How to Make a Traditional & Self-Sufficient Kitchen

It’s always the right time to become more self-sufficient. But there’s never been such an urgency like in today’s climate. With everything that’s (been) going on, supplies are in high demand everywhere and inflation is beating everyone right now. 

So, I’m on a mission to increase my level of self-sufficiency by focusing on 3 key areas in my life – self, family and home. 

Today, let’s talk about the home, specifically crafting the ultimate powerhouse: a self-sufficient kitchen.

2. Another goal of a self-sufficient kitchen is nourishment.

A traditional kitchen provides nourishment to the body which enriches the family. And a self-sufficient kitchen provides stability. So, the kitchen is the perfect place to take this deep dive. But there are some very important points to consider.

First, a self-sufficient, traditional kitchen needs to have a plan for food as nourishment. This means incorporating traditional foods into the house-loved meals. Food is the star of the kitchen especially when it’s involved in so many of the outputs. It also means improving traditional kitchen skills and adding appropriate equipment into the mix.

Second, the self-reliant kitchen needs a plan for maintaining and using resources for other home essentials. A well-equipped kitchen has a combination of the right foods, skills and equipment. And such a kitchen will easily replace conventional items with a little planning and elbow grease.

Keeping it well-stocked

A traditional, self-sufficient kitchen is well stocked with the right kind of tools. And those tools are food, skills and equipment.

Traditional foods are homemade foods vs store-bought. They are also whole foods – pastured meats (including organ meats), raw and cultured butter, eggs, cream and other dairy products.

Bone broths, fresh veggies, herbs and fruit, fermented foods and whole grains.

Sally Fallon’s book Nourishing Traditions is one of the most well-respected books of traditional kitchens. An excellent resource to learn more.

Additionally, you’ll learn a great deal from Mary (of Mary’s Nest) on the subject of traditional foods/kitchen. 

I live in the city and know the spiel about organic, non-GMO, farm-raised, etc. etc. Most of which is marketing nowadays anyway. But I only discovered traditional foods 2 years ago.

Some may think it’s difficult or expensive to eat a traditional foods diet. And in some ways, that’s true. I’m not a fan of the price hike between $4 conventional milk and $11 raw milk.

And the struggle to find local farms or dairies is really real. There are sites that help like: EatWild.com, Real Milk.com and Weston A. Price’s local chapters-USA / International). But we still have to travel a couple hours away to find cleaner meats and fresher eggs.  

True fact: While there are farms closer to us, the problem is the raw milk. It’s not allowed to be sold for human consumption in my state. So, since we want it, we have to travel to a neighboring state where it is legal. Alternatively, we can pick it up (also in another state) through cow-shares. Although not as local, we avoid splitting farm bills and paying more in the process this way.

In other ways, the cost in time, effort and money far surpasses a life of shopping at the local supermarket.

For one, making such a move is empowering. It gives me the confidence that we can be more self-sufficient while also taking measures to safeguard our health.

Making the transition from processed foods’ to traditional foods kitchen a reality

I realized converting from a processed foods kitchen to a traditional foods’ kitchen was a real possibility when I read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. It’s about a family of 4 who only eat what they grow on their farm or source extremely locally for 1 year.

And they did it in southern Virginia. A place I might have thought was too “city” to pull off such a stunt. It’s a great read for this topic. 

Incorporating traditional foods almost immediately starts paying benefits in the self-sufficient kitchen.

Scratch-made food is cheaper most times than buying pre-made convenience meals.

It’s also healthier because there are fewer ingredients which mean less places to hide the junk!

Extra effort is sometimes required for prepping and executing. But there’s no comparison to the pride of knowing a healthy breakfast is already taken care of for a couple days. Or the dinner you’ll enjoy sometime this week is a wholesome, nourishing tender roast you made all by yourself!  

Ok, ok. So, the crock-pot cooked it. You get the point.

Traditional foods are a sure-fire way to increase self-sufficiency in the kitchen. Since becoming traditional in this aspect, I found some favorites.

Kefir made from raw milk. And chicken bone broth made with vegetables and aromatics is the best cup of “joe” I’ve ever had. Plus, the pasture-raised beef turned into burgers or meat pie has also become a staple. The meat mix itself is my signature dish.

These foods weren’t new to me because I enjoyed the conventional versions before. But they certainly didn’t carry any frequent flyer miles with me like they do now.   

And don’t just get excited about eating those good foods. One important practical life skill women should master is food preservation.

More advanced equipment

To take it up a notch, you might consider investing in these things:

• A food dehydrator
• Vacuum sealer + Jar sealing attachments
• Grain mill
• Electric roaster (18qt or larger)
• Kombucha crock
• Home freeze dryer – Read how we tumbled into this one ourselves by making homemade baby formula!
• Cheese press
• Solar oven
• Berkey water purifying system (or something similar that removes a vast majority of contaminants.

Now, are some of these things on my wish-list? Of course! But this set of items aids in increasing the self-sufficiency of the kitchen. They offer other methods of preserving and some ease the workload of being in the kitchen a lot.

Just what we need, right? However, they are higher ticket priced items. 

PRO TIP: To be as self-reliant as possible, try to source non-electric versions where possible! This way you’re covered if power failures happen.

So, when it comes to deciding where to start when transforming or expanding your traditional kitchen, consider an items value. Since the end-game is increased self-sufficiency, lose anything that doesn’t make that a reality.

• Is it something that meets a need? 
• Does it promote further growth? 
• Will it satisfy a want? 

If an item in question doesn’t meet these requirements, it can probably be let go.

Don’t be discouraged! We are capable of learning anything. All it takes is a conscious decision to keep moving forward.

Whether you grew up in a home where these skills were regularly used or not, you can do this, Lovely.

If you come from a background of eating traditional foods and even if you don’t, you can do this!

If you live in a city or on an acre or two, you can do it.

No matter if you’re more of the “slow and steady wins the race” type girl or a “dive in head first” kind of gal, you most certainly can do this.

Even when strapped for time or funds, there are small ways to make progress. In fact, you can easily boost your kitchen confidence as you grow.

Imagine the longevity that you can achieve in your kitchen. And crafting a powerhouse like that will spread stability to the rest of your home too.

Trust me. Your future self will thank you for prioritizing becoming more self-sufficient.

🌱 Start Small. Start Now. Start where you are with what you have. The rest will follow. 🌱

Is being more self-sufficient something you’re interested in but don’t know where to start?

The Self-Sufficient Roadmap is for you!

Designed it to eliminate some of the overwhelm, find out exactly where you are & what to look forward to next.