Hi Reader,

There was a small jar in my Vovó’s refrigerator that I was absolutely forbidden to touch.
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Not because it was rare. Not because it was expensive. But because she had made it.
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In her kitchen, that distinction mattered. Things that came from the store were replaceable. Things that came from her hands were…well, let’s just say you approached them with respect.
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She didn’t talk about “artisanal cooking” or “homemade pantry staples.” Those are phrases we invented later to make ourselves sound impressive. To her, it was simply common sense. Why buy something that took fifteen minutes to make and tasted ten times better?
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So there were jars everywhere. A little container of garlicky sauce that found its way onto fish, potatoes, and bread. A paste that started most stews. A vinegar steeped with herbs from the yard. None of it particularly fancy. All of it transformative.
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It took me years—and more than a few disappointing supermarket shortcuts—to understand what she was really doing. She wasn’t just cooking dinner.
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She was building flavor in advance.

The Homemade Pantry: Where the Magic Starts

• Start with sauces and condiments. Things like pesto, vinaigrettes, chile pastes, and flavored oils take minutes to make but instantly upgrade everything they touch.
• Make what you use often. If you reach for it three times a week—salad dressing, garlic butter, herb oil—it’s a good candidate for homemade.
• Batch small, not big. The goal isn’t to fill your pantry like a general store. Make small amounts that stay fresh and get used quickly.
• Let scraps become ingredients. Herb stems, citrus peels, garlic skins, and vegetable trimmings can all become oils, stocks, or flavor bases.
• Think of it as flavor savings. Every jar you make is a head start on future meals. A spoonful of something homemade can turn a simple dinner into something memorable.

WHAT'S INSIDE...

• ​Homemade Yellow Mustard​
• ​Homemade Tomato Paste​
• ​Easy Rhubarb Jam​
• ​Chive Blossom Vinegar​
• ​Bacon Jam​
• ​Homemade Old Bay Seasoning​
• ​Sweet Pickle Relish​
• ​Chimichurri​
• ​Portuguese Red Pepper Paste​
• ​How To Make Homemade Whole-Grain Mustard​

​Homemade Yellow Mustard​

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.68 from 85 votes

Homemade yellow mustard is deceptively simple to make from mustard powder, vinegar, and a couple other basic pantry staples. You just may never go back to store-bought! Here's how to make it from scratch.

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​Homemade Tomato Paste​

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.73 from 48 votes

Making tomato paste at home is surprisingly easy and a great way to use up lots of fresh tomatoes. All you need are tomatoes, salt, olive oil, a food mill, and a flair for classic Italian goodness.

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​Easy Rhubarb Jam​

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.73 from 79 votes

Easy rhubarb jam is exactly that. Easy. Made from just rhubarb, sugar, lemon, water, and a little stirring, it makes simple, pretty, and perfect preserves that taste just like old-fashioned rhubarb jam. No prior canning experience required. Here's how to make it at home.

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​Chive Blossom Vinegar​

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.94 from 31 votes

It's easy to make sweet, delicately flavored chive blossom vinegar. The blossoms are cleaned and placed in canning jars, and warm white-wine vinegar is poured over. Once cooled, the vinegar is left in a cool dark spot to infuse and turn a blushy-pink.

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​Bacon Jam​

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.98 from 37 votes

This bacon jam, made with bacon, maple syrup, and coffee, is a sweet condiment slathered on burgers at the Skillet diner in Seattle--and just about everywhere else these days.

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​Homemade Old Bay Seasoning​

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.79 from 52 votes

This copycat Old Bay seasoning is a blend of celery salt, paprika, black pepper, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, ginger, and other spices that are exactly what you want to sprinkle on shrimp, crab boil, fish, fries, chicken. Anything, really.

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​Sweet Pickle Relish​

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.64 from 111 votes

This sweet pickle relish, made with cucumbers, sugar, onion, salt, mustard seeds, celery seeds, and cider vinegar, is perfect for hamburgers and hot dogs and potato salad, and anything else. So long, storebought.

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​Chimichurri​

This chimichurri, a classic Argentine sauce, is based on the authentic and traditional. Vinegar, olive oil, parsley, oregano, garlic, and pepper flakes are whisked together in minutes. Tweak slightly to taste. Bring on the steak.

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​Portuguese Red Pepper Paste​

Each Portuguese family has its own rendition of the classic, pantry staple known as massa de pimentão. Here's how David has amped it up several notches and in the process created something new. It's bursting with wine, paprika, garlic, hot sauce, and herbs. It's Portugal in a jar.

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​How To Make Homemade Whole-Grain Mustard​

Making homemade whole grain mustard is easy. Just a few ingredients--mustard seeds, brown sugar, and cider vinegar. You may never go back to the stuff from the store.

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