Starting to Fill some Jars in the Pantry Part One

I use old sweetie jars for a lot of bulk storage in my Pantry.  In reality though I do not have as many jars as I really need or indeed the space in the Pantry.  I am therefore adding in bits and bobs which I find useful overall.  Some of the jars are my own ideas, and they have proved useful in my Pantry for me.  However it is slow progress at the moment.  Too many things been getting in the way this week.  Hopefully I will get a decent tranche of time to get stuck in, in the next few days.

The Biscuit Crumb Jar

I have a jar dedicated to Biscuit Crumbs in the Pantry.  Why pay out to buy biscuits at the price they are when you can collect up the crumbs and then use them to make a no bake cheesecake or mini cheesecakes.  I have even seen a Brulee Cheesecake recipe as well which I might have to have a go at. 

As kids it used to be a real treat when Dad bought home sweets or biscuits from his job. In those days the company he worked for provided fork lift trucks to industry either by hire or they sold them. This was in the 1960's when things like this were new and terribly terribly expensive and companies could only perhaps afford one or two trucks which they could not be without. Dad was the engineer and if he used to go out of hours because the company were in a mess without the truck, he used to come home with goodies. Chipmunk Crisps, Fox's biscuits, Fox's sweets Glacier Mints and fruits, frozen goods, soap powders, cleaning stuff.  If he went to the Abbatoir he used to bring back loads of meat.  Does not happen these days but it did then. So we got quite used to being given a teaspoon each and a little cup of crumbs each from the bottom of the biscuit box.

These days on the basis that biscuits are one of the things that have gone up a lot in price and as I like to have a few biscuits to hand to dunk in a cup of tea, we buy in a 1 kilo box of mixed broken biscuits.   We never know what is going to be in the box  it is always a bit of a surprise but there are always bits too small to eat so may as well turn them into something useful for the Pantry/fridge shelf, as well as break down those ones that we are not so keen on.  With some soft cheese and some cream and fruit you can turn it all into a cheesecake for pudding for a day or two.  An uncooked cheesecake all you need to do is melt some butter put the crumbs in to mix and then press into the bottom of a cake tin.  Leave to set, then make your "cheese" filling and decorate with fruit if so doing.  So as far as I am concerned a Biscuit Crumb jar is a necessity.  Saying that because I like plain biscuits like Rich Tea or Digestives or Hob Nobs.  Occasionally I do buy in some of these especially if they are on an offer.  They are handy to have to use with cheese as well.  This is also another long-standing thing I tend to do - My Nan used to do this too.

Popcorn Kernel Jar

Today (Wednesday) I have found the Popcorn kernels which I buy from my local Asian shop 1kg at a time.  Works out cheaper than buying it in small microwavable packages and I have a good supply for a while.  I have the Popcorn machine and every so often set too and make up a batch to nibble on.  Once popped, you can add syrups and flavourings to vary the batches up and colourings. Can also add nuts and coconut too as well as chocolate.  Alternatively you can go the spices or savoury way. Well worth keeping on the Pantry shelf.  

Costs are prohibitive on lots of things at the moment and I do not foresee it will change much in the future.  Might as well obtain the base ingredients and then prep in some healthy snacking for you and your family as part of that whole experience.  

Dried Bread Jar

Dried Bread for stuffing mixes, packaged into little packages for ease of use but somewhere to keep the bread nicely stored. I need to add some more to the stash.  Will look for some reduced bread to do this and dry in the oven.  I also need to make some  up for bread crumbs for Scotch Eggs and mini Scotch Eggs When I get a bit more time I shall make up some different flavoured stuffing mixes to help save on time overall.

Salted Peanut Jar

I have a Peanut Jar as well for snacking on. This jar although a smaller one is a perfect match for my Popcorn Kernel jar. My Pop (Granddad) used to keep a jar of peanuts that used to be bought by the bag and then decanted into a recycled Horlicks jar down by the side of the Log Burner.  He did not like a lot of sweets but he loved his peanuts.  I keep a jar in the Pantry for snacking on.  I also keep in a couple of bags of salted roast peanuts to make my own Peanut Butter.  Today therefore has been refill day as the rest had gone.  When I make Peanut Butter I keep it in the fridge.

Future Jars

I also have plans in the future to do a jar of Salted Pistachios and Cashews too.  Both as snacks. I am keen to keep some healthy snacks available in the Pantry as well.   I also love salted Almonds and Cinnamon Almonds.  However will also do jars of different nuts for baking and cooking as well such as plain Cashews which can be used to thicken and or make a sauce. Walnuts, Pecans are a favourite, Almonds, Brazil nuts etc.

Toasted Sesame Seed Jar

This is something I have kept for a long time.  I regularly make my own yogurt and regularly use this as a topping for a big bowl of Granola or Muesli as well as some fresh fruit.  I usually make up small quantities of this and once cooled and toasted I then sprinkle on top of the yogurt.  Gives more vitamins and more texture and flavour to breakfast.

Sunflower Seed jar  

I use these in baking and in Granola quite a bit.  Works out a little cheaper to buy in a larger bag if can.

Pumpkin Seeds

I love these on bread and on crispbreads.  So much flavour and goodness.

Sweetie Jar/Crock

Although not a jar, but a stone crock, I have a Sweetie jar too for popping in various sweets and also little chocolate bars etc.  Not many but just a few little treats every now and then.

Lets just say that there are a lot more jars to go yet!  Will update further when a few more are sorted out!

These are just some of the jars I have made  up thus far.  I still have loads to fill and I still need many more jars such as the Douwe Egbert coffee jars (all different sizes), or old coffee jars.  

When I was growing up in the 60's the Coffee companies used to sell the coffee in storage jars - I think it was the Maxwell House coffee, a lot of which are now classed as vintage jars.  My Mum had a load of them, but over the years many of them have become broken.  I think I have about three survivors from my Mum's home overall.  This is what the jars look like.

or indeed the Ravenhead ground glass large storage containers.  

When I have the funds available I tend to add to these.  However I also recycle a lot of jars too.

That has made a start on some of the jars.  I still have to sort the contents for the larger jars.  I am having to be very selective in what I pop into those.  It will keep me out of mischief though.  Once I get a few more sorted will pop up another post.

Do you recycle jars and use them for storage in your kitchen/Pantry and how do you use them.  There are always differences between individual Larder/Pantry rooms as our tastes and likes and dislikes vary quite considerably.

Alternatively, if you would like a Pantry/Larder room and are building towards that.  What would you like to store in there.  Sometimes your space might just be an upcycled wardrobe with some shelving in, but it is a storage space nonetheless and still valuable food storage space.

Catch you soon.

Pattypan

xx