Investing in Your Pantry
A well-stock pantry has three components: a freezer stocked with really useful items; a fridge with the essentials as well as some surprises; and a cupboard packed with shelf-stable basics.
Jack’s List of 10 Things to Always Keep in Your Freezer
Chicken Keep boneless, skinless chicken breasts and thighs in original packaging when possible.
Sausage A few links of Italian sweet or hot sausage can form the basis of a pasta sauce or soup.
Bacon Coil up individual strips, freeze on a plate, and transfer to a zipper-lock bag.
Shrimp Individually quick-frozen shrimp (with no additional ingredients on the label) are high quality and ready to use. Defrost in a bowl of cold water.
Bread Slice bread, wrap it tightly in aluminum foil, and seal in a zipper-lock bag before freezing. Store flatbreads and tortillas in original packaging.
Butter Freeze butter in its wrapper. Move individual sticks to the fridge as needed.
Vegetables Frozen corn, edamame, peas, and spinach are worth stocking.
Nuts and Seeds Due to their high fat content, nuts and seeds go rancid quickly unless frozen. Toasted sesame seeds, walnuts, and pistachios are especially versatile.
Chipotle Chiles in Adobo Freeze spoonfuls of chiles and sauce on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Transfer frozen chiles to a zipper-lock bag to store.
Ginger Peel and cut fresh ginger into 1-inch pieces and freeze in a zipper-lock bag. To use, chop or grate ginger directly from the freezer.