If you are going to embrace cooking it is essential that your store cupboard becomes well stocked, making it easy to cook things from scratch or use those leftovers. Then there will be no need to dash out and buy every ingredient you need to make the dish.
It can be daunting looking at a list of store cupboard essentials and feeling you need to purchase them all at once. My store cupboard has grown over years. Just add a few extra ingredients each week to your store. Only add ingredients you like and know you will use. It is not always a bargain to buy large quantities. Some food items (like herbs and spices) lose there flavour over time, other items, like pasta keep almost for ever (despite sell buy date, not a lot can happen to pasta if kept covered and dry).
The store cupboard suggestions below are extensive. It covers items that can be kept at room temperature and items that can be kept chilled and frozen. Items with a * are essential, providing you like them. Other items are great to have, particularly if you have, or are developing, a large recipe repertoire. The more store cupboard items you have, the more you are able to use almost any leftover in an inventive way.
When building and managing your store cupboard it is essential to understand best before dates etc, Oxfordshire Waste Partnership have great tips on this and food storage.
So here goes with the list:
(this list is by no means finite!)
(this list is also “organic” and thus growing)
The cupboard:
- Salt *
- Pepper *
- Herbs *
- Spices *
- Mustard *
- Ketchup *
- Vinegar *
- Oil *
- Soya sauce / teriyaki and / or tamari *
- Worcestershire sauce *
- Marmite / vegemite / yeast extract *
- Redcurrant jelly
- Stock cubes or powder *
- Gravy powder *
- Curry paste / stir fry sauces
- Hoi sin / oyster sauce / black bean sauce
- HP sauce
- Thai fish sauce
- Chilli sauce(s)
- Coconut milk / cream
- Harissa paste
- Tomato puree *
- Tinned tomatoes *
- Tinned beans and lentils
- Tinned tuna / salmon / sardines
- Tinned sweet corn
- Capers
- Olives
- Pasta *
- Rice *
- Couscous / bulgar wheat
- Dried mushrooms
- Dried pulses
- Flour *
- Cornflour *
- Sugar *
- Honey / golden syrup / treacle *
- Meringue nests
- Cocoa / chocolate
- Dried fruits
- Fresh items such as onions, carrots, peppers, garlic, ginger, lemons, oranges, limes *
The Freezer:
- Frozen peas, broad bean, sweetcorn, other veg *
- Pizza bases
- Tortilla wraps
- Pittas / ciabatta etc
- Pastry
- Fish
- Prawns
- Stocks
- Soups
- Herbs
- Sauces
The Fridge:
- Fresh items such as onions, carrots, peppers, garlic, ginger, lemons, oranges, limes (these do not need to be kept chilled) *
- Fresh herbs
- Milk *
- Yogurt / creme fraiche
- Butter *
- Eggs (can be kept in a cool place)
- Cheese *
- Mayonnaise
If you have any items you feel should be on these lists, please let Sandy know.
Dining Club,
Just to say, thanks for delicious food and lovely convivial evening.