Reader-Recommended Essential Items for a Traditional Southern Pantry
Southern Charm: Staples in a Southern Pantry
Step into a Southern abode, and you'll notice a distinctive charm, from the magnolia tree in the front yard to the plate wall in the dining room. But, the true Southern essence unfolds in the kitchen and, particularly, the pantry. Imagine finding a can of bacon grease on the counter, an heirloom cast-iron skillet on the stove, and a pitcher of sweet tea in the fridge - you've just entered a Southern home. Our Facebook community shared their pantry highlights, offering an insightful glimpse into the Southern way of life. Here are some must-haves in a Southern pantry:
Signatures of the South: Staples in the Pantry
Grits
From Alabama to South Carolina, Southerners turns to brands like McEwen & Sons, Old Mill of Guilford, and Marsh Hen Mill for their grits, making it a quintessential Southern staple.
Home-Canned Goods
For many Southerners, summer means "putting up" fruits and veggies from the garden, resulting in a pantry filled with pickled okra, muscadine and mayhaw jam, apple butter, and a variety of homemade condiments like chow chow and pepper jelly.
Home Canning for Beginners: Your Essential Guide
Cornmeal
Straight-up cornmeal, free from mixes and additives, took second place to grits as the Southern pantry essential. A simple ingredient list often reads, "Corn."
Dried Beans and Peas
Dried beans and peas, whether from the grocery store or farmers market, are a mainstay in Southern kitchens. Pinto beans and black-eyed peas are popular choices, with Southern brands like Camellia Beans and Luck's being highly regarded.
Alternative Sweeteners
When it comes to adding sweetness to Southern classics like biscuits and cornbread, cane syrup, molasses, sorghum syrup, and local honey are popular choices. Brands such as Golden Eagle Syrup, Blackburn Syrup, and Steen's Syrup, alongside a trusted bottle of Karo Syrup, can be found in Southern pantries.
Sweeten Up Your Life: A Guide to Southern Sweeteners
Shortening
Unquestionably, shortening - often simply called Crisco - has been a Southern baking staple for generations.
Time to Bake: Decoding Shortening, Lard, and Butter
Cajun Cooking Essentials
Even beyond Louisiana, Cajun seasoning blends like Slap Ya Mama, Tony Chachere's, and Ragin' Cajun's are widespread in Southern spice racks. Also, essentials such as crab boil (Zatarain's) and filé powder for gumbo are common.
Discover the Magic of Cajun Cooking
Honorable Mentions
While garnering fewer mentions, Community Coffee, Tabasco, Carolina Gold rice, Vidalia onions, pecans, benne wafers, and Luzianne Tea are additional must-haves in a Southern pantry.
- Southern Living's Facebook community shared that grits, canned goods, cornmeal, dried beans and peas, alternative sweeteners, shortening, Cajun cooking essentials, Community Coffee, Tabasco, Carolina Gold rice, Vidalia onions, pecans, benne wafers, and Luzianne Tea are must-haves in a well-stocked Southern pantry.
- In a Southern kitchen, a kitchen assistant may find a can of bacon grease, an heirloom cast-iron skillet, and a pitcher of sweet tea in the pantry, along with grits, canned goods, cornmeal, dried beans and peas, and other Southern staples.
- For those ready to begin canning their own goods, it's essential to know about the proper techniques and ingredients for creating pickled okra, muscadine and mayhaw jam, apple butter, chow chow, and pepper jelly, common finds in Southern pantries.
- Southern kitchens are often equipped with Cajun seasoning blends like Slap Ya Mama, Tony Chachere's, and Ragin' Cajun's, as well as essentials such as crab boil (Zatarain's) and filé powder for making gumbo, demonstrating the Southernness of Cajun cooking.
