A Peep in my Pantry!
Spices, Sauces, Pudding Bowls and Pulses……
A Peep in my Pantry! Spices, Sauces, Pudding Bowls and Pulses……
If like me you are a bit nosy about what other food writers and food bloggers have in their cupboards, so to speak, then you will love the challenge that Dom over at Belleau Kitchen has set us this month for Random Recipes #35; with the rather risqué title of “Dare to Bare”, he has asked us all to take photos of our larders or ingredients in our cupboards. At first I felt a prick of fear steal over me, as my pantry aka larder is often likened to Arkwrights from the BBC sit-com Open all Hours, and I was unsure if I wanted to dare to bare to be honest! But then I remembered the power of photo editing and the control of the photographer, that’s me, so all I have to show you is what I want you to see! And so what follows is a snapshot of my pantry in France, and no, I am not taking any photos of my pantry in North Yorkshire, for fear of someone calling “Hoarders Anonymous” and having me taken away in a supermarket trolley!
The Lavender and Lovage Pantry
What happens next is I talk you through some of my ingredients and items that are stored in my pantry and I’ll let you know what I use the most and what has never seen the light of day! I am very lucky that I received lots of items to review, so many ingredients that you see in the photos have been sent to me for recipe development or to review, and I DO love the diverse range that I have at my fingertips, plus I make most of my own jams, marmalade, chutney and pickles, so you will see lots of jars of them in my photos too.
The Lavender and Lovage Pantry
You will see a selection of mainly British, French and Spanish ingredients in my pantry, which is an old wine “cuve” that has been converted into a walk in larder – I LOVE the fact that I can walk into my store-room and choose what I want from easily accessible shelves. I also have a few ingredients from friends I have in Canada, the USA, South Africa and Australia, a result of international “food swaps” and kind overseas gifts from family and friends.
The Lavender and Lovage Pantry
I like to buy lots of my ingredients loose, as I abhor excessive packaging, so you will see lots of “kilner jars”, jam jars and tins in use, all clearly labelled and easy to dispense from. I also make a lot of my own spice mixes and always make my own candied citrus peel too, you can see the recipe for my candied peel here: Candied Orange Peel and as well as candied peel, I have also candies kumquats and strawberries too, recipes to follow later on.
Candied Orange Peel
I also dry most of my own herbs, all grown in our garden and as you can see, there are bunches of lavender hanging up too……as well as rosemary, bay leaves and thyme. There isn’t much that I don’t use, or haven’t used, I am an experimental and adventurous cook, so I don’t think there is one tin or bottle that hasn’t been opened! I so like to make my own curry powders and other spice mixes, but, I also have commercial ready-mixed mixes in for when I don’t have time to play with blending and mixing. I am so keen on recycling that a lot of my containers for sauces and soups are old wooden wine boxes……the very same ones I use to store my books in, as you may remember here: A Library, Be-Ro, Some Wine Boxes and My Cook Book Collection……
A Peep in my Pantry! Spices, Sauces, Pudding Bowls and Pulses……
I hope that you have enjoyed my “Culinary Peep Show” today, I will leave you with a few more photos, and as well as all of the ingredients you see, I also use my walk in pantry for storing my cake tins, pudding basins, flour containers and all the other bits and pieces of kitchenalia! With thanks to Dom for suggesting such a fun challenge for December, I will be on the look-out for everyone else’s “dare to bare” posts so I can have a nosey around their storage areas! Have a great day, and I will be back soon with some new recipes and a giveaway. Karen
A Peep in my Pantry! Spices, Sauces, Pudding Bowls and Pulses……
A Peep in my Pantry! Spices, Sauces, Pudding Bowls and Pulses……
Gallery:
Lavender and Lovage Pantry
Home-made jams and chutney
Drying peppers from Espelette
Wine box full of sauce mixes and soups
Golden Syrup and Chilies
Assorted pulses and cocoa
Baking bits and treacle
Craig - The Usual Saucepans says
Wow – I wish I had that many cupboards (and ones that were that organised!).
I do love this month’s challenge – it’s fascinating to see what everyone has tucked away.
