11 Ways To Make Your Pantry Sustainable

Here are 11 ways to make your pantry sustainable. Here’s the deal: A sweet relative called me yesterday to ask me which bread machine, bread mixer, wheat grinder, electric, and hand crank to buy. People understand the need to learn to make bread as soon as possible. Yes, it has carbs, but today, it’s about being able to feed our family.

So, I decided to write about the basics of stocking a pantry. Please remember that no one will deliver food or water to our homes after a disaster; it’s a fact that we must be self-reliant.

Of course, we all need water. I suggest 4 gallons per person per day, but please do what you can and do it a little each month. So now, let’s move on to the need for a pantry to feed your family.

I will mention that we may need a hand-crank wheat grinder if we make whole wheat bread, but we must live today. Please get an electric one and enjoy making whole wheat bread every week. If you are new to making bread, start with sourdough or white bread. Then, learn to grind wheat and make whole wheat bread if you decide to.

11 Ways To Make Your Pantry Sustainable

1. Learn To Make Bread

If you can learn to make bread, you can feed your family now and after a disaster when the stores are closed. People get angry when hungry; this item goes well with soup to keep the belly full.

Items To Make Bread

• Large Mixing Bowl
• Bosch Bread Mixer
• Zojirushi Bread Maker (I do not bake it in the machine, only in the oven after mixing)
• 1/2 gallon Silicone Bags for Ingredients
• Bread Pans
• Dough Cutter
• Bread Bags For Storage

In case you missed these posts, Bread Machine Bread-How To Make It and How To Make My No-Fail Homemade Bread or How To Make A Sourdough Starter + Bread

Ingredients for the Bread Machine Recipe (2 Loaves)

• 1-1/2 cups water
• 4 cups bread flour or all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• Two tablespoons of dry instant milk
• Two teaspoons salt
• Two tablespoons butter
• One tablespoon Saf Instant yeast

The recipe is here: Bread Machine Bread-How To Make It

2. Learn To Make Biscuits

I grew up on biscuits and gravy, with butter and jam, which fills the belly with soup or cream-chipped beef.

Items You Will Need

• Biscuit Cutter
• Rolling Pin
• Mixing Bowl
• Danish Whisk
• Cookie Sheet

In case you missed this post, Easy Homemade Biscuit Recipe

Ingredients for Homemade Biscuits

• Four tsp. instant SAF yeast (please store in freezer)
• 1/4 cup of sugar
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 2 cups buttermilk (How To Make Buttermilk)
• 1/2 cup of warm water
• 1 cup shortening or softened butter (I use butter)
• 5 cups white bread flour

3. Spices You May Want To Stock

It doesn’t matter what you cook, bake items, or prepare a fresh salad or vegetables; spices make things taste better. I wrote this post, 33 Essential Spices I Recommend Stocking Up On. Some of you may have missed it, so I will gently remind you to stock up on your favorite spices.

• 33 Essential Spices I Recommend To Stock
  • 1. Basil
  • 2. Bay Leaf
  • 3. Black Pepper
  • 4. Cavender’s Greek Seasoning
  • 5. Cayenne Red Pepper
  • 6. Celery Salt
  • 7. Cinnamon (Ground)
  • 8. Chili Powder
  • 9. Chives
  • 10. Cream of Tartar
  • 11. Cumin (Ground)
  • 12. Curry Powder
  • 13. Dill Weed
  • 14. Garlic Powder
  • 15. Garlic Salt
  • 16. Ginger (Ground)
  • 17. Himalayan Pink Salt
  • 18. Italian Seasoning
  • 19. Mustard (Dry Powdered)
  • 20. Nutmeg (Ground)
  • 21. Old Bay Seasoning
  • 22. Onion Powder
  • 23. Onion Salt
  • 24. Lemon Pepper
  • 25. Oregano
  • 26. Paprika (Ground)
  • 27. Parsley Flakes
  • 28. Red Pepper (Crushed)
  • 29. Poppy Seed
  • 30. Sage (Rubbed)
  • 31. Seasoned Salt (Similar to Lawry’s Salt)
  • 32. Sesame Seeds
  • 33. Thyme

4. Stock Canned Meats

One thing we all may want is some protein. I wrote a post on the Canned Meats I Recommend to give people some ideas. Here’s the deal: Everyone has food they will enjoy eating or cooking with. I get it.

This is why it’s critical to go to the grocery store, the dollar store, Costco, or Sam’s Club and choose the ones your family will eat.

Of course, we all would love freshly sliced deli meat, but the stores may be closed after a disaster. These cans of meat will fill the belly with homemade bread or crackers.

I have to laugh. I’m looking at those Vienna Sausages. I can still remember eating those when I was little, but not so much now.

5. Store Canned Vegetables

Now we’re onto canned vegetables. I try to buy the low-sodium ones, but I also realize I can rinse off the liquid and hopefully consume less salt.

As I look at these cans, I think to myself, “I love my garden’s fresh vegetables.” But I must be realistic. Where I live now, the weather is much colder, and I know I must have ready-to-eat vegetables to feed my family when needed.

6. Stock Canned Fruits

I love fresh fruit, frozen fruit, and even canned fruit. These are the ones I recommended to stock. Every family has their favorites; choose those. Canned Fruit I Recommend

7. Baking Supplies

When you love to bake, you stock supplies for cookies, bread, muffins, cakes, and anything sweet or plain and simple. Please stock those baking items you use often. Please remember to keep your SAF Yeast in the freezer. It will last for a few years, trust me I know. In case we lose power for an extended period. Please print your favorite recipes.

8. Snacks/Chocolate

Are you a snacker like me? You can see below a few of the snacks our family loves to stock. I love Oreos and dark chocolate; what’s not to love? It’s nice to have snacks for those around you to munch on in times of stress. You can play board games and have a few bowls of treats available.

9. Breakfast Items

In case you missed the post, here is Emergency Breakfast Food. I stock instant milk, cereal, freeze-dried bananas, and dehydrated bananas. I make homemade bread, so we always stock peanut butter and jam. Life is so good with hot bread out of the oven.

10. Dehydrated Food/Freeze-Dried Food

By now, you know I love to dehydrate food. I also purchase dehydrated food as well as freeze-dried food. It all depends on what my pantry needs. Some of it has a shelf-life that is short-term and long-term. It’s important to have various food storage items; we must be able to feed our family today or after a disaster.

Please remember that no one will deliver food or water to you immediately. That may sound harsh, but it’s the truth, my friends. After an unforeseen emergency, depending on the severity, it could be weeks.

11. Pet Food/Supplies

If you have small or large pets/animals, we all know how important it is to have the food they need to eat. It’s been hard to get some dog and cat food the last couple of years. My veterinarian warned me one day when I took my dog to be groomed that it was getting harder to get any animal food. I’m just giving you the heads-up if you haven’t heard it yet.

How To Make Food More Sustainable

• Grow a Garden (This is where I buy my garden seeds: SeedsNow)
• Eat what’s in Season
• Stop the Waste (Freeze or Dehydrate)
• Eat more Plants (Farmer’s Market, if available)

Final Word

I hope you enjoyed my post on 11 Ways To Make Your Pantry Sustainable today. My goal is to help others be prepared for the unexpected. May God Bless this World, Linda

The post 11 Ways To Make Your Pantry Sustainable appeared first on Food Storage Moms.

from Food Storage Moms