A few ground beef recipes that we really like: Crockpot Tamale Pie and Super Easy Sloppy Joes. It helps me be frugal because I can buy in bulk when food is on sale becoming less and less, it seems, these days , portion it and freeze for later. Yes, I love stocking up and freezing items that are on sale too!

Such a great way to save. I so agree with you. We have worn out many vacuum food sealers over the years. Our son upgraded so he can vacuum seal whole chickens raised on his property. We opted for a slightly smaller model and use it daily.

when canning diced tomatoes can I pressure can them in stead of water bath? If so how long to pressure can? Yes, you can definitely pressure can them! As for how long, it will depend on your pressure canner and altitude. I would look in the instruction manual that came with the pressure canner and go by what it says there.

I would follow that. Tomatoes also freeze well! Either whole or diced or roasted. Consider that especially when your garden is at its peak. I would add celery to that list as I use it in making stews. Onions, carrots and celery is your mirre poir for all basic stews.

Yes, celery is a great pantry staple, for sure! Never heard of strained tomatoes but canned tomato products of any kind are handy to have, I think. This is one of my favorite ways to save on cheese too. Great list! A tip on keeping garlic longer — I buy the 3 packs of bulbs from Aldi and immediately put them in a small ziplock kept in the freezer.

It keeps a long time that way!!! Ready to mince, etc. I also keep Panko bread crumbs in the freezer as I use them in a variety of recipes. Lime juice gets used in marinades, etc. and lemon juice is frequently used as well, not only desserts, but certain salad dressings too. Final note, this is not going to work for everyone, but try to hunt out whether or not there is a good local butcher shop in your area.

Or at least within reasonable driving distance. I make a few trips a year and stock the freezer with various meats. Got a great deal on those and they worked just fine for recipes that called for bacon bits or a bit of chopped bacon — just froze them and pulled out what I needed.

I never knew you could freeze garlic! That is totally going to change my life. Thank you! And I started keeping my bread crumbs in the freezer too.

Lesson learned. Freezing lemon and lime juice is so smart! I wish I could find a local butcher shop that has that kind of price on chicken! So glad you are finding the blog interesting and helpful!

It makes the work that I put into it so totally worth it when I get comments like that. not ideal at all but hey, I am only human. When stockpiling, you might want to stock up for what will last you for up to a week or two weeks at least.

The list below may seem exhaustive, but they are the basic essentials you would need in your store cupboard. Most of these ingredients are affordable and some you just need to top up as needed. Adapt these pantry lists to suit you.

Here are some suggested lists of food to stockpile in an emergency or any other time for convenience. Go for store-branded goods, it is a lot cheaper and has the same ingredients as your high street brand name.

trust me on this one, read the labels and you be surprised. Also, when stocking up on new items, bring out the stored ones and put the new ones at the back.

That way, you get to use up the old stock before the new ones. Check your stock level and make a list to avoid impulse buying. If possible and when possible, stick to your list. From the above spices, you can make Italian herbs, herb de provence and taco seasoning.

This is the time to start making your own bread and easy homemade cakes. You can make a lot of meals from these pantry essentials, always check your cupboard and ask yourself if you really need to ring your takeaway or whip something up quick. Pasta: spaghetti, linguine and the likes.

I have simple pasta recipes you should try. If you spot rust on an opened can of food, discard both the can and its contents. From penne with tuna puttanesca to spaghetti with marinara sauce , there's no limit to the number of dishes you can make with dried pasta.

You can store it in its original box until opened, then transfer it to airtight containers. It is best used within one year of purchase.

Whether you use them as the foundation of a meal or a side, grains, rice , and dried beans are versatile pantry staples, which is why we always keep them at the ready. Dried items, except cornmeal, can be stored in the pantry for up to one year.

To discourage pests, keep cornmeal in the freezer for up to one year. A variety of oils and vinegars are essential to any well-functioning kitchen. Whether you use them for stir fries or in marinades or dressings, it's important to have cooking oil options.

Store vegetable oils in the original bottles, unrefrigerated, in a cool, dark place for up to six months. Refrigerate nut oils such as walnut oil , and use within three months. Do not store oils next to the stove. Keep all types of vinegar in their original bottles, and store them in a cool spot for up to one year.

Maintain a well-rounded collection of the spices , herbs, and seasonings you use most frequently—choices will vary from household to household, but every cook relies on them to elevate or enhance a dish.

Most spices will lose their potency after about a year, but their flavor will deteriorate faster if stored improperly. Keep them in airtight, light-proof containers, away from heat. Choose an accessible drawer or cabinet or a wall-mounted rack do not hang it above the cooktop.

Only hardy vegetables such as potatoes , onions, and garlic should be stored in your pantry. Potatoes should not be refrigerated; keep up to two weeks' worth in baskets or bins in a cool, dry, dark, well-ventilated spot. Take them out of plastic, which can encourage mold, Keep onions , shallots, and garlic in the pantry for up to one month—do not refrigerate them.

