The Dutch Pantry

Pennsylvania Dutch cooking has always been the cuisine of our heritage and we love our heritage. We are the sons and daughters of the Pennsylvania Dutch. Some were Brethren, Reformed Lutheran Mennonite, Amish, Catholic or of other faiths. They came to America from Switzerland, Germany, and the eastern parts of France or wherever the German language was spoken before 1800. They came to Pennsylvania first. Some stayed and others went on to other places north, south, east, and west. We seek to learn their history, their customs, their culture and their genealogy.

Our family has lived in Pennsylvania mostly from Perry and Juniata counties for several generations. They were Farmers, not wealthy people but always ate well and lived long lives. Their recipes are difficult to translate because they were never really written down, just memorized from watching your mother cook, and her mother, and her mother. Things like ‘a pinch’ ‘a handful’ ‘some’ had to be translated into teaspoons, tablespoons, cups, etc. Modern PA Dutch families have inherited a liking for many of the traditional dishes. The treasured recipes and cooking skills have been passed from My Great, Great Grandmother to my Great Grandmother to my Grandmother, then to me. It is sometimes difficult to transfer these recipes to standard measurements as they are likely to call for a pinch of this and a drizzle of that, “butter the size of a walnut,” “flour to stiffen,” or “potatoes enough to fill a pig’s stomach.”

We also take pride in using products from local businesses and farmers; we try and build our own economy by helping our fellow Pennsylvanians. Pennsylvania is full of wonderful treasures, traditions and foods.
A word of caution, if you go searching the Web on your own for Pennsylvania Dutch recipes, skip any site that seems to equate Pennsylvania Dutch with Amish. The Amish are a small minority of the Pennsylvania Dutch people, and though we share a common culinary heritage, those of us who are not Amish resent it when outlanders give them all the credit.

The Dutch Pantry proudly brings to your home the Traditions of the Pennsylvania Dutch Kitchen. We present for your enjoyment our Jellies, Jams, Preserves, Baked Goods and my unique bulk food items. We also will be presenting vendors from other Pennsylvania businesses proudly presenting their home cooked products and primitive inventions. Please check back regularly, we are always adding new products..