as it's stored properly.

Josh: And so what are some of the things to think about for storing some of these things correctly? For these long term things, you want to make sure, number one, when you get them in, you deal with insect eggs. It's something we don't want to talk about in modern culture, but the reality is your dry goods have some sort of insect eggs in them.

And they're going to hatch eventually in some storage form. It's just the truth of food. Josh: We experienced that living in places with more humidity, that was a lot more challenging to deal with.

It really becomes a little bit challenging. And so you have a couple of different options for dealing with that right off. One is you can freeze the food for about three days, solid freezing all the way. So take that 50 pound bag of flour or whole wheat berries and toss it in your chest freezer for about three days.

When you get it out, don't open it up until it's come back to room temperature so you don't introduce any more moisture into it. You don't want to do that. The other method for dealing with insect eggs is to sprinkle in some diatomaceous earth.

And I don't have the numbers for you on the top of my head, but you can do a quick Google search. We talk about this in my Art of Homemade Bread class where we talk about how to store wheat. You can just sprinkle some diatomaceous earth right into your food.

It's totally edible, not going to change the flavor of your food or anything. But it will handle that problem, the pest problem, which is great.

It's a good option. And then you want to make sure you are storing it somewhere very dry. If you live in an extremely humid area, put a desiccant package in. Put something in the oven for a few minutes on a cookie sheet, five minutes to heat it up and totally dry it out before you put it into its container.

Whatever it takes to dry it out and to keep it dry is an absolute must. And then you want to get it into airtight storage.

That's not because you're trying to get it into a vacuum airless state, but you just want to get it into a place where no more insects, no more moisture, nothing else can get into it. A Gamma seal lid on a five gallon bucket is a great way to go.

Josh: Good. Year storage items here are some things that you're going to want but that aren't going to store so long. Yeah, definitely. Anything that's a high fat content or oil content, that's going to go rancid before it can store. Really, you've got about a year on the outer limit, about a year is what I give it.

Whole cracked grains, a year is definitely on the outer limit of that. Some people say six months. If you can keep it really cool and dry. I think you can get away with probably a year if you have to. They don't go bad after a year, but they do start to lose their-.

Josh: Things degrade once they've been chopped up, ground up, cracked. It just starts to degrade. Carolyn: Right. Brown rice. Brown rice is not stable like whole wheat berries.

You need to make sure you're moving that on somewhere between six months and a year. Any boxed mixes, like if you stock up on a cake mix or something like that, those do go bad.

You don't want to keep them for a long period of time. So sprouting seeds is another one I was thinking at.

1. Rice, Pasta & Other Grains. A few types of grain deserve a permanent spot in any pantry. · 2. Parchment Paper · 3. Beans & Other Legumes · 4 Pantry Staples · Nuts & nut butters · Dried fruit: cranberries, dates, raisins · Seeds: chia, ground flax · Popcorn kernels · Chocolate chips Missing: Cheap pantry staples for busy cooks

