A pantry stocked with essential nonperishable food items can save time and money. Making dinner becomes a snap when you have most of the ingredients you need for a recipe already in your cupboard. You can cut back on trips to the grocery store.
You can save money by taking advantage of sales at the grocery store. When your commonly used nonperishable foods go on sale, stock up on them. Pantry foods last a long time on the shelf in a cool, dry place, so you won’t need to be as concerned with spoilage as you would with fresh items.
Be sure to label and date items and arrange your pantry in “first in, first out” order. See the “Food Storage Guide” (FN579) at www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/yf/foods/fn579.pdf for more information about food storage.
The following list includes some ideas for common pantry items. Personalize your pantry to include the ingredients that you use when you cook or bake. For recipe ideas, see www.ag.ndsu.edu/food/recipes to view NDSU Extension recipe database.