# How much of a pantry do you maintain? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 6, 2011, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-of-a-pantry-do-you-maintain/566681 "2011-01-06T23:50:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Jaledin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jaledin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaledin)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2011, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-of-a-pantry-do-you-maintain/566681/61 "2011-01-09T07:27:52Z")
ETA you sound like an amazing cook, **jellyblue** , but I’m not kidding about cutting and freezing carrots – it’s a lost art! 🙂 ETA ‘Canard’ a moi? Ah bon? I like your sense of humour!! Gave me a smile tonight. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2011, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-of-a-pantry-do-you-maintain/566681/62 "2011-01-09T07:41:13Z")
> [@jellyblue](#): > > What is it with you people and the duck, eh? What did duck ever do to you? I have flounder, the hash browns, the baguette (spousette bakes that from scratch) and the carrots are no problem. I have 2 cabs, a red Zin or champagne. Duck fat is supposed to be the best fat to cook chips in. I’ve never had it - I’d probably like it TOO much. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Jaledin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jaledin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaledin)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2011, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-of-a-pantry-do-you-maintain/566681/63 "2011-01-09T07:53:49Z")
Duck fat’s too expensive at most retail shops, but you can get a good deal online if you shop around. Don’t go over two USD per pound by volume IIRC. It does make good chips, though, and it’s still cheaper than goose fat or horse fat, if I remember the last time I bought some. ---
**Author:** ![Full\_Metal\_Lotus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/df705f/32.png) [@Full\_Metal\_Lotus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Full_Metal_Lotus)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2011, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-of-a-pantry-do-you-maintain/566681/64 "2011-01-09T12:17:12Z")
other= my wife and I cook fluently in a truely global sence. We have spices and ingrediants from all over trhe world. Today we were busy cleaning/organizing the spice cupboards (yes cupboards, about 150 basic spices, and 80 specialties) When the boys showed up early, with 4 guests. We were able, with kitchen torn apart (we also had oven on selfclean setting-out of bounds) to make from scratch - samyum beef noodle soup, fried tofu in hoisin sauce, and garlic gailan in oyster sauce, with out disrupting the re-org. the meal was served in less than 20 minutes, with cappicino hot chocolate and (previously cooked ) brownies for desert. Just to brag… total dollar cost in CDN $ was about $9 for everyone ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2011, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-of-a-pantry-do-you-maintain/566681/65 "2011-01-09T13:59:14Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > French fries made from russett potatoes deep fried in duck fat. With maple-glazed, cedar-planked salmon. 🙂 > [@Jaledin](#): > > I’ll take that, plus dover sole a la meuniere, roast duck, and more French Fries, this time with half Yukon Golds made into cubed hash browns. And a few crusty slices of baguettte with a side of glazed carrots (NOT cut into coins, but on a bias). > > Also a glass of wine, s’il te plait. > > The scary thing is I could pretty much make this with my pantry, minus the fish, which I don’t find freezes too well with my little rental refrigerator. Do your worst, **jellyblue** , i don’t think you have the STUFF. > > 😉 Forget **jellyblue**. I win. Pantry wars! I have everything to make all of this, with the exception of the dover sole. I do, however, have some nice striped bass that I think will do in a pinch. Caveat: the salmon and striped bass are frozen. But it’s incredibly high quality cryovac frozen - the salmon is sushi quality. Other than that, I’m your girl. I know I have: Potatoes Duck fat (TONS of it) Salmon - per above, sushi-grade, yum yum Maple syrup and various ingredients to make a glaze The aforementioned striped bass instead of sole Duck: whole or breasts? I have both Baguettes: always have a few around from the local baker Carrots: of course. And I’m with you on the cut. Wine: we keep a cellar. ---
**Author:** ![Jaledin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jaledin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaledin)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2011, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-of-a-pantry-do-you-maintain/566681/66 "2011-01-09T14:25:33Z")
Tons?!! of duck fat? Pantry War is _almost_ over. But I bake a mean baguette, so AFIK I’m still in the running. And I…oh, damn, you also have whole duck(ling). I guess you do win, right down to those carrots cut properly. Ouch, I’m done – well played, **Athena** ; you win this round, but I can still cook my precious store of lentilles dy puy with my fresh pork andouille and try to make a cassoulet using whatever else is left in my cupboards that hasn’t been frozen up north near the rolling Columbia. Sole is a bit overrated as a fish – did you have to bring my braggadocio up for all to remember?! At least no one in this thread shall starve, and those that may know where to come for nourishment. And if they do not, I shall seek them out and provide a dinner. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2011, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-of-a-pantry-do-you-maintain/566681/67 "2011-01-09T15:49:17Z")
No worries. Everyone wins in Pantry Wars! I’ll be over in a few for the cassoulet, shall I bring the wine? ---
**Author:** ![lindsaybluth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90db22/32.png) [@lindsaybluth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lindsaybluth)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2011, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-of-a-pantry-do-you-maintain/566681/68 "2011-01-09T21:20:53Z")
Mmm…cassoulet… ---
**Author:** ![Daylate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9dc877/32.png) [@Daylate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daylate)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2011, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-of-a-pantry-do-you-maintain/566681/69 "2011-01-09T23:36:54Z")
I voted for “at least a month”, but I’ll bet we could go lots longer than that, as long as the power doesn’t go out, or, baring that, that we can still get gasoline for the auxilary generator. How long would 21 cubic feet of food last? And this is not counting the dry pantry, or all those auxiliary shelves and pantries in the garage. My wife isn’t Mormon, but might as well have been. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2011, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-of-a-pantry-do-you-maintain/566681/70 "2011-01-10T01:53:04Z")
Our normal grocery store habit is to go every other day or so & eat almost exclusively fresh food. If it has an ingredient list, we (mostly) don’t buy it. But … we carry a month-plus of non-perishable food on hand at all times. Boxed, canned, instant-whatever, etc. And a month-plus of water. And TP & medical suppplies & … Since we don’t eat much packaged food day to day, once a year most of this gets donated to a food pantry & replaced with new. Over the course of a year we’ll consume maybe 10% of the canned / boxed goods & water we stock. ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2011, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-of-a-pantry-do-you-maintain/566681/71 "2011-01-10T02:29:06Z")
For me, it depends. During the winter, I have enough food to eat something fairly normal for about two weeks. During the summer, we have these things called hurricanes…I have a month’s worth of food and supplies…but that’s done knowing that certain members of my family believe proper hurricane supplies consist of two cans of tuna fish and a bottle of water. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-of-a-pantry-do-you-maintain/566681.md?page=3)