by Katerina Nikolas

Created on: February 17, 2010   Last Updated: November 12, 2010

You can spot the occasional cook wandering round the shops staring in bemusement at the many and different choices of vinegar wondering which one the recipe called for. When they can’t decide, or remember, and throw in balsamic, red wine vinegar, sherry vinegar and just on the off chance a bottle of malt, they could have the makings of a pantry collection.

A good pantry is stocked with the vital ingredients we need for everyday cooking. A pantry stocked with healthy staples does not have shelves of snack items: those things are kept in the fruit bowl, or the vegetable shelf of the fridge. Naturally there will be the odd items which can pass as a snack, such as jars of olives or a collection of dried fruits, but junk foods such as crisps and cookies are an expensive and unhealthy addition which no one needs.

On hand should always be a good extra virgin olive oil, a necessity for salads and vegetables. One will also need the additional condiments which contribute flavours to your cooking or salads, such as vinegars and mustards, Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce. 

Fresh herbs are wonderful to use but if they aren’t on hand you’ll need dried ones, along with a good collection of spices. The ones you find yourself using the most are the ones you should always keep well stocked, but if you’re stocking up for the first time you’ll need black peppercorns, green peppercorns, basil, mint, thyme, rosemary and bay leaves.

Spices really depend on how hot you like things but I’d recommend paprika, cumin, chilli powder and coriander as a must. Don’t succumb to garlic salt; keep a bulb of the real thing on hand. Nothing enhances spicy food as well as fresh chillies which can dry naturally.

Handy staples which come in cans and are always useful are tinned tomatoes, useful in those last minute pasta sauces; coconut milk for Thai cooking; and jars of ‘pasta’, which is a rich wonderful olive spread, ideal as a dip with crusty fresh bread.

A good pantry will always be stocked with rice, and different kinds of dried pasta, from fine soup noodles to spaghetti, spinach tagliatellie and shells. A good selection of dried fruit is always handy too for when the fruit bowl runs low. Good dried fruits to keep in stock are cranberries, apricots, figs, and raisins.

It is important to keep a good selection of olives on hand, either to snack on or adorn salads with, or add to sauces. Olives stuffed with chillies, or lemons, are excellent for snacks, but always keep a big jar of olives in olive oil and vinegar, the black ones are best. No pantry would be complete without honey, essential to stir in Greek yogurt, the healthiest start to the day, and useful as well in cooking rather than refined sugar.

A healthy pantry isn’t somewhere to grab a meal from; the items in there should be to aid in preparing a meal. The most indulgent item in my pantry is a jar of white chocolate spread, which on occasion I have been known to stir into yogurt. It isn’t the place to go to fill up between meals though. Instead, if that is how you use your pantry now, look to the fruit bowl instead.

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