Now is also the time to check on any of the foods that you put up or put by. Check to see if the seals are still in place, and make a note of how much and how many jars you have. If you were super industrious and put up green beans, corn, tomatoes, pumpkin, sauces, soups, and the like, this shelf can get you through the coming quarter-year; your table will have a splash of summer's light even in the short dark days.
But even if you have nothing canned and put by, you can still stock your pantry now with some amazing staples that will keep you hale and hearty until the crocuses bloom. Winter is a good time to check the levels of your bulk items and replenish as needed. Buy the amount that makes sense for you family, or split a builk order with others to help boost your purchasing dollar. Check around and see if there is a local cooperative or group that helps buy in bulk, or focuses on locally sourced staples.
Root vegetables, such as onions, potatoes, and carrots, can often be bought by the bushel (or half-bushel) from local farmers. See if there are any varieties that they purposefully grew for long storage. Even if you don't have super storage varieties, now is a great time to turn apples into apple butter and set up some scraps for apple cider vinegar, or to make a huge batch of apple pie filling and can it. Anything that you can put by now will be a delight in February and March.
Winter Pantry
- Olive oil
- Butter
- Nuts
- Grains
- Long Grain Brown Rice
- Quinoa
- Barley
- Oats
- Flour (or wheat berries, if you have a mill)
- Sugar (unprocessed sugar stores better than refined sugar, as well as being better for you)
- Carrots
- Onions
- Potatoes
- Apples
- Beans:
- Black beans
- Navy Beans
- Pinto Beans
- Lentils
- Black Lentils
- French Lentils
- Red Lentils
- Split Peas: Yellow or Green, or both (I like both, as they are very different when they cook up)
- Coffee
- Tea
