Pantry----stocking can goods...

[RCT]

do you all have pantries? do you stock up on food items for the winter? since I live so far from town...I ususally make sure I have lots of canned goods on hand in case I can't get into town....ie....canned beans, sauces, and veggies....do you all stock up? I also have been stocking up at those discount stores....like Aldi's they have really decent prices on thier canned goods....some of the green beans that dd loves are 15 cents a can....I was just wondering what you all stock up on and do you do extra flour and sugar? do you stock up on bathroom supplies too? just looking for information....

[Diane]

I have a pantry but I wish it were bigger!!! I stock up on whatever is on SALE or buy in bulk from SAM'S Club. I have stocked up on several can's of Soup, Beans, Vegetables, fruit ****tail, juices... along with several jar's of applesauce and sauces (speghetti and Alfredo) Bags of various kinds of noodles... even a few boxes of Tuna/Hamburger/Chicken Helper, Macaroni and Cheese... I've also stocked up on frozen meats, (hamburger, roasts, stew/soup meat, pork chops, chicken) vegetables and already made dishes. (also from SAM's) Whenever I make Chili/Stew/Soup I always make a double batch so I can freeze the other half for another meal. I've also got two or three meatloaf's already made/frozen ready to pop in the oven when needed. I guess I'm pretty ready for the cold weather. I've never found a good container good enough to keep flour/sugar in without ending up throwing it out because of bugs... so I don't bother stocking up on those. What do you keep your's in?

Diane... :wave:

[JAK]

I do stock up on a few things, soups mostly. Except for green beans we only eat fresh or frozen vegetables other wise I probably would stock up on those too. I buy some bathroom stuff at Costco so at times we are really stocked with those items as well. I do not stock up on baking goods except for durning the holidays when I make a lot of cookies.

Diane- I keep my flour and sugar in Tupperware canisters and have never had a problem with bugs.

[Lynda/WA]

Like Diane, I stock up what's on sale. I try to buy enough to last until the next sale. I marker on the top of the can the price, month and year. I put the price on just because its motivating to see a can of Ravioli saying 19 cents. In my kitchen I have two latge storage cabinet areas and in my laundry room I have a couple of shelves plus floor space for cases of food. I rotate the cans so the oldest are used up first.

For along time I kept a spreadsheet with prices. I used that to decide what was my stock up price. Now I can just look and know. If I run out before the next sale I just buy what I need.

I store sugar and flour and pancake mix in Tupperware containers. They have some large stackable ones designed just for this. Noodles, rice and other foods bugs like go in 1 gallon mason jars.

I do some freezer storage too. Mainly meats. When hamburger is on sale for .99, I may buy 60 pounds. I then vacuum seal the packs for single meal use.

I also try to keep some quick meals on hand for rushed nights. And some foods that would be suitable if the power went out in the area. Lots of canned veggies, tomatoes, beans, and soups.

I do the same with other things. Bath and beauty products and cleaning supplies when on sale and with a coupon. We have a deep storage area in the main bathroom perfact for storage since it's too far back for daily use.

For that matter I even buy clothes far in advance. DD turns 6 next week and is now wearing clothes I bought when she was a baby. I only do that with used clothes. Things like Levi jeans and non-trendy cothes.

[netmechwife]

I use Tupperware for flour, sugar etc. Almost everything is in tupperware in my kitchen. (MIL talked dh into selling it for her... He has only sold it to himself...hahaha) I want to get a freezer this year... We usually get extras when things are on sale and I usually try to keep a couple of each canned good I use regularly. I want to start stocking our pantry more though...

[kat]

I have a freezer and a pantry. Both are usually full. I buy meat in bulk and re-package and buy canned food in large quanities when on sale and rotate items to the front with new things going in the back. I also buy several pre-packaged meals at Sam's for quick fix nights.

[PamE]

Diane, if you freeze your flour for four days after you bring it home it will kill all the little kritters in there. Gross as it seems the bugs are already in there, in a different stage. If left in the pantry long enough they turn into the little mealy bugs. That goes for everything like Bisquick, cornmeal, flour, etc.

[Diane]

Thanks for the information... I didn't know that. :) I also didn't know that those little critter's were already in there... Ugh!!!!! That's really a disgusting thought! Ugh!!!! Is that why I still get the bugs even though my flour is already stored in Tupperware? I get so disgusted whenever I need flour... (I don't use a lot of it so I seldom open the container it's stored in) open the container and find those little mealy bugs. Then I have no flour to use and I end up having to run back down to the grocery store to get more.

Diane... :wave:

[KarlaB]

I also have a pantry and love it. With winter coming and being a little further out I do think I will stock up a little more. I generally do keep cream soups, tomatoes and veggies stocked so I can whip something up. I also keep noodles and some box things for the lazy days. :) We get ground beef and steaks from my dad every year, so the freezer is usually full. If we run out before he restocks us, like others I buy ground beef in bulk and repack into single meal use.

Diane - I keep flour in the refrigerator...no bugs there. :)

[Lynda/WA]

Diane - Like JAK, I use Tupperware and have never had a problem. Except for one time the lid wasn't completely sealed and I didn't notice it. Any chance your container has a bad seal? Without air I can't imagine how bugs are living?

When I lived in CA, I had to be extremely vigilant. Ants would attack unopened still sealed cereal boxes but leave it alone if I put them in a rubbermaid container. The ants also managed to climb into the screw on part of the peanut butter container. I wound up putting that in the fridge. The amount of food I threw away was amazing!

[KarlaB]

Originally posted by PamE
Diane, if you freeze your flour for four days after you bring it home it will kill all the little kritters in there. Gross as it seems the bugs are already in there, in a different stage. If left in the pantry long enough they turn into the little mealy bugs. That goes for everything like Bisquick, cornmeal, flour, etc.

I have heard the same thing applies to any type of pasta. :)

[Diane]

That's a good idea... now all I have to do is make room in my freezer for a small bag of flour. LOL I think I'll try that, it sure would save on constantly throwing out and having to REbuy more new flour every time I need it. :)

Diane... :wave: