# Pantry pictures



## Wendy (May 10, 2002)

Ok, time to show off your pantry. I took some pics today of mine. I am still not done canning, but it is winding down. I had to do it in several shots because my porch is too narrow to get a good shot.


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Let's see pictures of your pantries to inspire all of the people new to canning.


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## Liberty'sGirl (Jul 7, 2012)

Dear Lord, woman, when did you sleep?!

(Note to self: 1. do NOT take pictures of pantry 2. Get a pressure canner)


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## Wendy (May 10, 2002)

Sometimes not a lot it seems. I did the vegetable soup & I shut the last canner off at 3:00 in the morning.


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## preparing (Aug 4, 2011)

Beautiful!


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

Wow, Wendy, and I thought I was doing good at 250ish jars this year.
I officially have pantry envy.


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## Horseyrider (Aug 8, 2010)

Woohoo, girl! That's money in the bank! You must feel pretty darn proud of yourself!


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## Homesteader (Jul 13, 2002)

Oh my. I just last week got over my pantry envy from last time 

It is a lovely sight! Mine is about 2/3's store bought cans so my home canned stuff isn't as impressive!


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## Vickie44 (Jul 27, 2010)

Beautiful I am so jealous !


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## roadless (Sep 9, 2006)

I have pantry envy.


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## StaceyS (Nov 19, 2003)

LOVE!!! Also you reminded me I bought some cranberries to do the "easy grape juice" recipe with...


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## Evons hubby (Oct 3, 2005)

Ok, My eyes arent all that great, and I gotta confess when I first read the thread title I thought its said something a little different and was mighty curious about just what kind of panty pictures could possibly be found in Melissas forum.. so yeah.. I had to click. This is even better! Great job!


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

How pretty....and organized!! Mines, not so pretty and surely not organized. But I know where things are.

Here are a few pictures. These were taken before caning season really got underway. Mom wanted to take a peek, then said she wanted my dad to be able to see it too. He can't do the steps, so I took these.


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## po boy (Jul 12, 2010)

Nice!


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## Kathy in MD (May 30, 2002)

I have pantry envy also...i never tire of seeing wendy's pantry...

and i also know she built the shelves herself..


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## 1sttimemom (Mar 1, 2005)

So what is in the all white jars at very top?? Lard??


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## scooter (Mar 31, 2008)

Great job!


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## Travis in Louisiana (May 14, 2002)

Grandpaw, WHATS FOR SUPPER!! HEEHAW!


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## Marilyn (Aug 2, 2006)

Beautiful, Wendy! Good job! ( I am also curious about the white product in jars on the top shelf. Lard? Milk?)


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## Wendy (May 10, 2002)

> So what is in the all white jars at very top?? Lard??


Milk. I can extra when I have more than we need. I use it to feed the bottle babies so we can have the fresh milk for us when the goats kid. Shake it up, open it & dump in the bottles.  It would probably work ok in cooking if needed.


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## SugarMag (Jun 30, 2011)

Now I have something to aspire to! That's awesome!


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## candyknitter (Apr 23, 2009)

Wow! Fantastic pictures!
May I ask which make of canner you use?


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## mammabooh (Sep 1, 2004)

Wendy, your canned milk looks much more appetizing than mine does. Would you mind explaining how you do it? I think I might be over-processing mine.


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## mamma24 (Aug 29, 2012)

All I can say is WOW!! I am going to show these pics to my hubby to add to his winter "to build" list. Those shelves are amazing!


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## karenp (Jun 7, 2013)

That makes me feel warm and fuzzy and envious at the same time. DH has a project.


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## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

Good Job Wendy! You have all seen mine-but I took it all out and cleaned it. What a job,it took weeks, as I have the regular stuff to do in the meen time.Need to add up the totals on how many full jars I have in there. My empty jars stash is to where I have no boxes left to put them in and yesterday my dh found about a hundred more in the pole barn! Keep Cannin!


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## Honey Berry (Oct 22, 2005)

Wendy, you are such an inspiration!