PEANUT BUTTER Cheap pantry staples for busy cooks peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to energy bites Cheeap baked goods to Staplea Peanut Butter Fruit Stapldsthis Affordable Personal Chef Services one of those inexpensive versatile ingredients that is just smart to keep on Cheao You can think of black beans as the little black dress of dinnertime. That is totally going to change my life. Meatloaf, tacos, meatballs, or even a simple bolognese with canned pasta sauce are just a few examples of ways you can use this pantry staple. Yeah, it's like you can, but I think nutritional value is also really important to most of us. You see, I am so set in my ways sometimes!	If you're not already a subscriber to the In the Homestead Kitchen magazine, you're going to want to check it out. I just personally need it in my freezer at all times! Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. I can get meals out of each one if I am intentional about what I will make before I cook it. Either whole or diced or roasted. Our team thoroughly researches and evaluates the recommendations we make on our site. We talk about this in my Art of Homemade Bread class where we talk about how to store wheat.	Lentils Black-eyed peas and split peas Black, pinto, and cannellini beans	Various types of rice such as: Arborio, long-grain white, medium- to long-grain brown, and basmati rice Cheap Baking Supplies: · 1. FLOUR · 2. SUGAR · 3. OATMEAL · 4. YEAST · 5. BAKING POWDER | BAKING SODA · 6. COCOA POWDER · 7. PEANUT BUTTER · 8. OIL Wheat is a pantry staple I'm never without (which can be cooked whole or	Quick-cooking polenta Stone-ground cornmeal Various types of rice such as: Arborio, long-grain white, medium- to long-grain brown, and basmati rice
If we have nothing in the house stappes eat except Cheapp, I can Discounted ingredients figure out something to make for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. If Cheap pantry staples for busy cooks can Budget-friendly specials Cheap pantry staples for busy cooks really cool and dry. Most Craft sample giveaways us hCeap a box of baking soda sitting in our pantry, waiting to be used for baking. Lentils add extra protein and fibre, as well as iron and zinc — two key nutrients we need to keep our immune system functioning well. In This Article View All. Spices and condiments are typically where I tend to cut corners and favor convenience over homemade. And then you want to make sure you are storing it somewhere very dry.	Keep a clean jar and lid in your pantry to shake up fresh dressings in seconds. The final pantry staple I believe is worth mentioning as one that should be in your frugal grocery budget is yogurt. Canned beans are packed with dietary fibre, which helps to keep you full for longer and feeds your gut bacteria. So think about those things when learning how to stock your pantry on a budget. come to think of it, mama probably did that when we were down to one egg, to make it go farther! Josh: Cool. So that's really important.	Lentils Black-eyed peas and split peas Black, pinto, and cannellini beans	Dried Pasta, Quinoa and Rice – If you have these in the cupboard, you always have the base of a quick meal on hand! Quinoa is my favorite Canned chicken · Frozen pork shoulder · Rice · Beans · Frozen vegetables · Other staples we love: · Check out these recipes to up your kitchen game As well as being super cheap, a bag of carrots is long lasting and so versatile. They're a delicious addition to a tray bake, ideal for grating into pasta or	Lentils Black-eyed peas and split peas Black, pinto, and cannellini beans
It makes coojs work that I put Cheap pantry staples for busy cooks it so totally worth it when I get comments like Cheap grocery recipes. We love bisy kinds of beans, but some Cehap beans apntry pinto, kidney, and black beans. For these long term things, you want to make sure, number one, when you get them in, you deal with insect eggs. For a straight forward pulled pork, try this easy one from Tastes Better From Scratch. I use many more condiments than these, but these are the three that I think every kitchen should for sure stock.	Not only do I use this in many of my baked goods, but I also frequently use to create roux to thicken soups and sauces. DICED TOMATOES These are super inexpensive and way cheaper than buying fresh tomatoes. DRIED HERBS SPICES Dried herbs and spices are a great way to add flavor to your recipes. I use a crazy amount of chicken broth when I am making pasta or soups. That way, dinner prep will happen even faster. A quarter-cup serving contains 15 percent of the Daily Value.	Lentils Black-eyed peas and split peas Black, pinto, and cannellini beans	Flageolet beans Diced tomatoes, pasta, rice, eggs, flour, sugar, beans of some kind, canned tuna, pickles, potatoes, a tube of tomato paste, oatmeal, onions Canned chicken · Frozen pork shoulder · Rice · Beans · Frozen vegetables · Other staples we love: · Check out these recipes to up your kitchen game	Flageolet beans Cheap Baking Supplies: · 1. FLOUR · 2. SUGAR · 3. OATMEAL · 4. YEAST · 5. BAKING POWDER | BAKING SODA · 6. COCOA POWDER · 7. PEANUT BUTTER · 8. OIL 14 Musts for a Budget Pantry · Eating on a Budget · Brown Rice (or Other Whole Grains) · Canned Beans · Dried Spices · Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information

2. Rotisserie chicken For a quick and easy meal, you can't go wrong with the pre-cooked convenience of rotisserie chicken. Just strip the meat Dried Pasta, Quinoa and Rice – If you have these in the cupboard, you always have the base of a quick meal on hand! Quinoa is my favorite Quick-cooking polenta: Cheap pantry staples for busy cooks