Store each vegetable in a separate basket or bin; it's especially important to keep potatoes and onions apart since they can cause each other to spoil. Dried mushrooms are a multi-tasking ingredient that brings savory, umami flavor to soups, stews, and risotto.

Store dried wild mushrooms in airtight containers in a dark cool place like your pantry. They will last for two to three years if stored correctly.

Having everything you'd need to whip up a batch of cookies or a cake is a good idea. Store ingredients in airtight containers, away from heat and light sources.

Extracts, like pure vanilla or almond, will last several years; leavenings like baking soda and baking powder lose their potency after about one year; pay attention to their expiration dates. Whether for baking a dessert or breading chicken for dinner, flour is a pantry essential.

We suggest keeping a few varieties on hand, including all-purpose, which, as its name suggests, is the go-to for all kinds of uses, from thickening sauces to making a birthday cake.

Canned Meat Stock Peanut Butter

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Affordable pantry essentials - Pasta Sauce Canned Meat Stock Peanut Butter

Stock up on these long-lasting basic foods and flavor boosters to make meal planning a cinch. An article attributed to "Martha Stewart Editors" indicates when several writers and editors have contributed to an article over the years.

These collaborations allow us to provide you with the most accurate, up-to-date, and comprehensive information available.

The Martha Stewart team aims to teach and inspire readers daily with tested-until-perfected recipes, creative DIY projects, and elevated home and entertaining ideas.

They are experts in their fields who research, create, and test the best ways to help readers design the life they want. The joy is in the doing. Pasta , grains, canned goods, spices, and baking staples are the types of pantry essentials everyone should keep in their kitchen.

These foods are the basis of many meals and have a longer shelf life than items you store in the refrigerator. Stocking up is the key to being better prepared for almost any situation, from dinner on the fly to bake-sale chocolate cupcakes you can whip up in a heartbeat.

Your list of must-haves might differ from your friend's or neighbor's, depending on your tastes or skill level, but generally, these are the goods you should always keep on hand. And so you can keep them at their best, we've also included how long they keep for. Our helpful guide draws on information from Martha Stewart's Homekeeping Handbook.

A good stash of canned foods and bottled items offers a treasure trove of inspiration. From canned tomatoes and beans to tinned fish, tubes of anchovy paste, and jars of capers and mustard, these essentials all help you get a meal on the table pronto.

Heed expiration dates; otherwise, most canned and jarred goods, such as preserves, pickles, and relishes, can be kept unopened for up to one year.

Once opened, glass bottles should be refrigerated; transfer unused canned goods to airtight containers and refrigerate for three or four days. This is especially important for canned acidic foods such as tomatoes or pineapples; once the interior of the can is exposed to air, the acidity is likely to cause rust.

If you spot rust on an opened can of food, discard both the can and its contents. From penne with tuna puttanesca to spaghetti with marinara sauce , there's no limit to the number of dishes you can make with dried pasta.

You can store it in its original box until opened, then transfer it to airtight containers. It is best used within one year of purchase. Whether you use them as the foundation of a meal or a side, grains, rice , and dried beans are versatile pantry staples, which is why we always keep them at the ready.

Dried items, except cornmeal, can be stored in the pantry for up to one year. To discourage pests, keep cornmeal in the freezer for up to one year.

A variety of oils and vinegars are essential to any well-functioning kitchen. Whether you use them for stir fries or in marinades or dressings, it's important to have cooking oil options.

Store vegetable oils in the original bottles, unrefrigerated, in a cool, dark place for up to six months. Refrigerate nut oils such as walnut oil , and use within three months. Do not store oils next to the stove. Keep all types of vinegar in their original bottles, and store them in a cool spot for up to one year.

Maintain a well-rounded collection of the spices , herbs, and seasonings you use most frequently—choices will vary from household to household, but every cook relies on them to elevate or enhance a dish. Most spices will lose their potency after about a year, but their flavor will deteriorate faster if stored improperly.

Keep them in airtight, light-proof containers, away from heat. Choose an accessible drawer or cabinet or a wall-mounted rack do not hang it above the cooktop.

Only hardy vegetables such as potatoes , onions, and garlic should be stored in your pantry. Potatoes should not be refrigerated; keep up to two weeks' worth in baskets or bins in a cool, dry, dark, well-ventilated spot.

Take them out of plastic, which can encourage mold, Keep onions , shallots, and garlic in the pantry for up to one month—do not refrigerate them. Store each vegetable in a separate basket or bin; it's especially important to keep potatoes and onions apart since they can cause each other to spoil.

Dried mushrooms are a multi-tasking ingredient that brings savory, umami flavor to soups, stews, and risotto. Store dried wild mushrooms in airtight containers in a dark cool place like your pantry.