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## Laura Zone 5 (Jan 13, 2010)

After we had our little earth shake a few years ago....I decided to put an extra board across the front, so my jars would not shake off the shelf and smash on the floor!!

Looks great!!


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## Becka03 (Mar 29, 2009)

That is amazing!
Hubby put up some new shelving for me- this is before we got the salsa, and sauce and other stuff finished- it is chalk board paint on the front- so I can label the stuff for the kids to find stuff easy when I need them to grab stuff for me


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## Kris in MI (May 30, 2002)

Becka03 I love the idea of chalk board paint across the front.

I'm not quite done for the year yet, but here are some recent pictures of my cellar, which is where all the canned goods are stored. Not in there yet are the potatoes I still have to finish digging, and the apples currently sitting in my garage.

My shelves were made out of reclaimed lumber when my parents re-did the deck on the back of their house. A little something of my childhood-I remember helping my Dad build that deck--brought to use at my house


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## Becka03 (Mar 29, 2009)

we bought it last yr- so it was leftover- I didn't have to buy it- and he surprised me with this when I got home from work! he had taken the off


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## ronbre (Apr 26, 2009)

lovely


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## Wendy (May 10, 2002)

> Wendy, your canned milk looks much more appetizing than mine does. Would you mind explaining how you do it? I think I might be over-processing mine


I process for 1 hour in a hot water bath.


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## Bret (Oct 3, 2003)

Ohio dreamer said:


> How pretty....and organized!! Mines, not so pretty and surely not organized. But I know where things are.
> 
> Here are a few pictures. These were taken before caning season really got underway. Mom wanted to take a peek, then said she wanted my dad to be able to see it too. He can't do the steps, so I took these.


I do not want to disrupt this thread, but I would like to know if this is this a Michigan Basement?

Beautiful pantries and canning work.


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## cntrywmnkw (Jun 5, 2013)

Wendy, I can only say WOW!!!, absolutely awesome job. I am SO VERY jealous. :goodjob:


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## jlxian (Feb 14, 2005)

Gorgeous gorgeous all of you. Now I not only have pantry envy, but dry basement envy as well. It has been many years since I had a nice looking "root cellar" like these. We have such a damp basement that we can't store home canned food there and haven't located any other spot to use. Good job!


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## Wendy (May 10, 2002)

That's how our basement is. It also has wicked steep, narrow steps. We enclosed our back porch & that's where my stuff is stored.


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## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

jlxian said:


> Gorgeous gorgeous all of you. Now I not only have pantry envy, but dry basement envy as well. It has been many years since I had a nice looking "root cellar" like these. We have such a damp basement that we can't store home canned food there and haven't located any other spot to use. Good job!


 Same here, I kicked the laundey room into a walkin closet and made a pantry out of the laundry room. I do not go in the basement unless emergency, even a tornado would make me run down to the basement of the cow barn.


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## CountryWannabe (May 31, 2004)

Oh. My. Goodness. These photos are almost pornographic. LOLOL. I am so envious of y'all's pantries.

Mary


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## jkhs (Sep 17, 2010)

Here's mine. Sorry, the picture isn't too great-I had to use my phone and the lighting isn't the greatest in the basement.


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## mammabooh (Sep 1, 2004)

Wendy said:


> I process for 1 hour in a hot water bath.


Hmmm...I've been pressure canning and that makes it carmelish (in color and flavor)...which is fine for pudding, but not so yummy for savory dishes. I'll have to seriously consider your method next year.


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## Vernitta (Jan 14, 2009)

I have a question for those that stack your jars on top of each other... I thought you weren't supposed to do that, because it would break the seal. Have any of you ever had that problem?

Can I store jars in another room? Does it have to be a basement or cellar?


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## momagoat61 (Mar 30, 2008)

All the Pantry's are beautiful!. I could retire and live very happily in any of them


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## Wendy (May 10, 2002)

My jars are not in a basement or cellar. They are on the back porch. It gets pretty warm during the summer, but we have not had a problem keeping the jars there. Preferred place is cool & dark, but store wherever you have the room.


