Today’s February sky is amazingly sunny for a day so bitterly cold. Still, I can’t let that old sun fool me, his sunshine is unquestionably losing the battle with winter’s wrath. The weather apps on my phone continue to send out a familiar “ping” as they update me on expectations of more heavy snow, ice, and sleet. They’ve forewarned of potential power outages, the dangers of being outside, and a Level 3 snow emergency has just been issued…meaning county roads are now closed to all travelers except for emergency vehicles.
It’s -19 Fahrenheit now, and on days like this, there are two things sure to bring me comfort; first, is the warmth from a crackling fire. Well, that and a tin with everything I need to roast marshmallows! Nearby are cast iron skillets and a reflector oven reassuring me, should the need arise, meals can be prepared over that same fire.
Second, depending on where you live, you may call it a pantry, a larder, or a buttery. Today the words are used interchangeably, while “back in the day” a larder was for keeping foods cool (such as meat or vegetables), a pantry for maintaining dryness (sugar or flour), and a buttery for storing barrels.
Whichever word is most familiar, in a drafty old house on an icy day such as this, it’s just what’s needed. It’s assurance, it’s faith, it’s peace of mind that no matter what the weather is outside, there are goods stored to keep us nourished.
Believe me, I would be absolutely giddy over a huge, walk-in country pantry! Alas, in this old house, the small room next to the kitchen was most likely added years ago as a mudroom. True, it’s where friends and family still find their way in to visit, but lately, I’m doing my best to re-imagine it as a small pantry. And what better day to plan and dream? We have 15 inches of fresh snow outside my door…I’m not going anywhere!
I’ve been inspired by a good friend’s 1885 farmhouse pantry – it’s so roomy! She cleverly added shelving to a room beside the kitchen, and now it’s absolutely perfect for keeping whatever is needed close at hand. Everything from aprons to spare egg cartons, appliances to baking needs fill this amazing food storage pantry, while a big window keeps the room bright & cheery.
Shelves holding her bread mixer and wheat grinder share space with 5-gallon buckets of oats, flour, sugar, and wheat berries. (Look at that mixer – it’s fantastic!)
She created loads of room for potatoes, garlic, and onions alongside containers of rice, pasta, and beans. There’s even a spot for her husband’s chainsaws, “Why not?!” she laughingly asks. And I agree! When winds and ice bring down tree limbs, or branches block the paths leading to the barn and chicken coop, a chainsaw is right by the door ready to be put into action.
Countless gadgets and accessories are lined up next to extra storage containers, glass jars, canned goods, honey, herbal tea, loaves of freshly-baked bread, and so much more.
I’m crazy about it all! But here’s what I admire most…she didn’t design this space because it’s a farmhouse-style trend or a current fad. She created it as a promise – a promise that says, “This family will be fed.”
And because I love all things old, I became curious about the pantries I’ve seen in the homes of historical villages. Those pantry shelves held butter crocks, jelly molds, salt crocks, butter paddles, kraut cutters, sausage stuffers, oil lamps, and cake crocks. Pantries with oodles of room for big items such as butter churns, milk and cream cans along with large bags of flour and sugar.
Hmmm, what about adding a dry sink for soaking beans or washing up after a little garden weeding?
Another dear friend who grew up in a farmhouse built in 1900, fondly recalls a room her family called The Little Kitchen…isn’t that sweet?
Used for food storage as well as food prep, it has a wall of floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall storage. (Be still my heart!) A cupboard is positioned at each end of the wall, with long, roomy drawers in the middle. Above the drawers is a counter, and then above that are shelves…imagine! There’s a stainless steel work island and once a coal stove could be found in the kitchen. I can just imagine the bustling around that busy room preparing meals for the family as they came in from milking cows or mending fences.
Every home can have the promise mentioned above – the security that comes from extra food storage and the ease of keeping what we use most close at hand. Whether it’s an urban apartment, an A-frame in the mountains, or a cottage in a small town, each one of us can have a pantry that fits our needs.
Your pantry doesn’t need to be a separate room you can step into; any size cupboard is a terrific place to start. It’s a spot set aside for just what you need. I found this cupboard in a used furniture store, sitting there unwanted, probably because it was so big (52”x33”x80”) and heavy (hickory!) It had been a canning cupboard in an old farmhouse basement.
Any type of cupboard will do – even an unused bookcase or modern wire shelving can become a pantry. Wander through local thrift stores, check out yard or garage sales, or glance over furniture ads. You never know what you’ll find, and don’t pass up a piece based on how it looks. A splash of color from a fresh coat of paint does wonders, or simply keep that amazing original chippy finish. Add some molding, stenciling, swap out the knobs, cover the shelves with patterned shelf liner or spare wallpaper. Whatever it takes to make it your own.
No room for a cupboard? No worries! Do you have an empty shelf in a closet, or how about adding some open shelving in the kitchen? Years ago I met a gal who pulled down old kitchen paneling, and instead of hanging drywall, she added shelves between the vertical wall studs…genius!
We can start small: fill plastic totes, spare picnic coolers, lidded 5-gallon buckets, baskets, glass canning jars, or stacking storage jars. No rules, it’s anything that works for you and the space you have.
Ok, now that I’m armed with inspiration, it’s time gussy up my little 5’x9’ mudroom. I have a tall pie safe and a dry sink I will definitely use, but I need to get that room in order. I still have to keep in mind it’s how everyone comes into the kitchen, so two doors and a window are taking up space…I’ll just have to get creative. With the weather the way it is, this will be a plot and plan kind of day!
So tell me, do you have a pantry you love, or did you grow up in a house with a country pantry? Did you create a pantry from a freebie cupboard that was just too good to pass up? Maybe you added a vintage screen door to a bookcase? I can’t wait to hear your ideas and suggestions!
Well, I’m off to sit by the fire and imagine the possibilities…that seems like the best way to warm up on this frosty winter day.
I’ll see you next month, with more “tails” from the farm.
Weekly Blogs and Recipes