They will last for two to three years if stored correctly. Having everything you'd need to whip up a batch of cookies or a cake is a good idea. Store ingredients in airtight containers, away from heat and light sources. Making your own Homemade Refried Beans is so easy and cheap too!

Super Easy Beef and Macaroni Skillet is one of my go-to recipes for busy days. We also love this No Boil Lasagna recipe too!

DRIED HERBS SPICES Dried herbs and spices are a great way to add flavor to your recipes. And while I occasionally buy fresh herbs, using dried is much more economical and they last much longer too!

A few of the ones that I use regularly: basil, oregano, Italian seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, red pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg. CHICKEN STOCK BOUILLON Chicken stock is a common ingredient in soups and casseroles and is super easy to make yourself! I also like to keep bouillon on hand since some recipes call for that instead.

Also, if I happen to be out of liquid chicken stock, I can always use the bouillon to make some- although the stock made using bouillon is not nearly as tasty or as good for you as the real thing! VINEGAR This is another ingredient that I use to make homemade salad dressings.

I also use it for various other recipes and it works great as a natural cleaner too! SALSA I have quite a few Mexican-inspired dishes that call for salsa, so I like to always keep this on hand. chips and salsa! DICED TOMATOES These are super inexpensive and way cheaper than buying fresh tomatoes.

I love using them in recipes to give a bit of added flavor and color. And I even show you how to can diced tomatoes yourself if you want to try that.

PASTA SAUCE I know making your own pasta sauce is pretty easy, but since I can buy it so inexpensively, I prefer to just do that. Pasta sauce is great for a quick meal of meatball subs, pizza, spaghetti or, lasagna to mention just a few. KETCHUP, MUSTARD, MAYO Okay, so maybe I should have listed these 3 things separately.

I use many more condiments than these, but these are the three that I think every kitchen should for sure stock. BREAD I typically make my own bread , but it is something that I always keep on hand.

We often use it to make sandwiches for lunch, toast it to eat with eggs and occasionally use it in recipes like my Cheeseburger Casserole too! TORTILLAS I use these all the time to make enchiladas, tacos, quesadillas and wraps. In fact, these Salsa Ranch Chicken Wraps are one of my favorite quick meals!

And these easy recipes with tortillas are also great as well. ONIONS GARLIC I use both of these items regularly to inexpensively add extra flavor to lots of different recipes.

Of course, you can always freeze them too , if you prefer. CARROTS These are not only a great addition to many soups, but they also make a healthy snack or side dish. POTATOES Super versatile! You can use them in soups, casseroles, breakfast dishes or side dishes.

A few of our favorite potato recipes are Creamy Sausage and Potatoes , Cream Cheese Potato Soup with Ham , and Country Potato Soup. BUTTER This is probably the one thing that might seem iffy to put on a frugal pantry list. Plus, I love using it to make these easy Garlic Butter Swim Biscuits!

SOUR CREAM I like to keep this on hand to use in soups, to make homemade dips and to use in several casserole recipes as well. But , since I cook almost entirely from scratch, I do end up using it quite a bit even so.

Just a little bit can make a lettuce salad, tuna salad sandwiches or refried bean quesadillas so much yummier! And we love these White Pizza Grilled Cheese Sandwiches! FROZEN VEGGIES Often much cheaper than fresh veggies, the other handy thing about frozen ones is that they last much longer!

I use them a lot as a side dish and also in recipes like my Easy Chicken Pot Pie , Cheesy Ham, Potato and Green Bean Bake and Easy Vegetable Beef Soup. CHICKEN Probably the cheapest kind of meat there is and super versatile too! A few chicken recipes that we enjoy: Herb Roasted Chicken and Potatoes , One Pan Chicken and Rice , Creamy Crockpot Mexican Chicken and Homemade Shake and Bake Chicken.

In casseroles or soups, I often can get by with using less than the amount called for. A few ground beef recipes that we really like: Crockpot Tamale Pie and Super Easy Sloppy Joes.

It helps me be frugal because I can buy in bulk when food is on sale becoming less and less, it seems, these days , portion it and freeze for later. Yes, I love stocking up and freezing items that are on sale too!

Such a great way to save. I so agree with you. We have worn out many vacuum food sealers over the years. Our son upgraded so he can vacuum seal whole chickens raised on his property. We opted for a slightly smaller model and use it daily. when canning diced tomatoes can I pressure can them in stead of water bath?

If so how long to pressure can? Yes, you can definitely pressure can them! As for how long, it will depend on your pressure canner and altitude. I would look in the instruction manual that came with the pressure canner and go by what it says there.

I would follow that. Tomatoes also freeze well! Either whole or diced or roasted. Consider that especially when your garden is at its peak.

I would add celery to that list as I use it in making stews. Onions, carrots and celery is your mirre poir for all basic stews. Yes, celery is a great pantry staple, for sure!

Never heard of strained tomatoes but canned tomato products of any kind are handy to have, I think.