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## Homesteader (Jul 13, 2002)

Vernitta said:


> I have a question for those that stack your jars on top of each other... I thought you weren't supposed to do that, because it would break the seal. Have any of you ever had that problem?
> 
> I have always stacked my jars 2 high and have never had a seal undo itself. They do say you should not do it. YMMV


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## TRAILRIDER (Apr 16, 2007)

Wendy said:


> Milk. I can extra when I have more than we need. I use it to feed the bottle babies so we can have the fresh milk for us when the goats kid. Shake it up, open it & dump in the bottles.  It would probably work ok in cooking if needed.


 Good idea. I hadn't thought of that. I freeze colostrum in ice cube trays then store it in freezer containers. But I hadn't thought of canning milk for bottle babies. I sure waste a lot of extra milk here, feeding it to the calf and chickens even though they don't need it. 
Your shelves of jars are lovely! I call these threads "pantry porn". Love to look into pantries and see all the jars lined up.


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## belladulcinea (Jun 21, 2006)

So beautiful! Love the pantries!


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## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

Vernitta said:


> I have a question for those that stack your jars on top of each other... I thought you weren't supposed to do that, because it would break the seal. Have any of you ever had that problem?
> 
> Can I store jars in another room? Does it have to be a basement or cellar?


 I also stack 2 high on some shelves. No problem. My pantry is on the regular level. It is cool in there,just block off any heat sourse. A TV cabnit makes a good "pantry" , the tall kind with doors. You can store a lot in one.


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## Freya (Dec 3, 2005)

Becka03 said:


> That is amazing!
> Hubby put up some new shelving for me- this is before we got the salsa, and sauce and other stuff finished- it is chalk board paint on the front- so I can label the stuff for the kids to find stuff easy when I need them to grab stuff for me




Next to the jalapeÃ±os.... does that say "Wet Peppers"? :huh:


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## Becka03 (Mar 29, 2009)

Freya- yes lol it does- we have access to about a quarter acre of Hot peppers of varying degrees of hotness- so we put'em thru the food processor- I add some vinegar, mustard seeds and cook'em down till hot and add some sugar too- to make'em a little sweet- it is a popular topping here in rural PA- when you get a hoagie - they always- ( a 'real' hoagie place) will say- Wet or Dry Peppers?.... we put it on burgers, pizza, tuna sammies- turkey sandwiches- we love it- the peppers create their own oil and makes it awesome


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## PorchGal (Jul 6, 2013)

Gorgeous :goodjob:


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## prairiegirl (Nov 2, 2004)

What awesome pantries. All that work! All the satisfaction and security!
And, some good eating, too.

Ohio Dreamer, your basement is a picture of mine. Well, except the shelves. We have often thought of shelving in that particular area and seeing yours inspires me.
I'll be sharing the photo with my DH. It would be the perfect winter project.


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Bret said:


> I do not want to disrupt this thread, but I would like to know if this is this a Michigan Basement?
> 
> Beautiful pantries and canning work.


Yes, that room has Michigan walls. That room is also a step up....with bricks set in the dirt for a floor.....a true pantry. Too bad we have boiler heat, so the pipes running through that room heat it to the point that it's too warm for "cold storage" as it was originally intended to be.


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## jlxian (Feb 14, 2005)

LOL, now I know we have a Michigan basement too. Never knew the terminology before.


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## puddlejumper007 (Jan 12, 2008)

they are all beautiful , and so much work, just a little sugestion, i would put some kind of a wood strip in the front so those jars can not shake off, in case of a earth quake. all that work would be a shame to lose. earth quakes even happen in Mich..


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## Homesteader (Jul 13, 2002)

Okay we have three different pantry areas. The one in the kitchen is the "everyday" stuff, lots of condiments, the basic baking stuff, coffee, pasta, current use rice, etc.:



Then, there is this little "closet", like a small coat closet:



Then the cans, jars both home canned and commercial. I took a close up too of one side:


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## sdnapier (Aug 13, 2010)

Liberty'sGirl said:


> Dear Lord, woman, when did you sleep?!
> 
> (Note to self: 1. do NOT take pictures of pantry 2. Get a pressure canner)


You are too funny. I think she is Martha Stewart's sister!

