Well-stocked refrigerators and freezers keep a from scratch kitchen running smoothly and help you live frugally. Having the ingredients you use most often on-hand will ensure that when cooking you have what you need. You don’t need to be running to the shop each day to get a handful of things, which usually ends up in spending more than necessary on impulse buys.
Keeping your fridge and freezer organised can also help in lowering your spending. If you are aware of exactly what you have already, you won’t be accidentally buying unnecessary items.
Below, I have collated a comprehensive list of the items I always have in my fridge and freezer, which makes whipping something up last minute quite easy.
Contents
What to Stock in Your Fridge
Dairy
- Butter – lots of butter!! When cooking from scratch, butter makes a big difference to the depth of flavour of your dishes. Keeping plenty on hand is definitely a must.
- Milk
- Cheese – just like the butter, you will need lots of cheese! Well, I do anyway, as we are all obsessed with cheese in all shapes and forms. Start off with at the very least cheddar, and you can eventually add in other cheese varieties such as mozzarella, feta & parmesan.
- Cream
- Cream cheese – cream cheese can be used in both sweet and savoury dishes. Make dips from scratch to snack on when sitting outside on a sunny day or bake a delicious cheesecake for dessert.
- Yoghurt
- Sour cream – again, this can be utilised in both sweet and savoury dishes. Adding alongside your Mexican dishes such as a burrito bowl or adding into your cheesecake mix with the cream cheese.
Condiments
- Tomato paste – use for a pizza or pasta sauce. The shop bought squeeze bottles make using just a small amount each time more frugal, as you aren’t using just part of an opened can which eventually goes in the bin.
- Mayonnaise
- Mustard – there are plenty of varieties of mustard that can be utilised in many ways. Mustard to help make your own mayonnaise, flavouring meats before cooking or adding a little zing to a simple ham & cheese sandwich.
- Relish or chutney
Fresh produce
- Tomatoes
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Capsicum
- Mushrooms
- Limes or lemons
- Lettuce
Deli meats
- Ham
- Bacon
- Salami or pepperoni
- Turkey or chicken
Labelling items can make a big difference in your spending requirements too.
Buying up in bulk and freezing items is all for nothing if you can’t recall what is in the package & it gets freezer burn and is no longer usable.
Label everything well with what is in the package, and the date in which you froze it.
How Long can Items Last in the Freezer?
| Item | Length of Time |
| Fresh Meat | Up to 12 months |
| Fish & Seafood | 2-4 months |
| Fresh Produce | 8-12 months |
| Baked Goods | Up to 6 months |
*These time frames depend on the items being packaged correctly and the freezer keeping a continuous temperature of -18°C (0°F).
What to Stock in Your Freezer
Meats
- Beef – steaks, sausages, soup bones, mince, brisket & roasts
- Pork – loin chops, ribs & roasts
- Chicken – whole, pieces & cooked “scraps” for stock making
- Seafood – fish fillets & prawns
Produce
- Berries
- Bananas
- Apple slices
- Stone fruits
- Diced onions
- Diced capsicum
- Crushed garlic
- Herbs in oil
- Vegetable scraps – for making stock (see my recipe How to Make From Scratch Chicken Stock)
Baked goods
- Pizza dough or bases – I like to always have a few pre-made pizza bases in the freezer for those nights when you just can’t be bothered making dinner, you forget to get the meat out to defrost, or when something comes up and you just don’t have the time.
- Bread & rolls
- Croissants – these are a staple in our household for quick lunches.
- Pie crusts
- Waffles or pancakes – nothing like waffles or pancakes for breakfast, and the ability to be able to have some whipped up super quick and without the chaotic mess they always seem to make, is a delight on a busy morning.
- Cakes or cupcakes
- Puff pastry – for making sausage rolls, apple turnovers or a quick pie crust.
Other
- Ice cream
- Prepped or leftover meals
- Raw cookie dough
Keeping a well-stocked pantry is also vital in your from scratch kitchen. Check out my post How To Stock a From Scratch Kitchen Pantry here.
Keeping on top of your inventory in your from scratch kitchen is integral. You need to know when you are running low on items so that you can restock before you are out. Buying in bulk can help with this as you generally have larger quantities on hand to refill smaller containers from.
Utilising an inventory list like the one above, can help you keep on top of your items.
If there are items you believe I have missed off of this lift, I would love to hear about it in the comments below.
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