Pantry Essentials and How to Organize Your Pantry

Update: I wrote lots more about the idea of A Capsule Kitchen and put together a free download to help you apply this concept to your kitchen! Read about A Capsule Kitchen here, and grab the checklist to help you curate the essentials in your minimalist kitchen!

I’m so excited to be writing about pantry essentials today! I’ve been wanting to write about this subject for a while now, and finally got around to compiling my thoughts, talking to others about their pantry essentials, and actually organizing, reorganizing, and reorganizing again my own pantry.

When Joe and I were first married, I called my mom for a few of her go-to recipes that I wanted to make those first few weeks of marriage. I quickly realized my pantry lacked the essentials that my mom’s pantry always had, items I had just taken for granted. I didn’t even know WHAT I needed, exactly, I just knew that it desperately needed to be stocked with ALL. THE. THINGS. I had no spices, no baking supplies, no oils or vinegars, no dry goods. You get the picture.

I learned that a well-stocked pantry, like an intentional wardrobe or a well-decorated home, takes time to establish. It’s built by slowly adding layers. If you’re just starting a home, or a pantry for the first time, you’ll soon figure out what exactly it is that you’ll need. You’ll learn the things you cannot live without, day-to-day, and the items that you want to have on hand, just in case. Your dietary needs or wants might also impact what you consider essentials.

I don’t think it’s necessary to build your pantry all at once. Rather, slowly make – or buy – the things that you need. Eventually you will have a prepared, but not superfluous, pantry. Even if you’re not just starting out, this post is aimed to help you. To help you discover what you have, assess if you need to keep it, make things pretty, and stay organized. Let’s reclaim your pantry!

I’ve compiled my personal top ten pantry essentials, as well as a more comprehensive list for “the prepared capsule pantry.” Having a well-stocked (but not ridiculous large) pantry will make your life in the kitchen easier and more efficient (no last minute grocery runs for cornstarch). It will also make your life less stressful and help you embrace easy entertaining.

My go-to dinner party appetizer, or a friend-just-stopped-by-and-there’s-nothing-in-the-house offering is an abundant cheese spread. And abundant doesn’t have to mean expensive; for me, this just means full and not lacking anything. And not lacking anything doesn’t literally mean everything. It just means your cheese board has a combination of the necessities, pulled straight from your pantry: jams and honey, nuts and seeds, something pickled, olives, crackers, dried and/or fresh fruit, and whatever cheeses you have in the fridge. This is effortless perfection in my book. Bonus points if you have a loaf of freshly baked homemade bread to add to the spread. Add to it all some wine, and you’ll be seriously #winning.

Being prepared with a well-stocked pantry is the key to easy entertaining. Well prepared starts with knowing what you have and where it is: organization!

HOW TO ORGANIZE YOUR PANTRY

1. Empty it and clean the shelves.
2. Sort items into “categories.” See categories below.
3. Examine everything before putting it back. Is it expired? If so, and if the expiration date is important, toss it. Have you needed it in the last 6 months? If not, consider giving it to a friend who may use it. Is it a specialty ingredient you bought for a recipe you have since decided against? If so, consider giving it to a friend who may use it.
4. Put dry goods into glass storage containers. For me, this one is huge. Having a beautiful pantry brings me joy every time I open it, and helps me keep it organized. It’s easier to see when you’re running low on items, too. I linked to the glass containers I have at the very bottom of this post.
5. Label items in glass containers. I chose not to label mine, because I wanted a cleaner look. But something as simple as masking tape and a black sharpie would work well.
6. Place items back into pantry in a way that makes sense. I put them back by category and keep the categories together. I put the items I use the most frequently at the front.
7. Maintain, maintain, maintain. The older I get (ha!), the more I realize that the key to having a tidy home/closet/bedroom(still working on this one)/pantry/etc. is maintenance. Don’t let things get out of hand. Keep sorting through, getting rid of things you rarely or never use. I have gone through our pantry 3 times in the last 6 months, and I’m still pairing down. It’s like a capsule wardrobe, only a capsule pantry. It might take time to learn what your your personal essentials are, but once you have it nailed down, it will make your life so much easier.
8. If buying in bulk is too expensive OR you don’t have room in your pantry (two very real realities), try finding a friend who can split purchases with you!

PANTRY ESSENTIALS – CATEGORIES
To keep your pantry organized, sort & store items into the following categories:

Oils, Vinegars, Sauces
Dry Goods
Baking
Canned and Prepared
Herbs and Spices

PANTRY ESSENTIALS

And now, without further ado, here are the actual “pantry essentials” items. I start with Rebecca’s 10 Can’t-Kitchen-Withoutand then beyond that is a comprehensive list of Capsule Pantry Essentials. I asked my Facebook and Instagram friends for their pantry essentials, and I’m really happy with this list! I turned this list into a pretty, handy-dandy little pdf for you to print and use for all your pantry organization and updating needs!

PANTRY ESSENTIALS – REBECCA’S 10 CAN’T-KITCHEN-WITHOUT

Extra virgin olive oil
Chicken stock
Balsamic vinegar
Whole wheat pasta / Light brown rice
Onions / Garlic
Beans, usually black or garbanzo
Tomatoes, usually sauce and diced
Active dry yeast
Flour
Old fashioned oats

CAPSULE PANTRY ESSENTIALS – OILS, VINEGARS, SAUCES

Extra virgin olive oil
Coconut oil
Apple cider vinegar
Balsamic vinegar
White wine vinegar
Worcestershire sauce
Mayonnaise
Dijon mustard
Hot sauce, usually Cholula

CAPSULE PANTRY ESSENTIALS – DRY GOODS

Beans, either dry or canned, usually black, cannellini, garbanzo
Lentils
Grains, usually quinoa, light brown rice
Whole wheat pasta
Onions
Garlic
Potatoes / Sweet potatoes
Oats, usually old fashioned, steel cut
Nuts, usually pecans, walnuts, almonds
Seeds, usually flax, chia, pumpkin, hemp hearts
Granola
Popcorn kernels
Dried fruit, usually cranberries, raisins, apricots, dates

CAPSULE PANTRY ESSENTIALS – BAKING

Flours, usually whole wheat, white
Baking soda
Baking powder
Sugars, usually white, brown, confectioners
Active dry yeast
Cornmeal
Cornstarch
Vanilla extract
Cocoa powder
Chocolate chips

CAPSULE PANTRY ESSENTIALS – CANNED & PREPARED

Olives
Pickled things, usually okra, dilly beans, pickles
Canned meat, usually solid white tuna fish, wild Atlantic salmon
Organic chicken stock
Tomato products, usually diced, whole, paste
Pasta sauce
Coconut milk
Pumpkin puree
Jam / Jelly
Raw honey
Real maple syrup
Peanut (or other nut) butter
Tea, usually herbal, black, green
Coffee

CAPSULE PANTRY ESSENTIALS – HERBS & SPICES

Turmeric
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Ginger
Cumin
Crushed red pepper
Chili powder
Garlic powder
Curry powder
Flaky sea salt
Black peppercorns
Basil
Oregano
Thyme
Rosemary
Herbs de provence sea salt
Nutritional yeast

What would you add to these lists? I’d love to hear your top 5-10 items and if you think I’ve left off anything essential!

Here are the links for the glass food storage canisters I used:

*This post has affiliate links, meaning if you choose to buy something, I will make a small percentage of the sale so I can continue to write and support my family (at no extra cost to you). It would mean the world to me if you like an item you see, to purchase it directly through my link.

Pantry Essentials and How to Organize Your Pantry - A Daily Something (2024)