How lovely, everyone. I too have pantry envy


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## Liberty'sGirl (Jul 7, 2012)

Ohio dreamer said:


> How pretty....and organized!! Mines, not so pretty and surely not organized. But I know where things are.
> 
> Here are a few pictures. These were taken before caning season really got underway. Mom wanted to take a peek, then said she wanted my dad to be able to see it too. He can't do the steps, so I took these.


I see you have a "knee" in your "Michigan" basement, too. Must be the geography around here requires them (basement would probably cave in)


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## Wendy (May 10, 2002)

> I think she is Martha Stewart's sister


NOT!! I can't stand Martha Stewart!!


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## LittleRedHen (Apr 26, 2006)

Four rows deep

1000 jars approx... I expect 80% consumed by June. I had to combine two pics cause the area is too narrow to take pics in full view


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## Wendy (May 10, 2002)

Awesome!


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## JohnL751 (Aug 28, 2008)

Vernitta said:


> I have a question for those that stack your jars on top of each other... I thought you weren't supposed to do that, because it would break the seal. Have any of you ever had that problem?
> 
> Never stack jars until they cool completely.


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## TRAILRIDER (Apr 16, 2007)

LittleRedHen, I also leave the bands on my jars. I have never had an issue with doing that. And your shelves are so pretty! how big is your family?


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## LittleRedHen (Apr 26, 2006)

TRAILRIDER said:


> LittleRedHen, I also leave the bands on my jars. I have never had an issue with doing that. And your shelves are so pretty! how big is your family?


 
Family of 10  When some people see my pantry they think I am a prepper. I keep telling them that no, I just have a big family and that if I couldn't buy groceries this wouldn't last long at all! lol. My 8th baby was born in the PEAK of Canning season this year! I have some wonderful children who helped me can and I did so even after birth. The harvests had to come in and I couldn't let them be wasted. Now I rest though


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## Wendy (May 10, 2002)

Canning waits for no one, not even a newborn!  My kids were the same. We all pitch in & many hands make light work. I was out milking the day I came home from the hospital with my last one. I was blessed to be one of those that can give birth & go right back to work.  I take after my mom. She had 11 kids & it never slowed her down. She's my idol! I get the same thing from people. Most don't realize just how much 7 kids eat.


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## cindilu (Jan 27, 2008)

Love love love the canning pictures, good job ya'll.


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## Echoesechos (Jan 22, 2010)

Swoon, seriously l' m in love...


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## viggie (Jul 17, 2009)

Wow! My pantry just feeds one so it's a bit petite compared to everyone elses so far lol...but I thought I'd share too. I pasted these two shots together so you can see them up close, it's a pretty tight spot to take photos in.










It fits in my front coat closet. I've only got the one coat anyway =)


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## mammabooh (Sep 1, 2004)

Viggie, I see that you have potatoes with the skins on. Is this the first year for that, or have you done it that way previously? I'd like to know how they hold up.

I am impressed that you do all of that canning for yourself. I'm afraid that I would weigh 300 pounds from eating at Wendy's all the time if I didn't have my family's health to consider. Good job!


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## po boy (Jul 12, 2010)

viggie said:


> Wow! My pantry just feeds one so it's a bit petite compared to everyone elses so far lol...but I thought I'd share too. I pasted these two shots together so you can see them up close, it's a pretty tight spot to take photos in.
> 
> 
> 
> It fits in my front coat closet. I've only got the one coat anyway =)


Are those shelf frames plastic (band around the individual shelves) like the ones I see at Lowes. If so, are they holding up ok?


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## viggie (Jul 17, 2009)

mammabooh said:


> Viggie, I see that you have potatoes with the skins on. Is this the first year for that, or have you done it that way previously? I'd like to know how they hold up.
> 
> I am impressed that you do all of that canning for yourself. I'm afraid that I would weigh 300 pounds from eating at Wendy's all the time if I didn't have my family's health to consider. Good job!


