Pantry Sorting

[Flipper]

Hi All

I finally managed to get around to sorting my pantry out today.  I was amazed at how much stuff I have cut down on, things that have changed since Thermie arrived are:

a large variety of nuts and seeds are now in stock
only raw sugar can be found - except for some Thermie made icing sugar
Lots of wholegrains
Lots of bakers flour - still trying to work out the best way to store this
lots of homemade biscuits
NO store bought biscuits, muesli bars etc
No store bought tomato sauce
No store bought baked beans (my kids live on baked beans but the love the homemade ones just as much).

Clearing out the pantry was a real eye opener to how our eating habits have begun to change.

[judydawn]

That must have been a very satisfying job Flipper - it is never too late to change our eating habits.  Which is your favourite baked bean recipe by the way?

[Thermo Jo (aka Jodi)]

I know what you mean. I've gradually been culling the pantry.

Before I got my TMX, I was in the process of making a list of the Tupperware containers I needed to order to complete my pantry and get things out of packets.  Now I've got empty containers looking for something to put in them.

How things have reversed! Saved me a small fortune, not just food and time.

And I'd be interested to know which baked beans recipe you use too. I haven't tried making them yet. Or tomato sauce for that matter.  Always room for improvement I guess. 

[Nik2WIN]

I've just declared war on open packets in my cupboards too and bought a load of tupperware (I use the lock & lock stuff)  I'm also on a soup making binge and am freezing it all in 800ml tupperwares as that's what shop bought soup is sold in - 2 portions.  It made sense to me at the time .... Oh I know, I'm trying to use a bit of portion control in a desperate attempt to lose a bit of weight (or at least stop gaining!)

I've noticed that my cupboards are a lot emptier, even tho' I'm doing loads of cooking - and my spice and herb rack which was already pretty plentiful is now utterly overflowing ....

One thing - WHAT is raw sugar and can we buy it in the UK?

Nik

[judydawn]

I don't know Nik but read this and you may get a better understanding of what we call raw sugar. http://www.ehow.co.uk/facts_5825729_can-use-instead-raw-sugar_.html

[meganjane]

Read all about sugar on this blog post from Quirky Jo.

I've actually found I have more stuff in my pantry than before!!

Five different sorts of rice - Brown, Jasmine, Basmati, Arborio & Long Grain
Eight different sorts of flour - Plain, Wholemeal, Spelt, Besan, Wholemeal Spelt, Rye, Wheaten Cornflour, Corn Starch
Ten different sorts of nuts, grains and seeds - Almonds, Brazils, Pecans, Pine Nuts, Sunflower Seeds, Pepitas, Sesame Seeds, Flax Seeds (in the fridge), Quinoa, Amaranth and I'm sure a few more
Heaps of whole spices

And countless other bits and pieces! I'm a fair way from shops that sell a lot of this sort of thing, so I make sure I always have them in stock in case I get keen and want to cook up a storm!

[andiesenji]

My pantry is a mess and I don't even want to think about it until well into the New Year.
I've done so much baking and candy making and general cooking, and without always putting stuff back where it belonged, that it is going to take a major effort to put it back in regular order.
It's times like this that I really miss having a live-in housekeeper.  The young woman who was my housekeeper for years while attending college and design school, was an absolute treasure and I do miss her.  She writes regularly about the wonderful job she has in Milan but she says she misses me too. 
She was one of the most organized people I have ever met and kept everything in such perfect order that I could put out a hand and the item I wanted was right where it belonged.  Sigh! 

See what I mean?

Only the top shelf is still organized and the vinegar pot is still next to the dehydrator, otherwise containers are stuck in there willy-nilly with the rices mixed in with specialty flours and thickeners and coconut..  Arrrrrrrrgh!

The shelf next to the bottom is supposed to be only sugars and flours
Now the flours and sugars are in the kitchen stacked in various places.

[Cornish Cream]

What a well stocked larder,Andie..I'm not in the same league as you but my cupboard is a mess as well.Like you said it can wait until the New Year.

[cookie1]

I'm like MJ. I have more stuff in my pantry. I never bothered to stock Baker's flour before, or things like rye seeds, linseeds. If I made bread I would just buy a small quantity of 00 flour. (usually for pizza bases). I now have a stock of wheat, chick peas and other similar things. I have never  made jam in quantities before. I used mainly bought jams.  It's good to look at and realise that we are getting back to basics, it certainly makes us feel better.

[judydawn]

Pantries are never large enough are they girls   However large they were though, we would all fill them very quickly so guess we would never be happy.  Andie, your pantry doesn't surprise me in the least with all the cooking you do and I know what it is like when something is moved to a different spot, I can never find it although I know it is in there somewhere.  Love seeing photos of people's pantries.

[Flipper]

Hi All

Wow andiesenji your pantry is fantastic even if you feel it is out of order, it looks great to the unknowing eye!
I have posted photos of my pantry (re-organised) pity I didnt take unorganised ones for a before and after comparison...but all I can say now is it is far better organised than it was!

I have used mostly tupperware - at great expense but I find it the best.  My spices are out of control!  During this clean up I have done an inventory of them and I keep it posted on the inside of the pantry.  It tells me in alphabetical order what spices I have and which container they are in.  For example TT - Tall Tupperware.  TS = Small Tupperware etc.  I will then also be better able to keep track of when they run out so I dont buy 5 packets of the same thing!!

The Baked Bean recipe I use is actually a Jamie Oliver converted one.  I havent posted it yet, but I will do so.
I am in the process of making my way through the new Jamie Oliver 30 min meals book and converting the recipes as they are so well steered toward the thermie as he uses blenders etc in them a lot for speed.  I think I saw another thread on here about it so I will have to revisit that.

[quirkycooking]

I badly need to clean out my pantry since Christmas, too!  Mostly because of kids rummaging in there!!  But my pantry's about 1/6th the size of yours, Andie - I store a lot of things in my big freezer: nuts, flours, grains, bulk pasta, rapadura, etc.  Just little things in my pantry.

This is my baked bean recipe - we like it with some meat in it, but it's nice on its' own too.

[Flipper]

Quirky cooking I didnt realise you could freeze all that stuff...I have a big chest freezer that is half empty - it would be great if I had a better understanding of what I can freeze and what I cant - I am unsure of how long to keep things frozen and how best to store them...any hints or good websites?

[KarenH]

There is nothing like down-sizing to make you ruthless with the pantry clutter ......... we are renovating / extending our house, and had moved out for 6 months while they did the bulk of the work on the existing house.  We moved back home over Christmas (moving house with 2 little kids - eek) , but have NO kitchen at all for 8-12 months ( double eek!!)

That was one of my reasons for buying a TMX in the first place - having no kitchen to cook in!

We have converted a small spare bedroom into the "kitchen", using a bookshelf and old melamine linen press as the pantry.  I have my beloved TMX and a microwave oven for cooking, and the dishwasher in the laundry for washing dishes.  Am going to borrow an electric grill and camping gas burner also ......

The next few months are going to be very interesting and challenging!  But in the process we had a huge sort out of the pantry and kitchen cupboards and got rid of stuff I have been hoarding for years.

Andiesenji - I look at your pantry photos and weep with envy   

[KarenH]

By the way Flipper - I would love your baked bean recipe too please!