Tired of overpaying for low-quality ingredients at the grocery store? It’s time to embrace your self-sufficient era and make your own kitchen staples from scratch — don’t worry, it’s a lot more simple than it sounds. Discover how to make homemade staples ranging from spice blends to breadcrumbs and even nut butter in this guide to DIY healthy pantry essentials.
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Why you should invest time into making homemade staples
Everyone is feeling the pinch right now with the cost of basic groceries skyrocketing ($15 for a jar of apple cider vinegar at my local store yesterday!).
Many essential ingredients you buy at the grocery store are simple recipes you can easily make at home.
I know, I know, it's a lot quicker to nip into the shops and grab whatever you need, but making your own version of these staples is definitely worth the little time and energy required.
When you cook from scratch, you know exactly what goes into your food and can customize it according to your taste preferences.
Your food's nutritional labels will no longer be 20 ingredients long, with names that you can’t even pronounce.
By controlling the ingredients, you can ensure your pantry staples are fresh, healthy, and chemical-free.
Money is also a clear motivation to DIY healthy pantry staples whenever you can.
Ingredients like nut butter and basic condiments are starting to cost an arm and a leg at the store, so why not make it at home for a fraction of the price?
The cost savings of homemade staples will go far, especially as you reduce the number of trips to the store and all of the sneakly little extras that end up in the basket when you are there.
DIY Spice Blends
Spices are a game changer in your kitchen and can transform a plain old dish into something you can’t believe you made yourself. Creating your own spice mixes is a fun way to experiment with new combinations and avoid unwanted additives and preservatives.
The key to making spices from scratch is to use a dehydrator or oven. Making garlic and onion powder is essentially the same process — just peel and thinly slice them, dry until crispy and then grind into a fine powder. If you want a little heat, blend the garlic and onion powder with dried chili peppers and a dash of oregano, cumin and whatever else your heart desires.
I love using this Sweet and Smoky Seasoning on everything from chicken, to meat rubs, and I even use it to make these Sweet and Spicy Pecans.
While you have all your spices out, why not also spring clean your pantry?
DIY Bread Crumbs and Croutons
Breadcrumbs are a must-have in your pantry.
They add an unbeatable crunchy texture to your choice of protein or vegetables.
Making them at home is as simple as cutting some old bread into squares, baking them until crispy, and then blitzing them in the food processor. Keep stored in a glass jar to keep them fresh and crispy, and you are good to go.
Breadcrumbs from the store are usually make from regular plain flour and a bunch of preservatives, but when you DIY it, you can tailor the recipe to make low-carb breadcrumbs, wholewheat breadcrumbs, or even sourdough breadcrumbs, giving you more flavor and nutrition.
Breadcrumbs and homemade croutons are great ways to use up bread that is a bit stale, instead of letting them go to waste and throwing them out.
DIY Pesto
This one is a game-changer, especially if you have some herbs growing in the garden.
I use up all of my herbs in delicious pesto concoctions, and then use the pesto in simple pasta dishes, as a spread in a sandwich, as a dip, or even dolloped on top of a nice bowl of soup for some extra green goodness.
It is so easy to make by simply adding herbs, garlic, cheese, nuts and salt to a blender, and then slowly adding olive oil until everything is nice and smooth.
Try one of the these pesto recipes:
- What To Do With Carrot Greens: Carrot Top Pesto
- 4 Ingredient Homemade Mint Pesto
- Fresh Oregano Pesto
- Fragrant Fennel Fronds Pesto
- Quick Kale Walnut Pesto with Sunflower Seeds
Plus, you can then use up any leftover pesto on these Quick Pesto Croutons!
I would however keep homemade pesto stored in the fridge, and not in the pantry, unless you plan on canning it correctly.
Nutritious Nut Butter
Having nut butter (the good stuff with no filler ingredients) at home is becoming a bit of a treat these days as it's becoming so expensive to purchase.
The good news is that you don’t need to be a master chef to make it yourself. With a little time and patience, you can create a spread that is adjusted to your sweetness and texture preference.
Simply blend your choice of nut in a food processor or blender until it is smooth and creamy. You can use any nut you like, such as peanuts, almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, brazil nuts, or even a combination of them if you prefer.
Once you have the nut butter base, you can make it your own by adding in some vanilla essence, chocolate (like in this Healthy Homemade Nutella Spread), chia seeds or sea salt, and you have a cost-effective and delicious nut butter in no time.
This works really well with seeds as well if you have allergies in the house, and I usually make it with a combination of pumpkin seeds, sunflowers seeds, and hemp seeds, plus a sprinkle of sea salt.
DIY Nut Milk
Although not technically a pantry staple, as I keep it stored in the fridge, homemade nut milk is another super easy way to save money!
It is as simple as blending your nut of choice with water in a high-speed blender and then straining everything through a fine sieve until you have a smooth and creamy milk. It costs very little to make, and is just as good as the store-bought stuff!
Plus you can use the leftover nut pulp to make healthy cookies so nothing goes to waste.
Use this handy guide for more information and flavor combinations: Thick and Creamy Homemade Nut Milk
Dehydrated Snacks
Dehydrators are quite inexpensive and are great for making delicious snacks!
Dehydrated fruit and veggies work great as snacks - dried kiwi, pineapple and mango are a favorite around here!
We also dehydrate oranges for cocktails, baked goods, and for use as inexpensive but pretty decorations.
You can also make savory snacks like beef and chicken jerky! Learning how to dehydrate chicken or beef might sound like a daunting task, but it is completely doable and so much cheaper than the store-bought versions.
Plus you get control of the ingredients and can skip out on all the preservatives.
DIY Condiments
Who doesn’t love fries with a side of ketchup?
Condiments can truly make or break a dish, and there is no reason why you need to settle for the store-bought versions which tend to contain absurd amounts of sugar and preservatives.
Tomato sauce, mustard, and even mayonnaise can be easily made at home without the need for any weird or wonderful ingredients.
Once you roll up your sleeves and start making your own condiments, you’ll be surprised by how simple the process actually is.
Make our own BBQ sauce using fresh peaches for some tangy sweetness.
Self-sufficiency is the way to go
Once you start making all of your own pantry staples and gain control of the ingredients used, and the amount of money you spend I can guarantee you won't look back.
Want to take your journey to self-sufficiency even further? Why not create a non-toxic kitchen? This means investing in non-toxic cookware, changing up the cleaning products you use and just being more mindful of what you use.
Convenience may be nice, but spending some time creating healthier, more authentic and cost-effective pantry staples is worth every second.
It’s time to take control of what you put in your body and challenge yourself to recreate grocery store items in your own kitchen.
This article originally appeared on Food Drink Life.
Thewrayhotel says
This article on healthy pantry staples is a fantastic resource for anyone looking to improve their eating habits. The selection of staples is well-chosen, offering a great mix of nutrition and versatility. I particularly appreciated the tips on how to use these ingredients in everyday cooking to create balanced meals. The practical advice and recipe ideas are perfect for anyone looking to stock their pantry with wholesome, nutritious options. Great job on providing such useful and accessible information for healthier living!