I've done them with skins for 2 years now...once I learned you didn't have to do all the extra work peeling  They seem just fine to me.



po boy said:


> Are those shelf frames plastic (band around the individual shelves) like the ones I see at Lowes. If so, are they holding up ok?


These are metal (from Menards). The units are slightly different sizes, but the shelves on the left one hold about 36 quarts or 55 pints. I got curious and weighed a quart of potatoes at just under 3 pounds...so that's a lot of weight. You could check the capacity of the ones you saw, but I don't think I could trust all that hard to work plastic.


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## UrbanHouseMouse (Apr 5, 2012)

now I have serious pantry envy! mine is nearly empty from living off the contents for several months while being down with mrsa. i can't wait to start filling it back up again!


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Liberty'sGirl said:


> I see you have a "knee" in your "Michigan" basement, too. Must be the geography around here requires them (basement would probably cave in)


Not for us, we are the only ones in the region we now of with a room with Michigan Walls. For our house it was done for cold storage, I believe (or labor saving). Our house is 125 yrs old, and we have four rooms in the basement. The "pantry room" in the only room with Michigan Walls. The rest are normal floor to ceiling height walls.....although it's more of a cellar then a basement. You couldn't "re-finish" it without a TON of work, DH can't walk under the pipes in some portions without cracking his head into them....he's only 6'1"...5'11" DS has the same problem.


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## davwil143 (Oct 24, 2013)

When do we eat !!!

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## jlxian (Feb 14, 2005)

Wowowowowowow!


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## cindilu (Jan 27, 2008)

Where did you buy the shelves Viggie? They are looking very sturdy but also have a lot more shelf then what I can see when you buy at a store.


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## viggie (Jul 17, 2009)

I had to buy two boxes and combine the pieces 


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## galfriend (Nov 19, 2004)

WOW, awesome security banks  I'm envious. If I could've started last week I'd never get close enough.


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## arnie (Apr 26, 2012)

the cellar built into the hillside with some of the full shelves along with whee barrels of potatoes the beef n hog go to the butcher next week along with plenty of rabbits n chickens on the hoof theres no use to go hungry round here  .lucky thing in our county there is a cannery for the community to use and it makes big jobs go easy .. but most canning gets done at home


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## LittleRedHen (Apr 26, 2006)

mammabooh said:


> Viggie, I see that you have potatoes with the skins on. Is this the first year for that, or have you done it that way previously? I'd like to know how they hold up.
> 
> I am impressed that you do all of that canning for yourself. I'm afraid that I would weigh 300 pounds from eating at Wendy's all the time if I didn't have my family's health to consider. Good job!


I leave peels on mine too... And I don't mind it at all. Most of my taters are used in either mashed taters, stews or fried and the texture is fine in all three


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## LittleRedHen (Apr 26, 2006)

Pineapple... now why didn't I ever think of buying pineapple on sale and canning it! ooh does pineapple sound so good right now too!



viggie said:


> Wow! My pantry just feeds one so it's a bit petite compared to everyone elses so far lol...but I thought I'd share too. I pasted these two shots together so you can see them up close, it's a pretty tight spot to take photos in.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## LittleRedHen (Apr 26, 2006)

I love staring at other peoples canned goods for ideas of what I need to can next year


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## TRAILRIDER (Apr 16, 2007)

Viggie, you have made good use of a small space. Are those tattler lids you're using?

There's just the two of us, and so far just one wall of shelves, 8 ft long. But I plan to make the little laudryroom (8 X 10) a walk in pantry with three walls of shelves. I don't think you can have too much stored food and supplies. No matter if you're a family of one or ten. 

Before I can make the laundry room a pantry I have to make the big dog room/work room the combination laundry room/canning kitchen. Which then means I need another place for my work bench and room full of hand tools! You can see where this is going. There is so much to be done on a homestead. And this is just a small fraction of the indoor plans. The outdoor plans are too numerous to list. But one day I will get it done!


