Tag Archives: pantry

Why You Need A Preparedness Pantry

by preparedness,

As I've been sharing about preparedness, I confess I get some people who are very dismissive and try to make prepper jokes. Last week, I had two people who were very skeptical and wanted to know ALL the reasons why they should consider starting to be more prepared.

No matter where you are on your preparedness journey, I believe it's never too late to start. But I guarantee you that starting after the fact is much more difficult. Here's what I've come up with for good reasons to be more prepared:

  1. Peace of Mind: Knowing you have essential supplies stocked up can reduce stress and anxiety during an emergency or shortfall situation. This makes you more self-reliant.

  2. Supply Chain Disruptions: We all remember the toilet paper situation of 2020. But once it was over, people stopped thinking about it. I encourage you to remember that if it happened once, it can happen again. Stockpiling helps make sure you have access to what you need, especially if transportation is disrupted in some way and the grocery store or general goods store cannot easily restock.

  3. Financial Savings: Buying in bulk and during non-emergency times often saves money in the long run. And it's a hedge against the possibility of price gouging that can happen during shortages or crises.

  4. Food Security: I'm firmly against the bucket of garbage being sold as "emergency food." You want to make sure you have what you need on hand.

  5. Health Emergencies: Having medical supplies on hand can be critical during emergencies, especially if access to healthcare facilities is limited. Plus, basic first aid supplies mean you can take the first steps for needed care if emergency responders are elsewhere or cannot get to you.

  6. Power Outages: Having essentials like batteries, a generator, candles, and alternative light sources helps manage power outages effectively so you have light and possibly power.

  7. Job Loss or Pay Cut: Having supplies on hand can help reduce the impact of job loss or income reduction. You'll have a stockpile that you can use while reducing expenditures.

  8. Shortages Due to Panic Buying: Stockpiling prevents the need to participate in panic buying during emergencies, ensuring equitable distribution of resources.

  9. Barter or Trade: It may seem a bit extreme, but if needed, a stockpile can serve as a resource for barter or trade.

  10. Personalized Needs: Anyone with special dietary requirements, medical conditions, or special needs can ensure their needs are met by stockpiling accordingly.

  11. Seasonal Preparedness: Stockpiling seasonal items makes sure you are ready in the event of weather-related emergencies like storms or extreme temperatures.

  12. Natural Disasters: Being prepared is essential for anyone living in an area that is prone to a natural disaster such as earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, or wildfires.

Whatever your reason for being prepared, it's important to remember that the best time to prepare for an emergency is before there is one. For anyone who wants to learn more, remember that you are always welcome to join The Kitchen Table.

 

 
 
 
 
 
pantry pests

Pantry Pests

by pantry, pest control,
I was completely unprepared for my monthly pantry moth trap check. Normally I check the trap and there’s nothing there. This time I was astonished to see nearly a dozen little moths stuck to the tape. I’m so focused on making sure my preparedness pantry is clean and organized that I was astonished to see this many moths.
 
Pantry moths, and other pests, can be quite a challenge. Which is why I thought it would be a good idea to share about the different types of pests that can get into your food storage. I’ll also share ideas about how to deal with them.
 
Let's start by identifying these pests and where they tend to hang out.
 
First, it’s important to know that finding pests in your food storage doesn’t mean your house is dirty. Often, these critters hitch a ride in your groceries or find their way through tiny openings and sneak unnoticed into your pantry. Here are some of the more common pantry pests:
 
  • Beetles, there are so many different kinds. The most commonly found beetles include drugstore, confused, saw-toothed, spider beetles, warehouse, and flour beetles. They tend to target pantry staples like flour and grains. Infested food should be discarded, especially because warehouse beetle larvae hairs may trigger an allergic reactions if consumed.
  • Cockroaches are the worst. There are several different kinds and sizes. They tend to swarm your trash or possibly get into your dishwasher (remember to clean that dishwasher food trap out regularly) and their droppings may cause allergies.
  • Indian Meal Moths. These are those little flyers that love setting up shop in your pantry. They usually come in with flour or pasta from the store and can lay hundreds of eggs, causing a real hassle. This is part of why I encourage freezing grains and flours before putting them into the pantry. It won’t stop them, but it can help reduce their numbers.
  • Pharaoh Ants. These tiny yellow or light brown ants tend to alternate between a desire for carb-rich and then protein-rich foods. Unfortunately while they’re looking for their next food fix, they may find your pantry.
  • Spiders can sometimes be found hanging around in your pantry, especially if there’s an infestation of other bugs they can eat.
  • Weevils are tiny bugs that feast on rice, barley, corn, and oats. They’re so small that they show up simply as dark specs in the flour or grain.
  • Yellow Mealworms love damp, moldy food, so if you spot them, the item was likely already expired or got too damp.

What Pantry Pests Like to Eat

The critters found lurking in your pantry or long-term food storage have got their eyes set on your food. They won’t bite or sting, but nobody wants them around. Both adults and larvae can be found in your food storage. They are most commonly found in starchy or sweet things but that’s not all they eat. And they’re not too picky when it comes to gluten free or gluten full, they like it all. Common food items they like include:
 
  • Cookies
  • Cornmeal or corn kernels
  • Crackers
  • Flour
  • Legumes - beans and peas
  • Nuts and seeds - and flours made from them
  • Pasta
  • Powdered milk
  • Spices
  • Sugar
  • Sugary drink mixes

How to Keep Pests out of Your Food Storage

pantry pest

 
Preventing pantry pests from sneaking into your food storage is important. If possible you want to get them out before they get into your food. It can be a tricky proposition because some of them are chewers, eating through plastic, cardboard, or even waxed paper. Rodents can also be relentless, after all, they’re hungry. But not to worry, there are ways to safeguard your food.
 
