How to Keep your Food Pantry Organized
When you open the door of your food pantry and kitchen cabinets, what do you see? Can you locate what you need or do you have to lift and shift things first? Today we are going to share with you a few valuable tips when it comes to organizing your food pantry.
“I have all the ingredients for this recipe…but where?”
Have you uttered words similar to these when you open your food pantry? Boxes, bags, trays, cans and jars seem to leap out at you from every shelf but you still can’t find anything you need. Before you’re done, a dozen things have already slipped to the floor. There are even things in the pantry that were put there in the spur of the moment but don’t really belong there.
The key to a well-stocked and useful pantry is to know where everything is and how to easily get to it. How many times have you reached for something only to find that it is expired? Often these items were never opened at all. This is food waste and it is costing you valuable time and money!
Learn how to never waste another box, can or jar of food again.
6 Tips for Organizing your Food Pantry
1. Clean it out first –
Whatever you have in there, pull it all out and examine it carefully. Check for expiration dates and sealed packages. One way to avoid food waste is to rotate your stock. Keep foods that are going to expire within six months to a year in front of the rest.
2. Invest in storage items –
Glass jars and storage containers were made for stocking a pantry. Dry ingredients don’t usually come in resealable packages (i.e., sugar, flour). Store them in glass containers to save on space as well as keep them fresh.
Include a scoop for easy dispensing. This method works well for dry cereals, pastas and beans as well.
Want some pantry organization inspiration? Check out my Pinterest boards called All about the Kitchen! and also my Organized Life board for lots more organizing inspiration.
3. Label everything –
What’s in that plastic container and when does it expire? If you don’t know, that could spell trouble. Labeling plastic containers with item name and expiration can save a lot of bother and headache.
4. Organize your shelves –
Designate an area for each kind of item. For example, place baking items on one shelf. In a second, you can see the flour, sugar and baking chocolate. Keep snacks together on lower shelves for kids to grab without disturbing other things. Place glass jars at eye level but out of reach of small hands. On higher shelves, place boxes sideways for ease of identification and retrieval.
5. Keep much used items within reach –
For foods that you use often, make sure they are within reach and not stuck behind something else.
6. Try single serving reusable containers –
Why single serving? Because this works well for items that come in multiple use boxes and bags and things that you can get in large wholesale amounts.
Kids can grab a container and snack instead of grabbing the entire box and sticking their hands in. It will also be easier to tell when you are running low and need to restock.
Why reusable containers? Well, I really don’t think our landfills need anymore garbage, do you? Therefore, we try and work towards a zero waste home and part of that is using reusable containers, preferably glass, metal or multi-use plastic.
Related posts: The Zero Waste Home ~ Book Review
An organized pantry serves many purposes for you, your family and your homestead kitchen.
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