The first winter storms often arrive before Thanksgiving, and they rarely give much warning. Home cooks who stock the pantry now can skip the last-minute grocery rush when the weather turns.
Snow, ice and power outages can close roads and result in empty store shelves within hours. A well-stocked pantry keeps dinner on the table whether you can make it to the market or not. With the right staples, you can even turn out dinners your family looks forward to.
Early storms and outages put pantries to the test
Winter does not wait for December. Last year, the Chicago area saw an intense early-season snow event on Nov. 9-10 that left up to a foot of snow in some spots. A post-Thanksgiving storm brought similar totals to the area a few weeks later.
A single storm can also reach far beyond one region. Last January, Winter Storm Fern hit 12 states at once, according to FEMA, and caused significant power outages in Mississippi and Tennessee.
Outages are what turn a snow day into a food problem. A refrigerator keeps food safe for up to four hours without power. A full freezer holds a safe temperature for about 48 hours, or 24 hours if it is half full. After that, the pantry has to carry the load.
Straight from the can is just the start
The federal government’s preparedness site, Ready.gov, recommends families store at least several days’ worth of food that doesn’t need refrigeration, cooking, water or special preparation. A manual can opener belongs on the list, too.
Ready-to-eat canned food is a good place to start, since it needs no cooking and works straight from the can. “If you live in an area that experiences a lot of power outages, having canned goods that don’t rely on electricity for cooking is a good idea,” recommends nutritionist Katie Trant of Hey Nutrition Lady. “Canned beans in tomato sauce is a favorite of mine because they taste good and are an excellent source of protein and fiber. Even having a couple of tins of spaghetti on hand can be a good thing when the power goes out.”
But eating the same ready-made canned food gets old fast. Trant also keeps rice, pasta and dried beans on hand no matter the season. Staples like these, along with lentils, canned tomatoes and coconut milk, turn into meals that taste better, cost less and stretch further.
Canned food deserves more credit
“Canned vegetables get a bad rap for not being as nutritious as their fresh or frozen counterparts, but they are still, in fact, very nutritious,” Trant adds. “Keeping a few cans of your favorite veggies on hand in case of winter storms is always a good idea.”
Canned tomatoes may be the hardest-working container on the shelf and can easily be turned into a tomato sauce made entirely from pantry staples. Canned coconut milk is another good essential, adding creaminess when dairy isn’t an option.
Plan meals you enjoy, not just ingredients
Thinking in complete meals makes a pantry easier to use under pressure. Bella Bucchiotti of xoxoBella knows that from experience. “Living on an island in a rural area, we get enough power outages that I’ve learned to stock my pantry in meals, not just ingredients,” Bucchiotti says. “I keep combinations like shelf-stable gnocchi with pesto and artichokes, or couscous with chickpeas, olives and roasted red peppers. Couscous is especially handy because it needs very little hot water. A few flavor boosters like capers, sun-dried tomatoes and dried herbs can make a pantry meal feel like something I’d actually choose to eat.”
Shelby Stover of Easy Made Dishes suggests something similar. “The best emergency pantry isn’t filled with foods you’ll only eat in an emergency,” Stover says. “Stock ingredients you already use and enjoy, like beans, sauces and spices. That way, your pantry is just as useful on a weeknight when you’re short on groceries as it is when the power goes out.”
Home cooks can make many classic favorites with pantry staples alone. Penne pomodoro works with boxed pasta, crushed tomatoes and dried herbs. Lentil soup gets creamy with canned coconut milk, and canned chickpeas turn into a delicious hummus.
Don’t let the cans go bad
But even shelf-stable food doesn’t last forever. According to the USDA, canned goods last one to five years depending on the type, while dried pasta and rice keep for about two years.
A weekly pantry staple dinner keeps the supply fresh. One night a week, the household cooks from the emergency stash and restocks what they use. Cans and jars never sit long enough to expire, and everyone gets comfortable cooking with them before a storm.
A backup burner turns pantry staples into hot meals
Dried lentils, rice and pasta only help if there is a way to cook them. Electric stoves go dark with the rest of the house, but a backup heat source and extra fuel make it possible to cook real meals during an outage. Safety also matters here. Ready.gov notes that charcoal grills and camp stoves are for outdoor use only.
Now is the time to stock up
A storm-ready pantry is easiest to build before the first warning, while roads are clear and shelves are full. A few extra cans and bags on each grocery trip add up quickly, and when the snow starts falling, dinner is already handled.
Emmeline Kemperyd is a recipe developer, food photographer and the founder of always use butter. She has more than 20 years of experience creating quick, easy and approachable recipes for busy home cooks.
The post Winter storm season is coming, and the pantry is the first line of defense appeared first on Food Drink Life.