Keep your storage areas as neat as you can. Tidy up any spills and moisture as quickly as possible to prevent the bugs from making their home in your pantry.
 
Be sure to rotate long-term storage items regularly to keep things fresh. Learn how to build a preparedness pantry and great tips for how to properly rotate and document your food store when you join The Preparedness Pantry Masterclass.
 
Seal items tightly and only open when you’re ready to use them. It’s important to regularly check your pantry, especially your long-term food storage, for any signs of unwelcome visitors. Glass containers are a great option when possible, and freezing flours, nuts, and grains may help reduce the potential for an infestation.
 
For an aromatic twist some people encourage keeping garlic, bay leaves, or mint in the pantry area to help repel bugs.
 
If you do discover an infestation it’s important to pull out all of the items in your pantry and check for chewed boxes, rodent droppings, or other telltale signs like webs and debris on the shelves or in corners.
 
Get rid of any contaminated food in well-sealed trash bags – this is necessary to prevent the pests from coming back into your house. Vacuum and scrub your food storage area, wiping down every single surface. If your infestation is severe or keeps happening you may need to hire a professional to address the situation.
 

In conclusion

Remember, keeping a clean and dry house, sealing cracks, and promptly disposing of infested items can help prevent these uninvited pantry pests from taking over. They’re not there because your house is dirty. They’re simply looking for food and/or shelter and they often come in with the groceries. If you do have an infestation take the time to pull everything out of your pantry and thoroughly clean and inspect your items before putting them back in the pantry.
properly organize spices

How To Properly Organize Your Spices

by herbs and spices, pantry, , ,

Spices are tricky for many people. It’s easy to buy something for a recipe and then it languishes in your kitchen forever. The next thing you know you’re trying to get what you need for a recipe and there’s an explosion of little containers when you open the door.  Keeping your spices organized and being mindful about them can help you have less clutter in the kitchen.

I recently realized it’s been over a year since I went through and re-organized all of my spices. I try to do this on a yearly basis to keep things more efficient and organized. 

What's the difference between herbs and spices

Before we get started let’s address the definition of spices. For the purposes of this article I am going to refer to both herbs and spices simply as spices. They are, however, distinctly different.

Herbs are those items that come from the leaves of the plant such as basil, mint, sage. It can also refer to things like chives or garlic scapes.  Herbs can be used both fresh or dried.

Spices are those things that are not the leaves of the plant. For example seeds such as nutmeg or fennel. Spices can also be made from the roots, systems, bark, or the stalk of a plant. These are typically used dried and may often be powdered for culinary use.

Top tips for organizing your spices

1. It’s important to remember that spices do have a shelf life.

Just because they’re dry does not mean they last forever. Dry, leafy, or ground herbs and spices like basil, oregano, and rosemary can last as long as 2 to 3 years.  Whole spices such as nutmeg, peppercorn, and cloves, can last up to five years.

2. Spices do best when stored in a cool dark space.

Not in direct sunlight and not regularly exposed to heat, i.e. on that little ledge on top of your cooktop.

3. Keep the spices you use most often when cooking near  your stove top (not on it).

For me that’s salt, pepper, parsley, Paleo Powder Pink, and Pluck. Everything else is labeled and organized elsewhere. 

4. Organize and group your spices together in a way that makes sense for you.

Organizing by use is one idea that can be helpful. For example,  I have a baking cupboard. My most common baking spices, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, cream of tartar, pumpkin pie spice, etc are in the baking cupboard. You’ll notice that list does not include cinnamon. That’s because I use cinnamon more often than simply for  baking so it’s in my regular spice storage area.  It’s OK to store spices in different areas of your kitchen depending on what they are and how you use them instead of trying to keep all the spices in one area.

 5. I am a big fan of door mounted shelves if you have room for that inside the pantry or inside a cupboard.

These are very efficient for spices because they tend to be narrow so you can easily see what’s on the shelf. It can also be helpful to have bins that allow you to group your spices by type or category.

6. Save money by purchasing your spices in the bulk section of the store.

This does require that you bring them home, put them in a glass container, and label them, but it is much less expensive this way.  I rarely buy spices in the spice aisle at the grocery store. I much prefer to buy them from the bulk bin. Bulk buying spices is not only available at the grocery store.   In my area there’s a store across the street from one of my farmers markets that has bulk herbs and spices. Ethnic stores may also often have bulk buy bins.

7. For certain spices consider buying them whole and grinding them as you need them.

This is wonderful for things like nutmeg and cinnamon plus for some seeds it can be great. You can use a mortar and pestle to crush them and you will have much more aromatic flavor from them as the oils are released when you crush them.  This would include cardamom, fennel, and that sort of spice.

8. One other money saving tip is to consider making your own blends instead of buying the expensive ones at the grocery store.

Although it is possible to buy some blends from the both by bins, certain blends may not be available. You may find that you enjoy making up a batch of taco seasoning mix when you need it instead of keeping it around forever until you need it.  Making your own spice blends is also great for things like salad dressings, which are inexpensive and easy to make it home. This way you get the flavor profile you want without added preservatives and other ingredients in salad dressing.

9. Rather than running to the store last minute to buy spice here are a few good substitutions.

Obviously the flavor profile will change a little bit, however these spices tend to be similar enough that it should not be unpleasant, merely different. Who knows you may find you like it better.

    • Allspice - Nutmeg or cinnamon or mace
    • Anise - fennel
    • Cardamom - ginger 
    • Marjoram - Rosemary 
    • Vanilla - maple syrup 

Take the time once a year to go through and re-organize all of your spices. Relabel them if necessary. As always, throw out anything that’s expired.