What to Stock Your Pantry With For Fall and Winter

Food stored in your pantry can keep your family from going hungry when temperatures turn cold, and having an assortment of different items available can prevent running out before your next grocery store visit.

Always have canned vegetables on hand and keep in mind that root and hardy veggies have long shelf lives.

Canned Goods

Staying organized this winter by maintaining an ample pantry can save time, money, and stress. Don’t prepare for doomsday – simply have essential foods in stock so that when energy runs low or when there is no shopping day ahead you have nutritious meals at your fingertips to quickly prepare.

Canned vegetables and fruit make an ideal pantry addition, since they last much longer than fresh and frozen varieties. When selecting canned produce for your pantry, look for low-sodium (or sodium-free) varieties without added sauces; alternatively stock up on canned beans, fish and whole grain items like cereal, granola bars, or rolled oats as protein sources.

Tomato sauce is an invaluable pantry essential, with multiple uses including soups, pasta dishes, chili and stew recipes. Other tomato-based products, such as tomatoes, paste and ketchup should also be kept on hand for easier meal planning.

Dried pasta is an invaluable pantry item. Easy to prepare and versatile in its application, dried pasta can be used in everything from soups and stir fries to side dishes and solo meals – providing convenient lunch or dinner solutions quickly and without hassle.

If you have the space, stock up your pantry with root veggies like potatoes and carrots so you don’t need to visit the grocery store during fall and winter months. Root veggies can easily be preserved using methods like boiling/freezing/dehydrating/fermenting; alternatively you could try growing your own potatoes/carrots before harvesting for later canning!

Baked Goods

Fall baking season is the ideal opportunity to break out all of your baking supplies from your pantry and start crafting delicious baked goods – from cakes and cookies, pies, casseroles and pie. A few key staples will keep you stocked all through winter with delicious baked goodies!

As your family’s tastes vary, you can use various ingredients and bake sweet or savory dishes depending on what appeals to them. Pumpkin, apple, cranberry and cinnamon are popular fall flavors used in various baked goods such as muffins or coffee cake or even in making an acorn squash casserole dish.

Your pantry should contain baking flours and grains, sugar, eggs, butter, milk, salt baking soda yeast. Keep them organized in airtight clear containers so you can easily see their contents at a glance and check expiration dates regularly so as to dispose of food that has gone stale or expired.

Cooking oils and fats such as olive oil, coconut oil, lard and tallow should be stored in airtight glass or plastic containers to preserve their shelf life – this should last from six months up to five years, depending on their type and how they’re stored. Keep in mind that heat, oxygen and light may cause their shelf lives to diminish more quickly than anticipated.

Root vegetables such as potatoes, carrots and onions can be canned or frozen to extend their shelf life and keep for the winter season. Blanching and freezing also work, dehydration is another great method, or fermenting can preserve them further while being kept in cold storage rooms or root cellars. Finally fruits like berries peaches and apples can also be dried canned stored away for later consumption; for optimal storage they should be placed in your freezer.

Canned Vegetables

Canned vegetables provide an easy and inexpensive way to add vitamins and fiber to your diet. Keep a selection of canned corn, peas, green beans and tomatoes on hand; often more flavorful than fresh varieties and ideal for adding to soups, casseroles, pasta dishes or stews. Also look out for tomato-based sauces in cans as a convenient backup in case severe winter weather forces you indoors for extended periods.

Beans and legumes provide plenty of protein to keep your family feeling full, from canned canned chickpeas, kidney and black beans, through dried options which you can store for up to one year in sealed containers in your pantry.

Root vegetables such as potatoes and carrots last much longer when stored in a root cellar or cold storage area, providing many options to extend their shelf life – such as canning, blanching & freezing, dehydrating and even fermenting to keep from spoiling prematurely.

Canned fruit can help offset sugar overload and add natural sweetener to meals. Pumpkin is often considered part of fall and winter staples; however, canned pumpkin is just as sweet and saves an hour spent cutting, cooking, stringing, de-seeding, pureeing a single squash!

By stocking your pantry with healthy items, you can avoid the temptation of store-bought convenience foods and ease meal planning with ease. Arranging it by sections can make meal planning simpler while the First In, First Out (FIFO) system helps ensure items get used before they expire. Consider adding baskets, tiered shelves or Lazy Susans to help keep items organized and easily accessible.

Canned Soups

An organized pantry can make winter meal preparation much simpler, particularly if it contains versatile ingredients and follows smart organization systems. A comprehensive inventory will make cooking from scratch less daunting on those busy nights when time or energy are short.

Prepping yourself with canned soups for autumn and winter can be a smart strategy. These one-pot meals make dinner fast, easy, and warm up from within during colder weather days – perfect when life becomes hectic! Potato bacon soup is an especially comforting treat on days you don’t feel motivated to cook but still crave something hearty and comforting!

Canned broth should be an integral part of your pantry as it’s used to create delicious yet nutritious meals like chicken noodle soup, vegetable beef stew and even pot roast. Our favorite canned soup was Trader Joe’s Chicken Noodle Soup due to its homemade feel and abundance of umami flavors.

An assortment of canned beans is another staple to keep on hand in your pantry; not only are they an excellent source of protein and texture and flavor enhancers, but keeping black, pinto and kidney beans can make whipping up vegetarian pasta dishes or a batch of chili easier than ever!

Cream soups can also come in handy, as they can be used to create creamy casseroles, rich tomato sauces and creamy pasta dishes. Some great cream soup options to keep in your pantry include Trader Joe’s Classic Tomato Soup, New England Clam Chowder and vegan tomato basil soups like this vegan tomato basil soup from TJs.

Dry Goods

An organized pantry provides meals when it’s too cold to go outside or you simply don’t feel like cooking, and is also useful when weather-related incidents like snow days arise and you must stay home.

As long as it is stored correctly, most food in your pantry should last years. Grains such as oats, corn, rice and wheat berries should be stored in airtight buckets with oxygen absorbers or sealed glass jars in cool dark locations to prolong shelf life; cooking oils like olive oil, coconut oil lard or tallow also should be preserved this way.

Not only should your pantry contain staples for baking and soup-making, it should also contain ingredients that can be used in multiple ways for various meals. Canned beans, canned tomatoes, broth (vegetarian or chicken stock), frozen vegetables are essential items for fall cooking – they allow you to create delicious hearty comfort meals quickly!

Other pantry essentials include dried fruit and nuts, spices, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and yeast. All can easily be preserved using different techniques such as canning, freezing, dehydrating and fermenting; root veggies can also be frozen, canned or blanched and stored fresh in root cellars, basements or garages while fruits can also be canned frozen, dehydrated or preserved in water bath canners.

Keep a supply of non-perishable snacks and beverages handy in case a power outage or winter storm keeps you home longer than planned, like granola bars, cereals, cookies and hot cocoa mix to get through a long winter night.