I hate when the pantry is full

Chana Miriam S

Fri, May 24 2019, 1:11 pm

This made me laugh out loud. We are currently looking into removing our pantry and installing a full freezer.

This came about because we stopped eating processed foods and this don’t really need pantry space for some spices and nuts. We have enough cabinets.

Meanwhile, we buy meat wholesale and do go through it so it would actually make sense to have a freezer since my house is an hour away from the wholesaler.

I do have to say that in general we have so much less waste since we stopped eating processed foods other than basic dairy. My pantry is cleaner and emptier, but we are no more hungry.

In fact even my fridge isn’t that much fuller because we don’t eat as much as we used to in general. At the same time, we like this feeling of emptying out and honestly, we’ve been clearing out ‘stuff’ from the rest of the house as well. We’ve made some very creative soups and meals with leftovers ( we usually cook once a week, basically- for Shabbat) and eat eggs when we run out of that!

Anyways, I support you in your quest! We are much happier, much less messy and the whole house feels better! So, you do you, and don’t let it bother you.

amother

Peach

Fri, May 24 2019, 1:42 pm

The top shelf in my (small) pantry is wine, flours (wheat, high-gluten, cornmeal, almond), panko (gluten free and regular) sugars, corn and potato starch

The next shelf is cooking wines and vinegars and other basic sauces

Next is pastas and rices, dried beans, barley, lentils, bulgur, quinoa, couscous

Finally, its canned vegetables (mostly corn and mushrooms, heart of palm, with a few other things in case of emergency), canned beans, and canned tomato products

A full pantry isn't a sign of junk food, its a sign of a prepared cook

One person mentioned an eating disorder. I do wonder how many people who fear a full pantry and refrigerator do have eating disorders.

amother

Lawngreen

Fri, May 24 2019, 2:08 pm

OP, I sort of gave up on having a reasonable amount of food ever.

DH grew up poor and loves when the pantry runneth over to the extreme levels. At least I think it is because of his upbringing.

We have one refrigerator for each person. Plus we have a two dedicated full size freezers and whatever freezer space the fridges come with. I have 3 floor to ceiling pantries, a storage room, and a huge kitchen bursting with food.

The more I cook, the more he buys.

And I have a small family!

I am not kidding.

amother

Smokey

Fri, May 24 2019, 2:28 pm

I like to have what I need on hand, plus some extra. I shop based on what we usually use, plus specific items for recipes I plan to make.

I do not like having an overwhelming amount of stuff. It's hard to keep track of the inventory or find what I actually need and want. Having too much "stuff" makes it hard for me to plan and prepare meals and keep the kitchen orderly.

I don't like the waste that comes from purchasing extra perishables, or even non-perishables that people buy because they are on sale but the family will never use.

I don't like how hard it is to keep the fridge clean if it's stuffed full.

I do not fear a full pantry, nor do I have an eating disorder or any other psychological problems. My older relatives who grew up in poverty, on the other hand, became hoarders. The ongoing psychological distress these people experience is real.

amother

Chocolate

Fri, May 24 2019, 2:44 pm

zaq wrote:

Why are you worried, OP? You're entitled to run your house and pantry as you see fit. Assuming you shop often enough that you have no problem feeding your family, who cares whether your pantry can see you through a long, harsh winter or only through next Tuesday?

I see you as a minimalist who enjoys open spaces and hates clutter. Too much stuff, even when neatly organized, is still clutter, and food is no exception. Less stuff means easier cleaning and less chance of pantry moths and other pests. I imagine you're also big on the idea of fresh food rather than food that's been in storage a long time. This, too, makes complete sense. Again, less chance of pantry moths and other forms of spoilage.

Unless you often find yourself running out of food or having to make emergency shopping trips, what's the problem?

I agree. I don’t mind having lots of toilet paper in storage but excess food in a larder seems to just takes up space. The worst-case scenario really is just needing to pop to the shops and get a food item. Not a big deal unless you live in a particularly remote area. The pantry and fridge definitely look neater with less in and clear storage containers do help you keep track of what you need to buy. The idea of having a separate storage area is a good idea too so you can store large bags of cheaper goods like pasta without it cluttering your larder.

amother

Chocolate

Fri, May 24 2019, 2:50 pm

amother [ Peach ] wrote:

I don’t have an eating disorder. I don’t “fear” a full pantry or fridge but I don’t like either overstuffed. I am less into cooking than your average Balabusta so although I want my family to eat, I am not overly consumed with baking/cooking needs. I have the essentials and am able to cook. I can pop out to shops and get ingredients as needed. I do feel overwhelmed if I have shelves filled with excess flour and sugar for baking.

I don’t think poverty necessarily is a factor either. We grew up poor but always had a full pantry because my parents were more into cooking and baking than I am.

amother

Emerald

Fri, May 24 2019, 3:36 pm

amother [ Tan ] wrote:

Me too.
I pride myself always on only having what I need and not more in both my fridge and my pantry. I hate opening the fridge in my mother's house and finding all kinds of random stuff taking up space there. I don't buy lots of ready-made stuff because of health but the major side benefit is that I don't have all these things clogging up my fridge. Things that people commonly have in their fridge/pantry that I don't: duck sauce, soy sauce, etc. all kinds of ready-made dairy products like leben/cheeses/cheese snacks.

I use lots of fresh fruits and vegetables which lie neatly in their drawers.

That's funny. I use lots of fresh fruit and vegetables and the two produce drawers that my fridge comes with isn't nearly enough space to contain all of the produce that we use. I have bags of fruit and vegetables taking up too much haphazard space in my fridge and I'm constantly trying to contain them.

OTOH, my one jar of duck sauce fits neatly into a space in the door and causes me no trouble at all.

amother

Copper

Sun, May 26 2019, 8:03 am

I'm similar to OP.
I'm a minimalist by nature though it barely shows in my house. ...
My DH does the major shopping and he tends to overbuy "just in case you'll need it" and "it was a great price".
I get overwhelmed with all the stuff, having to organize the pantry and fridge, and then having no control over the "inventory".
I feel you OP.