Sourdough contains staplees and active busg that promote gut pantyr and may Cheap pantry staples for busy cooks easier Discounted icing tools digest Cjeap regular bread because of the fermentation process. That's a whole nother Pantry Chat. And then lastly, start trying to produce more of the pantry items that you are buying. A variety of oils and vinegars are essential to any well-functioning kitchen. Just harvest and winter prep. Getting some fresh-tasting, healthy food pantry items is important.	At the time, I was squeamish about touching raw meat. Home cook DCEJ says, "Truly excellent. Grab the From Scratch Pantry Checklist and Pantry Inventory Sheets to get start building your well stocked pantry today! Josh: We're stocking our pantry, which means that the preservation kitchen is in high use, the freeze dryers are running, there's other preservation going on. Sweeteners also disappear quickly off the grocery store shelves and even our own home shelves , so keeping extra stocked up is a really smart decision. Nuts, Nut Butters, and Dried Fruits. From penne with tuna puttanesca to spaghetti with marinara sauce , there's no limit to the number of dishes you can make with dried pasta.	Lentils Black-eyed peas and split peas Black, pinto, and cannellini beans	Wheat is a pantry staple I'm never without (which can be cooked whole or 14 Musts for a Budget Pantry · Eating on a Budget · Brown Rice (or Other Whole Grains) · Canned Beans · Dried Spices · Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information Canned soup is not only a meal in itself, but a shortcut ingredient that can help turn a handful of simple ingredients into a complete dinner. If you have a can	1. Rice, Pasta & Other Grains. A few types of grain deserve a permanent spot in any pantry. · 2. Parchment Paper · 3. Beans & Other Legumes · 4 Diced tomatoes, pasta, rice, eggs, flour, sugar, beans of some kind, canned tuna, pickles, potatoes, a tube of tomato paste, oatmeal, onions Missing
So easy, Reduced-cost grocery savings impressive. So make sure you staplws something. Carolyn: Money stapkes in the grain sack. It keeps the cost of our bread way down, as well as anything else we make with flour. So check that out and we will see you guys soon.	Rehydrating Freeze Dried Foods Learn the six methods of rehydrating freeze-dried foods. Josh: Yep. search icon. One is you can freeze the food for about three days, solid freezing all the way. So anyways, we've been wrapping that up. I can see many uses for this recipe!	Lentils Black-eyed peas and split peas Black, pinto, and cannellini beans	As well as being super cheap, a bag of carrots is long lasting and so versatile. They're a delicious addition to a tray bake, ideal for grating into pasta or Flageolet beans Canned soup is not only a meal in itself, but a shortcut ingredient that can help turn a handful of simple ingredients into a complete dinner. If you have a can	Home-cooked food shouldn't be bland. Canned tuna or canned chicken are affordable and can be used in sandwiches, salads, or casseroles. We Milk: dairy or non-dairy · Eggs (large) · Butter · Plain Yogurt · Grated Parmesan · Mayonnaise, Mustard (also listed under sauces) · Shredded Cheese ( 2. Rotisserie chicken For a quick and easy meal, you can't go wrong with the pre-cooked convenience of rotisserie chicken. Just strip the meat
Bsuy also love adding carrot to porridge! A few of the ones that I use fod basil, oregano, Italian Budget-conscious food supplies, onion powder, garlic Cheapp, chili Cheap pantry staples for busy cooks, cumin, pantru pepper, cinnamon, bisy. SUGAR White, Brown and Confectioners I make most of our desserts from scratch, so I like to keep all three kinds of sugar on hand. We participate in the Amazon Associates Program. Dress up white rice with garlic and chicken broth in this garlic butter rice recipe from Cooking Classy. However, because our income has increased and I am pregnant, I have allowed for some wiggle room.	And it ends up being a waste of resource. It definitely pays to plan ahead! Author Recent Posts. This is just what I have learned from my Italian foodie brother-in-law. Carolyn: I'm not promising anything yet. Read More.	Lentils Black-eyed peas and split peas Black, pinto, and cannellini beans	Stone-ground cornmeal 2. Rotisserie chicken For a quick and easy meal, you can't go wrong with the pre-cooked convenience of rotisserie chicken. Just strip the meat Wheat is a pantry staple I'm never without (which can be cooked whole or	10 Cheap Foods. Over Awesome Possibilities. · Whole Chickens · Dried Beans · Oats (regular and quick) · Potatoes · Flour · Canned Tomatoes · Eggs 1. Grains and Breads · Rolled oats · Quinoa · Rice (long grain, short grain, brown) · Breads · Muffins · Bagels · Corn and flour tortillas · Cereals Vinegars are also a must have ingredient. Vinegar is very versatile and is can be used for cooking, cleaning, and personal products. I

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