3-month supply: Baking Items & Spices

Let's talk about a 3-month supply of baking items and spices!!!

 

 

If you've read many of my previous posts, you know that I love having extras on hand. Even if I weren't trying to slowly build up my own 3-month supply, I think would have extras on hand when possible.

 

Here's an example of when I failed.

 

In February, my mother-in-law came to visit. We only see her a couple of times a year so these visits are extra special. We try to make yummy food or take her out to local places we love. We also eat a lot of desserts when she's here. (OK, I kinda like to bake so I have desserts at my house a lot.)

 

One day during her visit we decided to try a molten chocolate cake concoction. We were planning on making two square pans, but I only had enough baking cocoa for one. BUMMER!

 

Actually, one pan was PLENTY so it was OK, but the point of my story is that we couldn't do what we wanted to do without making a visit to the store...and I hate going to the store for only one item. Having an extra container of cocoa on hand would have been the most convenient solution.

 

OK, so....what are some of the baking items you use? Remember that oils, flour and sugars are included elsewhere in your 3-month supply.

 

So the first step is to make a LIST of what you use. Here's my list:

 

Salt

Baking powder

Baking soda

Yeast

Vanilla

Cooking spray

Cornstarch

Baking cocoa

Chocolate chips

Lemon juice

Vinegar

 

The next step is to decide HOW MUCH to store. The best way to start is to simply have one extra container on hand at all times. When you open that one, make sure to replace it with a new one. This is a good way to keep variety in your storage. Once you have that habit established, you can move on to storing more.

 

Here's some more information on each item to help you decide how much to store for your family:

 

Salt- The basic 26 oz. container is good for 4 people for 3-months. Unopened salt canisters have an indefinite shelf life AND salt is CHEAP. You can get a 26 oz. canister for less than $.50!!

Baking powder- The standard 8 oz. is probably enough for 2 people for 3-months. As far as shelf life, baking powder is usually good for 18 months (although I have a large canister that I've had for a couple of years and it's still good). A good price for an 8 oz. container is about $1.25.

Baking soda- A 16 oz. box is good for 4 people for 3-months. You can also purchase baking soda is large bags. (And remember, it's not only for baking. Click HERE.) Soda's shelf life is about 2 years. A good price for a 16 oz. box is about $.70.

Yeast- 3 oz. per person. Yeast is good on the shelf for about one year, but can last up to 5 years in the freezer. At a warehouse type store you can get 16 ounces of yeast for about $2.

Vanilla- About 4 oz. per person. That's 4 of the small containers. REAL vanilla has an indefinite shelf life, while imitation vanilla stores for about 4 years. At a warehouse store, you can get vanilla for about $.44 per oz. WAY better than any prices at the grocery store.

Cooking spray- Bottles are usually 6-8 oz. That's good for 2 people for 3-months. Cooking spray lasts from 12-18 months. A good price for spray is about $3.50 per can.

Cornstarch- The standard 16 oz. box is good for 4 people. Cornstarch also has an indefinite shelf life. You can find a 16 oz. box for about $1.30.

Baking cocoa- The standard 8 oz. container is good for 2 people for 3-months. Unopened cocoa can store indefinitely. A good price for cocoa is about $.26 per oz.

Chocolate chips- One 12 oz. pack for each person. These can be frozen to extend their shelf life and run about $3 each lately, about $.25 per oz. The big packs at the warehouse stores are definitely the best options, price wise, at about $.15 per oz but watch for sales at your local grocery store. (One magical day YEARS AGO I got packs for $.50 each!)

Lemon juice and vinegar are not really baking items, but more like cooking items. However, this is the list I included them on for some reason. Both can be used for many other purposes, like cleaning, so you might want to buy the big bottles. Lemon juice is good for about 18 months unopened and about 6 months opened in the fridge. Vinegar lasts indefinitely if stored properly! Both are cheapest at the warehouse stores.

 

And here's my list of herbs & spices that I use often:

 

CINNAMON

Onion powder

Garlic powder

Oregano

Basil

Chili powder

Black pepper

 

The thing about herbs & spices is that they lose potency over time, so you don't want to store them for TOO long. In fact, I don't store extras of these spices, but I do try to get a new container when I have about half a container's worth. (Except for cinnamon. I either have a big one from Sam's Club or several smaller ones on hand.) Does that make sense?

 

 

As you can see from the prices and the shelf life, baking items can actually be a pretty easy area to store. $10-20 will go A LONG WAY with these items! (Herbs and spices, not so much.)

 

Remember:

 

Make a list

Decide how much

Watch for deals

Rotate!