The Flour Farm Pantry – Success in the Gluten Free Kitchen
The key to success in the gluten free kitchen (any kitchen!) is a well stocked pantry, meaning you have the ingredients on hand to create when the moment arises. The gluten free pantry does not have to exist as a mythological place filled with exotic foods and twenty different blends made to accommodate every possible category of baked goods. True story! A pantry does not have to be “full” in order to be perfect for your family. Store only the ingredients for your favorite dishes. Let’s open up the Flour Farm Pantry and see what we find….
Organized Goods
The first thing one would notice about our pantry is that it’s very organized. Items are grouped together: sweeteners, spices, flour & starches, extracts, leavening, and extras such as oatmeal and chocolate chips. You will also see that we keep our products stored in mason jars or large BPA free plastic storage containers to maintain freshness. Following is a list of food products that we use in our recipes – and our own home cooking/baking. This is a working list that evolves, so check in often to see if we added anything from the sea of gluten free mystery.
All of our products are gluten free, non-GMO, and/or organic. If an ingredient does not specifically state on the package that it is gluten free, then I check to make sure that it is not processed on a line or in a facility that also produces gluten containing products such as wheat, barley, spelt or rye. If you need to substitute any ingredient in a recipe, please refer to our Ingredient Substitution Guide by clicking on the link.
Category: Flours and Starches
We house the following flours and starches in our pantry: Flour Farm Organic Gluten Free Flour Blend, Tapioca Flour, Toasted Oat Flour, Buckwheat Flour, Potato Starch, Corn Starch, and Arrowroot Flour
Category: Sweeteners
We use all natural, minimally processed sugars as a rule. We use Cane Sugars (granulated, light brown, dark brown, turbinado, raw), Coconut Sugar, Powdered Sugar, Maple Sugar/Flakes and Syrup, Coconut Nectar, Molasses, Local Honey and Agave. Often we may substitute sugar-free sweeteners such Stevia or Monkfruit (brand names Swerve, Lakanto).
Category: Spices
The spices listed are the ones we use in the recipes found here online: Black Pepper (whole peppercorns & ground), Cayenne Pepper, Extra Fine Pink Himalayan Salt, Diamond Kosher Salt, Maldon Flake Sea Salt, Cinnamon, Nutmeg (whole), Italian Seasoning, Dry Mustard, Borsari Original Seasoning Salt, Garlic Flakes & Powder, Cream of Tartar, Ground Ginger, and Cardamom. In addition, we use fresh herbs whenever possible from our garden that we dry.
Category: Bakers Helpers
Since gluten free baked goods do not have the gluten molecule to provide structure or binding power, we use the following ingredients to assist in the rising & conditioning process: Leaveners such as Baking Soda, Double-Acting and Aluminum Free Baking Powder. Acids such as Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Lemon Juice, and Apple Cider Vinegar. We may also use Acacia Powder, Guar Gum, Xanthan Gum, Tara Gum, Fruit Pectin, Gelatin, Agar Agar, Yeast (Instant & Active), and Psylllium – both in powder form and husk. You do not need gums to bake gluten free, (only about 10% of our recipes call for it.) You can use psyllium as a substitute, or leave it out. We’ve had so many customers comment on their success with our recipes using psyllium. Without gums or psylllium your bread will be very dense, but flavorful.
Category: Fats & Oils
Oils in our pantry are limited, as we prefer healthy oils with either neutral or buttery flavor. We use Avocado Oil, Sunflower Oil, Coconut Oil (Refined and Unrefined), Butter (salted & unsalted), Homemade Ghee, and our Homemade Oil Spray (1 part oil to 5 parts water).
Category: Miscellaneous
The Flour Farm Pantry also contains items such as Raw Seeds (Flax, Chia, Pistachio, Almond,) Oats (both Quick and Rolled), Raw Sprouted Brown Rice Protein, Whole and Non-fat Milk Powders, Grass Fed Raw Whey, Butttermilk Powder, Powdered Egg Whites, Applesauce, Canned Pumpkin, Canned Coconut Milk & Cream, Freeze-Dried Fruit, Dried lavender Flowers, Espresso Powder, and Mini-Chocolate Chips.
Category: Refrigerator
There are a few staples in our refrigerator that we want to mention: Homemade Kombucha, Yeast (Instant & Active), Butter (salted & unsalted), Sour Cream, Ricotta, Plain Greek Yogurt, Hot Sauce, Tamari, Bragg’s Aminos, Lemon Juice, Eggs, Milk, Almond or Oat Milk, Seltzer, and Sourdough Starter.
Category: Extras
We also have on hand such items such as Cupcake Liners, Sprinkles, Cookie Cutters, Cake Decorating Kit, Vegan Candies, Potassium Carbonate (for Ramen), Food Based Coloring, and Muffin Rings for English muffins.
Category: Bonus Equipment
This category is not essential – just time saving. Hanging our in our pantry is a Cuisinart Bread Maker, Philips Pasta Maker, Atlas Pasta Maker, Mandolin, Cuisinart Food Processor, Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer, and Seltzer Maker. None of these items are essential to our recipes. You can beat dough for bread using an electric mixer or by hand if you are a sturdy creature with shoulders like Atlas.
Success in the Gluten Free Kitchen
We hope this peek into our gluten free pantry helps you to plan out yours. If you would appreciate links to the products we use on this page – please send us a message and we will make the change. Cheers to success!
Peace & LOVE – Teri
Cover Picture provided by Pixabay; Page Updated 8.20
