In the 5 1/2 years I have been a homemaker I have found there are some kitchen essentials I need in my farmhouse. Cooking from scratch and persevering the harvest does not require a bunch of fancy gadgets but it does require some hard working farmhouse kitchen essential’s that will stand the test of time.
1. Cast Iron Skillets
A farmhouse kitchen essentials list could not be complete without a mention of cast iron skillets. I have been blessed to grow up using them and they are second nature to me at this point. They are so much easier to use than the internet can make them seem. Leaving to soak in water will not ruin them beyond repair.
Vintage ones are the best but new ones such as the lodge brand work well too. In fact my big cast iron pan is a lodge one and I use it almost everyday. If you can find a cast iron pan that is rusty but not cracked for a good price get it! It is not very hard to make them good as new.
2. Good Knives
Again I have to say that my favorites are vintage finds. I find that garage sales and estate sale are a great place to look for a knives. It is pretty rare to find a whole set but pretty common to find one or two good knives. I prefer high carbon steel with a wood handle.
High carbon steel knives are like cast iron in that they will rust if not taken proper care of. Also like cast iron they can be cleaned up easily as well. Along with your knives you will want at least a cheap knife sharpener. A dull knife is a dangerous knife.
3. Wooden Cutting Boards
I love wooden cutting boards! I have five right now but I am always on the look out for another one. I have a really large one picked up at an auction, one large one, a set of two I got off amazon for my wedding which I love and a smaller decorative one I also got for my wedding.
The best thing you can do for your wooden cutting boards and wood handled knives is to cut up pig fat to render lard with. Lard or tallow is the best conditioner for your wooden kitchen items.
4. At Least 1 Stock Pot
Cooking from scratch and growing and preserving your own food requires at least one heavy bottomed stock pot. You will use this for making bone broth, rendering lard, make soup and many more things. It is really important that which ever stock pot you get that it is a heavy bottom one. This makes sure that you food doesn’t stick and that there are no hot spots.
5. Baking Sheets
I think everyone needs at least two baking sheets and two muffin tins. I use my baking sheets for everything from pizza to roasting veggies to baking chops. I make hundreds of muffins a month so I have several muffin tins including two mini muffin tins. The mini ones are great for children because they are small enough that if they don’t eat it not much food gets wasted.
6. Measuring Cups and Spoons
I am actually in need of getting another set of measuring cups as mine were hand me downs and the labels have worn off. Because of this I recommend ones that have a raised or engraved labels on them so that they can’t wear off over time.
7. Mason Jars
We have almost no plastic containers in our house because we use glass jars for food storage. In addition to canning jars used glass salsa and spaghetti sauce jars are great to use for food storage. My favorites are the glass salsa jars from Aldi, they are the perfect size for food storage.
We also have canning jars in all of the sizes and some gallon size glass jars to use for dry good food storage. I have one whole corner cabinet in my kitchen just for glass jars.
8. Whisks
For some people one whisk might be enough, but not for me. I have four currently and I am constantly on the look out for them at resale shops and garage sales. I have broken four so far since getting married five years ago. Not only am I hard on them I frequently am using three or four at a time. In my opinion the only type worth getting and the all metal old school kind.
9. Rubber Spatula
I got a set of five of these for my wedding and I have loved them and used them so much! I prefer the one piece kind so that no gunk or mold can grown in any wired spots. I also like mine to be nice and flexible to be able to scrape out dishes really well.
10. Glass Baking Dishes
This is one category that I need to get more of. As I am writing this I don’t have a 9×13 glass pan. I had one at one point and now I don’t. I either broke it or lost it. Either way I am going to be buying one soon.
I also include pie pans in this category, I am just starting to get into using them again and I find that I need at least two. Between savory dishes like pot pie and quiche and deserts like actual pie, one is not enough.
What are Your Farmhouse Kitchen Essentials?
Comment below to let me know what you can’t live without!
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