Here I would like to share with you My Top 6 Ingredients to always have on hand. On some, I will share my favorite brands I buy. For these ingredients I don’t only buy one, I buy multiples of them at a time. I panic a little whenever I’m running low.
Holidays are around the corner and when it comes to holidays, holidays equals lots of baking. When I’m in search of a recipe I like to look for the ones where I have most of the ingredients. These ingredients are not only necessary to have for the holidays but are great to have year-round. You can make so many things with My Top 6 Ingredients.
Flour
For baking, flour is the ingredient once mixed with liquid becomes elastic gluten. With that gluten activated baking magic begins. For cooking, flour is a secret ingredient that thickens sauces, soups, and chilis.
There are many different types of flour out there, some healthier than others. I choose all-purpose because it is versatile. With all-purpose flour, you can make pancakes, cookies, tortillas, biscuits, muffins, and bread. Can also be used to thicken sauces, soups, and chilis.
Wheat Montana is my favorite brand of flour. For anything I make that requires all-purpose flour I use this brand. This flour is unbleached, light in feel mixes very well with other ingredients, and is part of the NON-GMO project.
My worst fear is to run out while in the middle of making something delicious. So every time I buy flour I buy at least three 10 pound bags at a time. Because I use it so much to make many different things, I easily go through it.
Salt
Salt was once a form of payment and a form of salary years ago, because it would make everything taste so much better. It can also mask poorly cooked food (not that I get many complaints about my cooking).
Sea salt is my choice because it is minimally processed, comes straight from our oceans. Hain sea salt is the brand I buy, it’s relatively inexpensive. I always keep two bottles at a time.
Baking Powder
Baking powder is what gives everything a rise and lightens the texture in your baked goods. Gives those cookies and pancakes that beautiful fluff.
Baking powder is a must-have. Can be used for making different baked goods. Pancakes, tortillas, muffins, cookies, and bread. This is also another ingredient I fear of running out in the middle of cooking. And it has happened.
Rumford baking powder is the brand I buy. It does not contain aluminum not like other brands. Another reason I buy this one is that it’s reasonably priced and it is also part of the NON-GMO project. When I buy baking powder I buy two to three cans at a time.
Vanilla
Vanilla is what gives your baked goods that distinctive sweetness. If you want to go that extra mile in your baking, do not forget the vanilla.
It can be used in mostly all of your baked goods, pancakes, muffins, cookies, cakes, and sweet bread.
Trader Joe’s vanilla is the brand I like to buy. Vanilla can be VERY pricy, this brand is really good and reasonably priced. Also another ingredient I buy multiples of at a time. Just the other day I bought three bottles, hoping it will last me a few months.
Eggs
Eggs are your binding agent to your baking and cooking. It allows your creations to keep together and keep the shape.
Not only can they be used to making baked goods, but also can be used to make many other kinds of dishes. The possibilities with eggs are endless to what you can create.
As for eggs, I don’t have a particular brand I buy. Pasture-raised is ideal, which means chickens were raised roaming the pasture freely. But for a big family, it can be very pricy because I don’t only buy one dozen at a time, I buy three. So when I can, I buy cage-free, which means the chickens are not raised in small cages and have room to spread their wings.
Butter
Butter is what moistens your baked goods, and it gives it a light creamy texture. When used for cooking it enhances your veggies and meats.
Can be used to make biscuits, muffins, cookies, and sweet bread. Also, be used to saute veggies and grill white and red meats.
Unsalted butter is what I like to buy because I can control the salt in the recipes. I don’t have a particular brand that I like. But when I buy butter I like to have at least two 1 pound boxes.
Everyone’s family is different so you need to evaluate what your family eats regularly. And you go from there on what ingredients to need to have on hand. As for the amounts that I buy, those might be a lot for you but those are the amounts that are reasonable for my big family.
I hope My Top 6 Ingredients was helpful on deciding which ingredients are good to have on hand in your kitchen.
Here are a few recipes where you can use My Top 6 Ingredients
