Every good cook leans on a well stocked pantry to draw from so they can cook tastefully!
Having just renovated my kitchen, I have been going through the process of stocktaking, organising and refreshing my pantry goods, and I can tell you, it’s well worth the time and effort it takes, and is a very satisfying feeling at the end.
STEP ONE – Stocktake
Whether your pantry is small or spacious, organisation and a place for everything is the key. The first step is to stocktake what you have, discarding items that are past their best and washing out jars that you can re-use. Trust me, hanging on to those old packets of herbs and spices that have been languishing in the back of the cupboard for years, is not doing anyone any good. They would have lost so much flavour, it’s akin to sprinkling dust on your food!
STEP TWO – Organise
Deciding what containers you need, where they will be housed and what goes into them does take some thought. We all love the look of individually labelled uniform pantry sets that stack, but honestly, even re-purposed coffee jars marked with handwritten sticky labels will do the trick. If you have space, I recommend storing flour in large canisters with a scoop so you can measure it correctly and bakery baskets are both decorative and great to store those unopened packets of pasta and rice.
When planning my pantry, I utilised the overhead corner space to create spice shelves with jars purchased at Kmart and my husband built me a wall of narrow shelves to store cans, jars and bottles, so that I can see them at a glance – a practical solution and good use of what was a skinny wall in the walk in pantry. It’s like my own mini supermaket in there!
STEP THREE – Refresh
Now the fun begins! Think about how you cook, and write a list of the pantry staples you always reach for, to replenish. Then add your wishlist of items that you can slowly add to your pantry – maybe more specialty items like truffle oil or verjuice – as doing it all at once can prove expensive.
Most of my cooking is Mediterranean-style, so my pantry reflects that, but I do have a section for Asian sauces and ingredients for when I feel like whipping up a stir fry or dumplings.
After I released my book, Tasteful, I put together a Pantry Checklist of all the ingredients I use in the book. On it you will find my recommended list of spices, dry goods, oils and condiments, cans and jars, dried fruit, nuts and seeds, as well as fridge and freezer items that are great to have on standby. You can download it here as a guide to get you started.
I know many people focus on Spring Cleaning, but I think Winter is a perfect time to get stuck into your pantry on a cold wintry Sunday so that you are well prepared and inspired to cook throughout the cooler months.
Here’s to happy pantry planning!