Karen says
Thanks Craig, I hope to see a peep into your cupboards and pantry too! Karen
Vohn says
Well Karen, so now I have pantry-envy, as well as kitchenalia-envy! I am determined to move house within the next few years and there I will definitely have a walk-in pantry (or get an extension built to house one!). Vohn x
Karen says
LOL! You made me laugh Vohn! I am lucky with this pantry, but we only have it because we knocked a wine cuve out, and that was hard work, but we had no need for several thousand litres of wine, well, it would have been nice, but not a good plan in the long run!
kellie@foodtoglow says
Enjoyed your culinary peep show ;D I am nearly as ‘bad’ as you but not as organised, so I will not be partaking in Dom’s challenge! I am awfully fond of interesting jars and tins too, and it makes me feel a bit better to buy loose and ‘pot up’ at home. My stashes of food goods are in the kitchen, a spare bedroom (a wall of, with my cookbooks), and filling a converted baby changing table/chest of drawers in the garage. A shambles, really, but I know where everything is at least…Fun post, Karen x
Karen says
Thanks Kellie! I knew we were kindred spirits and now I know why!! I always keep old tins and jars, as well as the obvious benefits of recycling, they look so nice and are practical for storing ingredients. I am lucky enough to have one room where I can store my “shambles” and I did tidy up a wee bit before I took the photos! 🙂
Dominic says
GLORIOUS!… yours is exactly how I imagine it to be… a little Mrs Patmore crossed with Nigella (i’m sure there’s some cocaine stored in there somewhere…) Fabulous photo’s and a wonderful post. I’m so glad everyone’s enjoying it this month, such fun!!!!!!!!! Thanks for taking part xx
Karen says
Hahahaha! VERY topical Dom! No cocaine stashed in my jars, but maybe some custard powder here and there! 🙂 I am looking forward to seeing everyone else’s dare to bare posts too!
Deena Kakaya says
My goodness Karen, you are so organised x
Karen says
Thanks Deena, I did have a WEE tidy up before I took the photos! 🙂
bakingaddict says
Wow I am so jealous of all that space! I have stuff everywhere its going to be difficult to photograph for the challenge. Love having an insight into your pantry – it is just what I picture it to be. Thanks for sharing with us 🙂
Karen says
I am VERY lucky with my space Ros, and I don’t know how I will manage when we finally sell our house! Karen
Tracy Nixon says
Great reading Karen as always ! Shared via G+
Karen says
Thanks Tracy! Karen
Elizabeth says
A lovely post and that’s spurred me on to give my own pantry a tidy before I photograph it for Dom’s challenge!! 🙂
Karen says
Thanks so much Elizabeth! It certainly spurred me on to have a little tidy when I read Dom’s challenge! 🙂 Looking forward to seeing yours too! Karen
Glamorous Glutton says
What a great idea, well done to Dom. I have to agree your pantry has the making of Mrs Patmore’s store cupboard. How luxurious to have a walk in pantry, I’d love one of those. Great to see so much homemade chutneys and jams, fabulous. GG
Karen says
Thanks GG! I would LOVE to have Mrs Patmore’s kitchen, never mind her pantry! Karen
Jean | DelightfulRepast.com says
Karen, I am green with envy over that Bettys pudding basin! If I were ever anywhere near your pantry, you’d be wise to lock that item away!
Karen says
Thanks Jean! I was lucky enough to receive it last year WITH a pudding IN it!
Choclette says
I’d kill for a walk in larder Karen – you’d better watch out 😉
Karen says
Seems like I will need an armed guard on my pantry Choclette! LOL!
Phil in the Kitchen says
I do like your handwritten labels – that’s so neat and organised. I try writing labels, when I remember, but then my wife tells me that my writing is so poor that she can’t read them and might be adding smoked salt instead of sugar to a dessert.
Karen says
Thanks Phil, I love hand writing my labels, and I still follow my typography training from art college, so am I am fairly neat if a little wild with the curly curls!
Anjali says
Been wanting to put the labels on my bottles but my little one always keeps me hooked. Now fresh inspiration to get them done this weekend.
Karen says
Thanks Anjali, I am a bit of a pedant when it comes to adding labels to my jars! Karen
The Kitchenmaid says
Karen, your cupboards are just like your blog – bright, organised and full of goodness! I am in two minds about posting pics of mine as it is an absolute bombsite. But I guess I should… it might be therapeutic! x
Karen says
Aw thanks so much Lucy! What a lovely thing to say, you have made my day! I would still like to see yours, as I bet it has great stuff from NZ in there! Karen
Chris says
You really have a huge collection. And nothing is untouched? You must be cooking round the clock … or so.
Karen says
Not much is untouched Chris and I do cook a lot!!
Helen Costello says
Oh wow! I love this post and this challenge so much. I knew I was nosy but seeing insides people’s cupboards has just brought me utter joy! I had to show my husband your shelves (I was waiting for the tut that ours are not that organised) I’ma bit obsessed with Use By/Best Before dates though – How to do ensure spices/pulses etc don’t get out of date? I throw far too much stuff away. Thanks for showing us round – I love you even more now! Hx
Sally Sellwood (@Recipejunkie27) says
Mmm. I have shelf envy – especially because it’s in France…
Karen says
LOL! Thanks Sally! I must come over to see inside your drawers, in a manner of speaking!
Susan says
I’m so intrigued by all your jars and bags and packets! What is golden syrup? And treacle? And La Perruche? Amazing the space that you’ve made for your pantry!