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## viggie (Jul 17, 2009)

Yes, I've been using Tattlers exclusively for a couple years now and am very happy with them . It does sound like some experienced canners have had some difficulty adjusting to them though because it is a bit different.


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## mommatwo2 (Nov 7, 2013)

Great Job! Hard work but so satisfying. When I grow up I want to be you..  


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## Tabitha (Apr 10, 2006)

Little red hen and Wendy, those are the neatest shelves. Triple wow. I think I will be hankering for some new shelves. Mine are just boards layed across cement blocks. So neat.


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## karenp (Jun 7, 2013)

OK, DH has some work to do. One question, had have read that you don't want to keep home canned food in a basement/root cellar because the lids and rings will trust. Do you guys have any trouble with that?


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## grasser (Dec 28, 2012)

View attachment 17452

Here's the main part of our pantry. This is in our basement. We keep a cabinet full in the kitchen as well and stock it as needed. 
I'll be adding 60 quarts of potatoes that I'm canning tomorrow. 
All harvested from our 1/2 acre garden. 


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## Leay (Mar 4, 2004)

I'm trying this for the first time, so I hope this works. This is a picture of our root cellar mid-season. 
Leay


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## Wendy (May 10, 2002)

> OK, DH has some work to do. One question, had have read that you don't want to keep home canned food in a basement/root cellar because the lids and rings will trust. Do you guys have any trouble with that?


I have only milk in my cellar. I do not leave rings on so I don't have to worry about them rusting. No problem with the lids so far.


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## jlxian (Feb 14, 2005)

karenp said:


> OK, DH has some work to do. One question, had have read that you don't want to keep home canned food in a basement/root cellar because the lids and rings will trust. Do you guys have any trouble with that?


Yes, our basement is totally unsatisfactory for storing canned items. Too damp and no dehumidifier will cure that. (I think actually there is a spring under our floor!). When we first moved here we canned a bunch of salsa and other items --- found out fast the lids would rust.


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## Horseyrider (Aug 8, 2010)

We keep ours mostly tucked in and around the laundry room. The shelves are made of red oak, and yes, I stack. This end of the house was built around 1900 and has wonderful air circulation.



Some go in the old cupboards.



I keep dried things out where I can see them,


along with family pictures. When I work, I think often of the women who went before me.



We have a Michigan basement, only here it's called Yankee walls. This is my root cellar. There are wooden shutters on the east and west sides to take advantage of falling cold air, and a brick floor that can be watered to increase humidity. The ceiling is plaster and lathe, and keeps the cold from coming upstairs.



And just cuz I love the root cellar's old door. 



I believe that food is beautiful. And that which we put up with our own hands is the most beautiful of all.


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## jlxian (Feb 14, 2005)

Your cellar looks a lot like mine Horseyrider, but mine is very wet.


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## Horseyrider (Aug 8, 2010)

jlxian said:


> Your cellar looks a lot like mine Horseyrider, but mine is very wet.


 Really? That's a shame! In the 31 years we've lived here, we've only had water get in two or three times. I guess there's enough farmland around us to soak it up. Of course, there's a big rain coming today and tomorrow, and the ground is frozen; so there might be a lot of runoff. Ours is bone dry right now, and has been for the last few years.


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## Centralilrookie (Jul 12, 2012)

I applaud all of the efforts that go into growing, harvesting, canning and storing of these great looking food items.


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## Goat Doula (May 25, 2013)

I keep coming back to this thread because I LOVE LOVE LOVE all your pantry's!!! I did a lot of freezing this year which is NOT eye candy at all. I miss all my jars lined up to look at and admire. Pantry's are such a beautiful sight. Security for sure!!:clap::happy:


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## Marilyn (Aug 2, 2006)

...and here is the other thread, this is the one with dropped photos. I had no idea there were two separate ones until I tried to figure it out again today!

Who woulda' thunk it....................Pantry Photos and Pantry Pictures!


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