The importance of scratch cooking

A few years ago, I wrote a lengthy article for Backwoods Home Magazine on the subject of pantry independence, developing the idea that a deep pantry is an excellent tool to have – not just for rural dwellers, but for anyone.

A deep pantry can mitigate, to some degree, the rising costs of food. It also permits a measure of independence for everything from weather disruptions to job losses. "For some people," I wrote, "a 'pantry' is little more than a dedicated kitchen cabinet where boxed macaroni-and-cheese is kept next to a few cans of tuna. For others, a pantry is a vast storage room capable of holding a year or more of food. For most of us, the reality falls somewhere in the middle."

The article was lengthy and went into great detail about how we built our deep larder, what we store, the importance of preserved foods (canned, dehydrated, fermented), bulk storage, organizational tips, etc. Keep all this in mind for a moment.

With 2025 now upon us, I'm seeing a variety of New Year's resolution-type articles on becoming more frugal and/or saving money. This has always been a subject near and dear to my heart, so I read such articles with interest.

One popular resolution involves a promise to cut back on food deliveries, take-out food, restaurant meals, and other conveniences.

We've spent the last few decades living so far away from these options that we literally don't consider them an option at all. Once in a while Don and I will have lunch in a local eatery in town, and it's a lovely (if pricey) treat. But daily or weekly? Who can afford that?

One of the reasons these food options are popular with so many people is scratch cooking is becoming, apparently, a lost art. Partly this is due to any domestic chore being denigrated as lowly, and partly it's due to a lack of time for busy parents.

But scratch cooking is a supremely important skill, even for those of us who are not enthusiastic cooks (guilty!). But it behooves anyone trying to ramp up their frugality to learn the basics.

When the girls were younger, I developed a repertoire of recipes that we all enjoyed, and cycled through them regularly. This meant it was easy to keep the required ingredients on hand. When the girls left home and it was just Don and me, we fell back upon easy one- or two-person cooking (Don loves sandwiches, so that is usually his go-to meal; I would often just make myself a stir-fry).

After Older Daughter took over the woodcraft business, she also took over the cooking, since she learned she rather enjoys it. It's turned into a wonderful partnership. I'm not an enthusiastic cook, but I don't mind cleaning up; she doesn't like cleaning up, but she's a remarkable cook. Win-win.

This circles back to the idea of a deep pantry. In the article, I wrote the following:

"You might have noticed a recurring theme in this article, as well as any other article addressing the issue of food storage and pantry independence: they all focus on cooking meals from scratch.

"Pantry independence won't happen if your normal eating habits include endless pre-packaged convenience foods or deli take-outs. The whole goal of a deep pantry is to provide for your own needs for a period of time.

"So I'm going to say the quiet part out loud: Please, please – learn to cook from scratch. It's one of the best long-term frugal strategies you can master.

"I'm not an enthusiastic cook. Frankly, it bores me. But a frugal lifestyle demanded I learn the basics, and over the years I've built a repertoire of meals from pantry staples which the whole family enjoys. That should be your task too.

"Not only will scratch cooking allow you to create endless meals from the building blocks of staples, but quite frankly stocking with staples is far less expensive than any other options."

The point I made – that scratch cooking is one of the best long-term frugal strategies you can master – is a universal truth. I argue that most of what should be in a pantry is ingredients. Regardless of how you feel about cooking, it's still a skill worth mastering. I have no interest in capturing the breadth and talent level Older Daughter has acquired for scratch cooking, but neither will we be dependent on pre-made meals in her absence.

So here's my next question: For those unfamiliar with (or intimidated by) scratch cooking, what advice can you offer? (I'll start the list with one: Avoid any cookbooks by Martha Stewart. While I admire her dedication to perfection, I don't have the patience to spend three days preparing a desert. See this post.) Another piece of advice: A staggering number of kitchen implements and tools can be obtained at thrift stores.

Ready, aim, cook!