While it’s true that throughout much of the country you can easily go down to the local grocer and pick up any or all of these items whenever you feel the need, the corona virus has shown us in recent times throughout the world that shelves can be empty and you can just as easily be left in want. These items are the basic that everyone should keep in the pantry. I’ve broken it down into categories, listing the basics and nice-to-haves. Stock this, and meals will be better, and the ideas will flow as new tastes and recipes open up worlds for you.
The Cannery
Canned goods. They’re not just in cans anymore. Sometimes they’re in jars, or even bottles (ooooh). They last, and provide for quick and easy meals when you are limited in time or desire of effort. Technology has improved the process over the years, and it’s a great and inexpensive method to have food on hand at any given time. I’ll admit, I’m rather limited in the different types of canned goods that I keep in the pantry, but these are what you should have.
Basic
Canned tomatoes (diced, crushed, whole, paste)
Broths and Stocks (chicken, beef, vegetable)
Beans (red kidney, black, pinto, refried) – It’s also good to have dry beans, and I’ll cover that more below.
Olives
Peanut butter
Nice-to-Have
Tuna (in olive oil)
Clam juice
Salmon
Anchovies
Capers
Coconut milk and cream
Soups
Hominy
Grains, Legumes, Nuts and Seeds
Basic
All purpose (AP) flour
Whole wheat flour
Pastas
Rolled oat
Bread crumbs
Cornmeal
Dry beans
Dry lentils
Peanuts
Rice
Nice-to-Have
Bread flour
Barley
Bulgar
Couscous
Polenta
Grits
Cornstarch
Granola
Cereal
Cashews
Walnuts
Pecans
Almonds
Sunflower seeds
Pine nuts
Baking
Basic
Baking soda
Baking powder
Sugar
Yeast
Vanilla
Nice-to-Have
Chocolate chips
Unsweetened cocoa powder
Molasses
Light corn syrup
Condiments, Oils and Vinegars
Basic
Vegetable, canola and grapeseed oil
Extra-virgin olive oil
White (distilled), apple cider, red wine, white wine and rice vinegars
Red and white cooking wines
Ketchup
Mustards
Mayonnaise
Soy sauce
Worcestershire sauce
Nice-to-Have
Other oils
Other vinegars
Cooking sherry
Sriracha and other hot sauces
Hoisin
Chile garlic sauce
Barbeque sauce
Curry paste
Fish sauce
Maple syrup
Coffee
Tea
Herbs and Spices
Basic
Salt
Black peppercorns
Granulated onion
Granulated garlic
Cumin
Crushed red pepper flakes
Paprika (sweet, smoked)
Cinnamon
Oregano
Basil
Bay leaves
Old Bay
Nutmeg
Nice-to-Have
Other peppercorns
Granulated ginger
Thyme
Dill
Sage
Seasoned salt
Mace
Cayenne
Chili powder
Rosemary
Parsley
Saffron
Curry powder
Garam Masala
Turmeric
Tarragon
Celery seed
Fennel
Cardamom
Mustard seed
Mint
Chipotle powder
Ancho powder
Star anise
Allspice
Fenugreek
Sumac
Herbs de Provence
Chinese 5 spice
The Refrigerator
Basic
Milk
Eggs
Plain greek yogurt
Parmesan cheese
Sharp cheddar
Sour cream
Salted and unsalted butter
Nice-to-Have
Buttermilk
Other cheeses
Orange juice
The Freezer
Basic
Fruit
Vegetables
Seafood
Pork
Beef
Nice-to-Have
Other meats
Ice cream
Bread and dough
Homemade soups and sauces
Pasta
In the Bin
Basic
Garlic
Onions
Potatoes
Citrus (lemons, limes, oranges)
Nice-to-Have
Fresh ginger
Dried fruit (apricots, prunes, the list goes on and on)